UFO Info Week-End

Hopefully if a guide book is produced for the area my routes will be in it he said

Hopefully, if a guide book is produced for the area my routes will be in it,” he said.Nationwide there is a small band of climbers tackling new routes – following the tradition of legends like Joe Brown and his regular climbing partner Don Whillans, who gave the sport widespread recognition in the 1950s and 1960s.Dick Griffiths said: “In the 1960s there were huge areas of rock to go at and major routes to put down We are not in the same league as Joe Brown Some of those guys were years ahead of their time But the spirit of what we are trying to do is the same. An overhang protected him but he was forced to lower himself into the water and swim to safety.”That was too close for comfort, but the element of danger is always there There is a real buzz in being the first. Recently he abseiled down a cliff to gauge the best route before making an attempt – something he tries to avoid because it makes the climb easier – only to dislodge tons of boulders. Mr Griffiths, 38, from Porthmadog, has already forged more than 20 new routes at Cilan Head.He has had some lucky escapes. But for me, finding new rock and climbing it without any prior knowledge is rock climbing at its purest,” he said.With fellow climber Dick Griffiths, he sometimes has to swim or use a boat to get to the base of cliffs to climb.

“This is the cutting edge of rock climbing” said Elfyn Jones, 31, who lives at Bethesda, Gwynedd. “You have to be the mountaineering equivalent of streetwise to tackle Cilan Head. One thing’s for sure, there’s no worry about crowds.”As a warden with the National Trust in Snowdonia he is aware of the popularity of rock climbing in the region – and the fears about erosion and the problems with land owners because of the number of people involved. Within an hour’s drive of his office there are 100 outdoor pursuit centres.”There is nothing wrong with those who want to follow the routes in the guide book or go in for indoor competition climbing. Many of the unwary who tackled the cliffs found them too difficult: some have been forced to hang all night on the rock as the light faded and they were unable to reach the summit.But the danger adds to the thrill.

It has meant popular routes up the rock face have become overcrowded. For the dedicated climber it is harder than ever to find virgin rock in the United Kingdom.
In the past, the nature of the rock at Cilan Head discouraged climbers. AT CILAN HEAD, erosion has made the rock so fragile it can crumble in the hand, yet a band of dedicated climbers has been drawn to these 350ft high sea cliffs on the Lleyn peninsula in north Wales by their continuing obsession: new routes. Rock climbing’s explosion in popularity in recent years has led to an abundance of outdoor pursuit centres teaching the sport, and to many schools now offering rock climbing in preference to more traditional games. “He had just come down from university qualified as a lawyer and he wanted to make industrial compensation as part of his work I dealt a lot with the unions and I helped him. He holds the same views on Clause Four, defence and economic aspects as I do He’s turned out exactly as I hoped he would.”. One, Ron Brown, was an MP for Hackney South & Shoreditch until 1983, the year Mr Blair became an MP.

Before that, Mr Blair spent eight years at Hackney South Labour group, discussing politics with Mr Brown. Lord Jenkins of Hillhead said: “The Labour Party has vastly improved from the Labour Party of 1983 but I’m very doubtful whether this would have come about were it not for the SDP/Liberal Alliance.”Lord Rodgers added: “There’s every advantage for the country in having strong Liberal Democrat representation. I think Labour’s constitutional relationship with the unions is wrong and electoral reform is still highly desirable.”Six former Labour MPs have been delighted to return to the fold. “My problem with the Labour Party is that I’m not sure what it is Tony Blair wants to do that’s different from what the Conservatives want to do.”Bruce Douglas-Mann, ex-MP for Mitcham & Morden, summed up many of the doubts surrounding Mr Blair when he said: “He’s achieved a great deal but my apprehension is that he will get into government and not do as much as he might if he had more pressure for the Lib Dems.”Many of the former SDP MPs are convinced of the value their old Alliance partners will have, even in a Labour government. None of them meets my needs.”Mike Thomas, a “floating voter” and former Labour/SDP MP for Newcastle East, is also unimpressed. John Cartwright, one of the longest-serving SDP politicians, said: “Some day I’m going to have to face this awful decision of who to vote for but I’m not attracted to any party. Tony Blair still needs to prove that Labour has joined the human race.”While both Labour and the Liberal Democrats appeal to many of the former SDP members, one has reservations about the ambiguous nature of both.

There’s still a lot of the loony element in local Labour government which is unacceptable to me. Only David Owen is refusing to align himself to a party.The main reservations about Labour and Mr Blair’s leadership revolve around his opposition to proportional representation; Labour’s relationship with the trade unions; the main party’s rows with local government this summer, particularly in Walsall; and a scepticism about the political depth of his message.Many, though, did express hope that Labour and the Liberal Democrats could work closely together: many also praised Mr Blair’s approach in his 15 months as leader.Brian Magee, a former Labour MP for Leyton, spoke for many when he said: “The last few weeks and months have shown that there’s an awful lot of dead wood in the Labour Party. The Conservative voter is John Horam, a former Labour member for Gateshead West and now a Tory minister and MP for Orpington.Three of the original Gang of Four – Roy Jenkins, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams – will be supporting the Liberal Democrats. Of these, only Mr Wellbeloved, Mr Grant and Dr Mabon have rejoined the Labour party since Mr Blair’s election as leader.From the remainder, there are 10 supporting the Liberal Democrats, eight undecided and one who will vote Conservative. The Labour leader, whose remodelled party has been dubbed “son of SDP”, has recaptured the support of only six out of 24 former SDP MPs polled by the Independent on Sunday.
Altogether, 31 people wore the transitory label of SDP MP; four are now dead and three are presently abroad.Of the rest, only six – Edward Lyons, Jim Wellbeloved, Dickson Mabon, Bob Mitchell, John Grant and Ron Brown – have pledged their support for Mr Blair in the next election. Nearly twice as many of the one-time defectors say they will support the Liberal Democrats in the next election as say they will vote for Mr Blair. TONY BLAIR might present the new face of Labour, but he has failed to win back the support of the majority of Labour MPs who left old Labour to join the SDP 14 years ago.