Arts
The View From Sunnegga
It’s difficult to tell exactly where we are in old Zermatt, pictured below during my grandparent’s 1950s road trip. These days the town is short of public squares given what has to be squeezed onto [more…]
Mountaineering
Arts
Trag In Ruh (Take It In Your Stride)
Puffins will be familiar with a truism of the lower orders ducking and diving through the mean streets of Zermatt with a dagger between their teeth looking for a cheap room while the officer class [more…]
19th Century
His Monument, The Matterhorn
We shall continue our trip towards the source of the Matter Vispa, heading south towards the mountain town of Zermatt. However, we shall no longer call it a road trip. The evidence suggests, given a [more…]
20th Century
Men Against Everest
In August 1951, as preparations for the 1953 Everest Expedition were underway, my uncle John Alldridge wrote about the previous expeditions for the Manchester Evening News – Jerry F “I guess my real reason for [more…]
20th Century
Lake District Memories
On Christmas Morning 2021 I was taken by ambulance to hospital suffering from a clot on the lung brought on by Covid (Covid Pneumonitis). It was to be the beginning of ten days there, most [more…]
20th Century
The Innocent on Everest
Another chapter from “Special Assignment” by my uncle John Alldridge (published in 1960 and now long out of print) The special correspondent doesn’t talk about ‘assignments’. He talks about ‘jobs’. His next ‘job’ may send [more…]
Biography
Sailing my life away, part 30
I was delighted so many readers have enjoyed my recent accounts of sailing in the north of Scotland and thank DJM for writing – “A life well lived”. I couldn’t ask for a better epitaph [more…]
Biography
Sailing my life away, part 29
As usual, I start by thanking readers for their comments on the previous article. I was glad 1642again picked up my implied thanks to the gods for living during a period when there was sufficient [more…]
Biography
Sailing my life away, part 26
Welcome back time-travellers. We have landed in mid-August 1997 at Scalloway on the Mainland of Shetland and are about to set sail for Fair Isle. Before we cast off from the Boating Club’s pontoon I’d [more…]