Alan Dawson, in Marhofn 255.14 (p30) says that the Simhof entry is set at 2000 'as it is far too easy to enter other HoFs' (which are not identified). He continues: 'I made the Sims Hall of Fame hard to reach so that I'd have a good incentive to keep me going for a few years yet'. This then seems to be a personal agenda, which I doubt many will argue with, and which is OK by me. But, at 75 years of age, the only incentive to keep me going is to become, in course of time, the oldest living Marhofist (or is it Marhoffer?). I am currently joint 15th oldest.
I remember someone, somewhere, in some magazine (TAC? TGO?) suggesting that the Marhof entry of 600 (about 40%) was too low and should be 800 (about 60%). It's likely that Alan is making a general point re HoF entry levels, but I hope he is not referring to Marhof as one of the 'other HoFs'. We are used to regular revisions, such as height, drop etc, but not radical change to its traditional structure, including entry criteria, corridor, cellar, middle and upper halls - these should be sacrosanct. Such pompous and grandiose talk about an organisation, which the founder himself described as a piece of nonsense!
I have no stats to confirm the following, but isn't there a tendency (e.g. Munros) to slow down a bit after reaching a target? Certainly in my case it has taken over a decade to bag the intervening 200 (or should I say 195, I still need five to reach 800), which 'as any fule kno' (N. Molesworth) means promotion to the middle hall. This interlude has resulted in receipt of all 15 (yes 15!) Marhofn 'annuals' which to me added, by way of other baggers' narratives, 'artistic verisimilitude' (WS Gilbert) to sometimes forgettable, drab and dreary bagging. Alan himself gives Marhof's raison d'etre as 'a comforting sense of community'. I hope that there is no general consensus for change. As they say, if it aint broke etc.
Inevitably, my bagging will slow down, but to misquote the poet - '(nearly) all races run (but not) all passions spent'.
Sorry to bore you again with the age thing, but before I exhale my last bated breath can I, with wild surmise, really believe the rumour as fact that, come September, an expedition will visit St Kilda to take the plunge (oops, wrong metaphor) and polish off the stacks. Such a circumstance, devoutly to be wished, would please this oldie no end, as it would close Alan's RHB book and, killing two birds with one stone so to speak, give us all great pleasure, with no little smugness, in cocking a snook at the uncompromising attitude of NTS and SNH.
I know that Alan has said that he's not going to St Kilda again, but wouldn't it be particularly satisfying if he would do a Magnus Magnusson (I've started it all, so I'll finish) and be persuaded to summit his three outstandings, by whatever means possible (Sir Hugh didn't finish his round). History in the making?
Photo: Douglas Law
