Obituaries

Sir Charles Evans
1955-1995

Charles Evans will no doubt be remembered as deputy leader of the sucessful Everest exp edition and the first ascent of Kangchenjuuga he led in 1955. His association with the YRC began at the 1955 Annual Dinner when he was chief guest. Sitting between the President, Harry Stembridge and Crosby Fox, he planted the idea that the YRC should be the first English regional club to mount an expedition to a major Himalayan Peak . By acclaim he was elected an honorary member of the Club during the dinner.

Robert Charles Evans was bom on 19 October 1918 and died on 6 December 1995. Bom in Liveipool after his father was killed in France, he was brought up in North Wales speaking no English pre¬school. He climbed extensivly in Wales and the Lake District before going to the Alps in 1939. Shortly after his appointment as Principal of University College of North Wales at Bangor he contracted rnultiple sclerosis and a few years later was restricted to a wheel chair. This did not prevent him attending the 1969 Annual Dinner as chief guest.

FD Smith

Clifford Fielding
1927-1998

Cliff Fielding died of liver cancer not long after his 70th bhthday and a month or two after his son had taken him to Las Vegas as an early birthday present. This illustrates his continued enjoyment of life, people and razzle.

He lived with an enthusiasm for doing tilings and for knowing the other people involved. For about ten years he climbed intensely in the UK and the Alps. To do this he drove long distances which allowed him to enjoy his driving skill and hi ah he did he was happy to help others to improve theft skills. Going into a pub with him often resulted in making friends which he did quite naturally and which was perhaps related to his experiences at work. In those days, on behalf of the Post Office, he had to persuade people to avoid creating interference to television, before there was a law requiring this. So he had to create a relationship quickly with people of diverse interests, from the householder with an electric drill to directors of ICI. It was during this period that he became a founder member of the Cleveland Moimtaineering Club and a member of the Fell and Rock Climbing Club and the Yorkshire Ramblers’ Club. It was also dining this period that he is reputed to have said, “If the gap seems wide enough to drive through at 20 mph then it is wide enough for 60 mph” and “If you cannot run out the whole 120 feet of rope without a runner, then you are not confident of your capability to do the climb.”

I met him when we were both desperately looking for a climbing companion. I had pressed an office colleague to come and hold the other end of my hemp rope on a local outcrop one February day, where, out of the mist and gently falling snow Cliff appeared. He had a part share in a motor car and gave me many years of good companionship and a series of adventures which were not limited to climbing.. Our last trip together was just after he married when we repeated a route of mixed walking and climbing which took us into three of the valleys in the Lake District.

His energy and enthusiasm became directed towards his family and even included helping to run an ice hockey team. He also became involved with the Masons and became a Justice of the Peace. The last repotted sighting in the mountains was skiing with his son. That was downhill skiing using lifts in contrast to his boasted 10,000 feet of skiing in Cairngorm using heel-free ski and no lifts.

Derek A. Smithson

Stanley Marsden
1936 -1997

Stanley Marsden died on the 3rd December 1997, remaining fit and vigorous to within a few weeks of his death.

After leaving Wheelwright Grammar School he joined the Midland Bank in Leeds, later moving to Huddersfield branch, then the Head Office. Next he was appointed manager of the Brighouse, finishing his career at the Hillsborough Branch in Sheffield, having had a break during the war where he served in the navy in minesweeping. He was promoted from the ranks to Sub-Lieutenant.

Stanley’s love of the outdoors began with cycling in the Yorkshire Dales before he became a member of the Club in 1936. After his war service he was elected to the YRC committee hi 1947, was Honorary Treasurer from 1951 to 1978, was Vice President 1950/52, and President 1956/58. He was elected an Honorary Member in 1968.

His other interests included membership of the Manchester Pedestrian Club, where he was president in 1990. He was a member of the Bradford Straddlebug Touring Association, (which, like the YRC, was founded 1892), the Brighouse Borough Club and the Rotarians. Stanley was also a keen birdwatcher and travelled widely in pursuit of tills interest.
 
Stanley was a veiy strong walker and keen potlioler. He had a strong personality and was a bom leader. He regularly attended the Whit meets, usually held in those days in Skye, Rhum, or Northern Ireland, where he was the orgaihser for several years of ‘Grand Hotel’ with Bob Chadwick, Harry Stembridge, Jack Holmes and Jack Dosser.

In Northern Ireland, before the war, the highhght when potholing with Roberts, Fred Booth, Godley, Nelstrop and others, was the discoveiy of Reyfad. Amongst his pioneering exploratory potholing expeditions before and after the war, extensions were made to Pollasumera and Pollnagollun, using boats. Some will remember his potholing training meets in the early sixties from Lowstem.

Stanley was veiy much an allrounder, taking part in annual Alpine Expeditions with Edward Tregoning and Geoffrey Turner in Switzerland, Italy and Austrian the fifties, sixties and seventies. His modesty may have prevented him from writing about these activities in the journals. He was a regular attender at the annual Long Walk Meets.

The YRC Jugal Himal Expedition of 1957 was perhaps the highlight of Stanley’s Presidency. He was also active in the acquisition of Lowstem and demonstrated a surprising skill in stonewalling during the refurbishing work, and he was pleased to be invited to open the new Lowstem in 1988.

I recall my long friendship with Stanley, as we were both members of the Yorkshire Ramblers’ Club and the Manchester Pedestrian Club. Here are some of my recollections:
Stanley always had a steadying influence on his more enthusiastic friends, and I recall when, in the Ben Nevis area, he advised me against attempting a steep snow filled gully. On reflection later, I thought this had been sound advice.

Stanley was a convivial souL and would always make sure when in a pub that you had a chink in front of you. He was, however as we all know, a stickler for having things done properly. He was a meticulous keeper of records and memorabilia relating to his outdoor activities and dinner attendances.

I remember Stanley speaking highly of the good ship ‘St.Tudno’, which used to sail between Liverpool and the Menai Bridge. The St.Tudno’s Master was never allowed to leave the dock at Liverpool without authority frorn the Chairman of the shipping line, who woidd come to the dock personally with a large chronometer watch and give the signal to leave. – Stanley thoroughly approved of such proper behaviour.

On one YRC pothole meet in Ireland I recall, when the hard men had been down a deep and difficult pothole for some 4 to 5 hours. The other members waiting in the pouring rain at the entrance, watched the returning potholers climb out of the pot, and then proceed to pull up the several heavy wet rope ladders and roll them up. One member then unfortunately let go of the expensive, long, wet, hemp safety line, and it plunged into the depths, all the members fell silent, knowing the pot would now have to be completely re-laddered to retrieve the rope.

Stanley broke the silence, saying in his loud clear voice,

“Well Done, That Man – re-ladder!”

Stanley was decisive in a crisis. On one occasion I was at the wheel of his car, driving across Raunoch Moor in a snowstonn at 3 am, when the car skidded into a ditch. Stanley’s only comment was “I see some boulders, I think we can build a ramp”. The car was on its way again shortly afterwards.
 
{Maurice Wilson, Jones, George Spenceley, Stanley Marsden, Harry Sternbridge, Jack Holmes, Cliff Downham and Arthur Tall on outside Low Hall Garth at a 1957 Himalayan expedition re-union.}
 
The Club was a veiy great part of Stanley’s life. He was greatly upset when it was decided at the AGM that former Presidents should not be, ex officio Members of the committee, but I also know that he hugely enjoyed the last dinner he attended in 1997, all who met him recall his vigour and apparent health. He drove me to the meet, in Kirkby Lonsdale, with remarkable competence and at some speed.

His death at the age of 90, due to cancer, occurred only a few days after learning that he had terminal cancer, and was quickly followed, four weeks later by that of his second wife, Kathleen, after a fall.

His ashes, and those of his wife, were scattered at a short seivice held on the track up to Pike O’ Blisco from the Blea Tarn road on 9th March 1998. Those present included myself, Stanley’s sister Hilda, Her husband Eric Gibson, their son and daughter and friends from the Yorkshire Ramblers, Manchester Pedestrians and Straddlebugs.

Hie weather was closing in but never had the hills looked so fine with snow in the high conies.

Pat Stonehouse

Mrs Ruth Spilsbury

Mrs Ruth Spilsbury, the widow of our former Honorary Member Harry Spilsbury died peacefully on Christmas Day 1997 at the age of 106. She was active until the last few months of her life. Older members will have happy memories of Harry, who looked after us so well at the RLH meets, and will remember his fine rendition of ‘Yorkshire’ at our dinners in the fifties and sixties. He was multi-talented but so was Ruth, who was a linguist, a competent pianist and a good public speaker. Hany fell on Ben Aligin in 1970, Ins head struck a rock and he was instantly killed.

At the Club’s Diamond Jubilee celebration in 1952 Ruth was transported in an armchair on the back of a Landrover to the Crummockdale YRC camp to light the fuse which set alight the bonfire. Mrs Winthrop Young, Slingsby’s daughter, also attended the celebration.

Sid H Cross MBE
1913-1998

Sid Cross died suddenly on 31 st March. He was a good friend of the YRC. He was a past President and Honorary Member of the Fell and Rock Climbing Club, but he will be remembered most as a leading member, along with Cliff Downham, of the Langdale and Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team. No doubt many will also remember him as landlord of the Old Dungeon Ghyii Hotel where he would often be seen wearing a YRC tie! He would affectionately refer to us as the ‘Yorkshire Puddings’.

He was a first class rock climber with many first ascents to his credit. Two amusing names of these climbs were ‘Half Nelson’ a climb he did with his future wife, Miss Nelson and ‘Double Cross’, a climb they made together after theft marriage. He is survived by his wife Jammie and two sons, John and Edward, to whom we offer our condolences.