Snowdonia. 7-11 February. George and I went down first and, unable to find
a camp spot, ended up sleeping in a house, where kind woman gave us free bed
and breakfast. Called back to her husband "There are 2 complete idiots at the
door asking if they can camp in our garden!" Met Nick and Richard in a Pie
Shop the next day. Unsuccessful Snowdon assault due to extreme weather
conditions and snow.
Snowdon Assault. 2-4 March. Freezing cold, blizzards and ill-equipped.
Dustbin sack waterproofs and roofing hammer for ice axe. Steve, George,
Richard, Pete & Trevor Willis, John & Paul Treeby.
Calais and Dunkirk. Easter Bank Holiday weekend 13-16 April. Steve and
George.
New Forest. 5-7 May. Went by car. Hell’s Angels and drunken debauchery
abounded. Dick brought food to cook on an open fire, bought pans to cook the
stuff in, and left his carrier bag of food behind in the hardware shop. Dick
made heavy weather of the walking (usually because Roy was hanging on his
pack) and used any excuse to call a halt (Hey, lads, look at these cows). Dick
quotes: "I didn't come away on a camping trip just to get drunk all the time"
and "If the Duke of Edinburgh saw this he'd shake his head and say 'I'm sorry
lads." Steve, Nick, George, Roy, Ian and Dick.
Dartmoor. June. George says: "In June '79 I took Dasos on a gruelling 3
day trek across the bottom half of Dartmoor, causing him to doubt the sanity
of the Swagmen and to have huge bleeding blisters on his heels which made him
limp for weeks. Needless to say, i withheld his (Swagman) badge! I remember
his incredulity when he saw that the map I produced to navigate through the
treacherous bogs of the moor was a road map of South West England!" George and
Dasos.
Kings Lynn. 5-8 July. Start of Norfolk Coastal Walk. Steve, Nick, Martin
and Jim.
Fort William, Fort Augustus, Ben Nevis and Loch Ness. 18-23 August.
Successful Ben Nevis assault. Haggis and chips. Lots of rain. Steve, George
and David Riley.
Norfolk Coastal Walk Part 2. 24-27 August. Drove down. Steve, Nick,
George, Richard & Debbie, Glenn, Roy, Ian. Met Darren and Jim on Saturday
night.
Berkshire Hunts. George says: "In Sep '79 Wilf and I cycled to a Youth
Hostel (who's name escapes me, but it is the first one on a direct route past
Staines in a pine wood) and spent 2 nights there, raiding the communal food,
cycling to all the boozers and greasy spoons in a 10 mile radius and generally
indulging in a "who can eat and drink the most" comp." George and Richard.
Thassos (Greece) and Istanbul (Turkey). 11-26 October. Young World
holiday. George: "I thought I was Mohammed Ali." Steve, Nick, George, Roy,
Martin, Ian and Darren.
