Looking back...
The annual gathering, dinner and AGM was held at the Golden Fleece hotel in Tremadog, north Wales, over the weekend of 17-19 June 2005. Many of the party stayed at the Snowdon Lodge hostel, which was handily situated a short stagger from the hotel. Numerous hills were bagged over the weekend, from the tip of the Lleyn peninsula to Snowdonia and beyond. Many of the Scottish contingent had little previous Welsh experience, so the ticks were abundant. Stewart Logan seemed to climb every Marilyn in Snowdonia over an extended weekend, frightening children and old ladies in his kilt. The weather was generally disappointing, with Friday very misty - even lowly Moel-y-gest was hard work, with several people failing to find the top. Jennifer Thomson set the record, needing three attempts before she finally topped out on the Sunday. On the plus side, she did rescue an upside-down sheep on Gyrn Ddu.
Saturday started misty but turned into a scorcher to get us into a good mood for the dinner. Almost 50 assorted baggers and friends attended and enjoyed an excellent meal. The Chief Chanter (Dave Hewitt) delivered a poem and the usual nonsensical statistics, while the rest of the business was rushed through in standard style by the Author (Alan Dawson), resplendent in a bandana.
The highlight of the weekend for most of us was the trip to Bardsey Island. It was a nervous cavalcade that drove down to Aberdaron, as the Organiser (Brent Lynam) had had dreadful trouble pinning down the boatman as to when he would be leaving and how much room there was. In the event it turned out to be a big boat and 30 of us embarked for Bardsey. Fortunately, nobody ended up in the sea as we were transferred out to it in a small dinghy.
Alan Holmes and Ian Watson on Mynydd Enlli, Bardsey Island (photo: Chris Watson)
Sadly, the visibility was poor again and it was a misty Mynydd Enlli where 28 of us gathered together to witness Welsh Marilyn completions for Alan Holmes and Dr Ian Watson. Ian had been trying to fix up a trip to Bardsey since March and had travelled down from Sheffield that morning to surprise his dad. None of us twigged the Holmes and Watson scenario until the photos were developed a couple of weeks later. Not a single 'elementary, my dear Watson' passed our lips. Ian's granny was a Holmes as well - spooky.
Lindsay Munro led the Hall of Fame chant in the absence of the Chief Chanter, who was off to bigger hills (or wouldn't pay the fare). We still had time for a stroll around the island and a look at the seal colony before the journey back to the mainland and the even longer journeys back home. Many thanks are due to Brent Lynam, who organised the weekend and appears to have taken over Rob Woodall's role as cruise organiser.
