The 4th John Hepworth Memorial Lecture was held on Saturday, November 28 in the Council Chamber of Daneshill House. Carole Smithies BA OBE spoke of her lifetime passion for high places. Carole lives near Leeds and was the first woman member of the Manchester-based Rucksack Club to which John Hepworth belonged for over seventy years.
Her talk included many facts about mountains, the history of epic climbs, early explorers and attitudes to them as well as personal tales of daring in Britain and abroad. She did focus on the Munros. These are mountains in Scotland which are over 3000 feet in height (now, ridiculously, 914.4 metres.) She was the 21st female to ‘bag’ them and ranks Number 192 in the famous Munro Tables.
We heard of the fear and discomfort involved in walking, climbing, cycling, skiing and paragliding in the hills as well as the sense of achievement and the camaraderie.
The lecture was accompanied by many stunning, and some rare, photographs, projected ably by Jim Callaghan.
We thank Cllr. Simon Speller for his sponsorship of this event and the Council for allowing us to use their superb venue, including the Ingleheim Room where we gathered for refreshments.