Message from Bryden Allen

[Andy Smith]

I recently posted some comments from the website of
Bryden Allen http://www.brydenallen.com about the Club. Bryden was
a member in the mid 1980’s. It was suggested that I should
email him. I did and received a reply. The correspondence is
below.

On 15/07/2015 08:02, Bryden Allen wrote:> Hi Andy
>
> Great to get your email and hear that the Castle Mountaineering Club is functioning just as well as it was 29 years ago, when I was with you all. As I said in my website, you are the best club I have ever known. I looked at your website and I can see you are just as active as you were when I was there. This is fantastic.
>
> I, of course, can’t climb now but I still go to my local climbing hymn every Tuesday and hold the rope for anyone who is short of a partner. I keep myself healthy and active with a couple of hours mild exercise every day. I don’t have too bad a life.
>
> I spend my time mostly adding stuff to my webpage (which you have already seen). If you want to catch up about my life, learn about accident family etc it is all there. http://www.brydenallen.com/index.html
>
> My main mission now is to form a Green Community which looks after itself and acts in a sane manner (i.e. stop the rich from getting too rich, give work to the young and have lots of free time.) You then see that this could eventually lead to people living healthy lives in space. But I can’t say that I have met anyone who in interested in doing this. But I think this was partly your old field of study.
>
> I still clearly remember most of the people you mentioned your email. The fortnight I spent on Rum is certainly well remembered.
>
> So I have fond memories of you all. If it is convenient, please tell everyone what I am doing now and my work. Twice a week I put a sizeable entry on Facebook about my work and activities. It would be terrific if you or some people in your club became “friends” with me and we could share news. I am there just under the name Bryden Allen.
>
> Thanks for you email and I hope we remain in touch
> Bryden
>
>
> On 13 Jul 2015, at 7:05 pm, Andy Smith <andy@smitha.myzen.co.uk> wrote:
>
>> 13 Jul 2015
>> Bryden Allen <brydentallen@gmail.com>
>>
>> Dear Bryden,
>>
>> I came across your website and remembered that you had been
>> with the Castle Mountaineering Club, Sheffield, in the mid 80’s.
>> Sorry to hear that you had a serious accident. Thank you for
>> the complimentary words you had to say about the Club. You
>> may be interested to know that the Club is still
>> flourishing. As well as evening climbing meets and weekend
>> meets locally or in more distant mountains, we also now have
>> weekday local walks on a Thursday, which are very popular
>> among older members who have retired and so can get out on a
>> weekday. The clubroom is still there, behind the Rising Sun
>> on Abbey Lane, but it is much less used now. Its main
>> raison d’etre, meeting other members to make arrangements for
>> climbing and mountaineering activities, has been taken over by
>> the Internet. The club’s website is http://www.castlemountaineering.com
>> and you can see that the Messageboard is pretty busy with
>> news of forthcoming meets and reports of past ones.
>>
>> I posted your remarks about the Club on the Messageboard
>> (Message #1300 dated 28 June 28 2015). On a recent meet to
>> Wasdale, several members remember climbing and walking with
>> you: John Barnard, Frank & Jennifer Mellor, Charles Knowles,
>> Marian Birkett, Dave & Jenny Kime. I’ve got a note in my
>> logbook that on the Club meet to the Isle of Rum in May
>> 1984, you arrived at the Dibidil Bothy from Kinloch on
>> crutches. You must have had an accident then too?
>>
>> Anyway I hope you are keeping well in spite of your
>> disability. I’m glad you have good memories of your time
>> with the Castle.
>>
>> Best Regards, Andy Smith

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