History
45 years
The club’s past resides in the memories of those climbers who have participated in its 45 years of existence and in the cold, impersonal black and white of the red-leather-bound Minutes Book which has recorded those years. The first of this account’s authors has been closely associated with the Club for all but 4 years of its life, while the latter-a mere babe-in-arms-has tried to bring fact and order to the former’s senile reminiscences and has taken every opportunity (but one) to omit the words, ‘When men were men and a rainy day was five Munros.’
[Image - Club members at the CIC Hut, Easter 1930]
Before the Club was actually formed, five climbers in the area had become members of the Edinburgh Section of the J.M.C.S. These were the Club's founder members and they held their first official meet at Lawers Inn (unlicensed) on 2nd March 1930, and followed it by a dinner in York House, Perth, which was attended by a guest from the S.M.C.
This propitious pentamery consisted of Alastair Cram, for a long time a judge in Kenya and now retired to Edinburgh, Chris Rudie, our current Hon. President, who now lives in Alyth and is still active with our Club, Jimmy McNab, also now living in Edinburgh, the late Matthew Gloag and Dennis Howe who was killed in an accident in New Zealand where he went as an insurance branch manager.
I joined the Club in 1934 and have pleasant memories of early Club members and though many have passed on some were very active such as Chris Andrews, Eric Annandale, Dr Isles and Dr Sellars. Others of whom we have lost trace were Bob McIntyre and Colin Allen, a great friend of J. H. B. Bell, while we still have with us in retirement Jim Anton and J. S. Kilpatrick.
[The “Hut” Ben Nevis Easter 1931 Chris Rudie, John Mc Nab and Robert Mc Intyre]
Up until the end of 1933 the Club remained small but very active and regular meets were held at the main climbing centres at home and abroad. Indeed, Alastair Cram was the 8th man to climb all the Munos and was also on the short leash for one of the Everest expeditions. The law, ministry and medicine were well represented in the membership.
In 1934 the Hon. President, Sheriff Valentine, retired and J. H. B. Bell took over the office and was a very active Hon. President, taking part in the meets and leading many new climbs.
I can always remember him starting his day, even in December and January, by having a dip in the nearest river.
Pre-war finances were based on an Annual Subscription of 7/6 and an embarrassing surplus of £16 12s. 31/2d. prompted the purchase of a set of S.M.C. Guide Books and two climbing ropes, plus a donation to the S.Y.H.A. to help build a new hostel in Glen Brittle.
After the war, a meeting was held in December 1946 with an attendance of 26 and it was agreed to restart the Club with monthly bus meets. Up until this time members had used their private cars which were now impractical with the economic climate of the postwar years. Finally one of the Club members, Tom Kemp, was able to hire a bus without charge for a driver, as he was a spare time driver.
Thus began the most sociable era of the Club history. At this period buses were still of the austerity type with wooden seats and it was quite a trial to journey to Glencoe. This was recompensed by the fare which was only 4/6. With a full bus at almost every meet, a profit was made which was used for free drinks at the Annual Dinner. At this time the Section's Annual Dinner location became the Spittal of Glenshee Hotel. The dinner cost 4/6 then and the proprietor, Mr Duguid, allowed a great deal of licence in the true sense of the word.
The Club had by now developed a good number of rock-climbers, who were attempting the new and difficult climbs of the post-war route explosion. The position of Hon. President was held in succession by Chris Andrews, Jim Anton and W. H. Murray whose outings with the Club were greatly appreciated.
[Image - Meet to Ben Lawers, March 1930. Standing, Colin Allan, Fred Gloag, Alasdair L Cram: sitting, George Spence]
In the mid-fifties we made contact with Sandy Cameron, the owner of a bus, and everyone looked forward to the outings in Sandy's bus. Place, time and cost were secondary considerations to Sandy and he charged according to the numbers turning out. He was the cheeriest individual one could meet and he knew all the members individually. This association continued until Sandy had to go into hospital for a long spell and had to sell his bus. When he finally recovered he emigrated to Glasgow to our loss.
The Perth Section of the J.M.C.S. has fulfilled a certain function as a 'nursery' for prospective S.M.C. members and over the years a good few of the Section's ex-members have taken an active part in the affairs of the senior Club. Indeed, the present Journal Editor is a past member of the Perth Section which together with this article further confirms the Club's reputation for illiteracy. *
The Club has been very fortunate to have on record only five fatal accidents to members in its history.
* An interesting manifestation of the "Ah kent his faither" syndrome. Often remarked upon by such luminaries as Hugh MacDiarmid and Malcolm Slesser as a chronic ailment of Scottish Thought.
-Hon. Ed.
The only fatal accident on a Club meet was to Bill Thomson, an active and well-respected member from Buckhaven, in March 1961. It happened on Bidean Nam Bian when it was covered more by a sheet of ice than snow, an unusual condition for this mountain.
In the sixties many of the Club's Annual Dinners were held in Braemar, while accommodation was available at Derry Lodge until the lease expired. Fond memories of the festivities enacted by a replete company on the Saturday night after the dinner make the Club as bitter as any that tIlls excellent centre for the Eastern Cairngorms has been lost.
No historical account would be complete without a mention of those connoisseurs of summits, the Club's Munroists. Six current members have collected their infinity of cairns and one has forayed abroad in England, Wales and Ireland to embellish his total.
Male chauvinism dies hard, as every woman from Mrs Pankhurst to Germaine Greer knows, so that ladies have not been admitted as members although the 'liberal' males have allowed them to attend as guests on Club meets. Special mention must be made of three of these hard and long-suffering women-Mrs Nan Rae, the second woman Munroist, Miss Pamela Cain, nearly at 277 and Mrs Ann Paterson, renowned for her shortbread.
The J.M.C.S. Perth Section is now concealed by its new label of the Perth Mountaineering Club but remains the same enthusiastic group that I joined forty years ago when men were men and a rainy day was five Munros.