Welcome. Inside this magazine you may find a few people going on about how they visited some rocks in the Atlantic - at approximately 8.6°W. Some of them relate how they managed to arrive on a day in September when the sea was so calm that they were able to step off the boat and dance (foxtrot, Merengue, shuffle or Morris, according to individual taste) up sheer cliffs blindfolded and one hand tied. Then, in October, another party managed to select another calm day and clamber up two nearby lumps of rock that, apparently, many thought were behind a 'wall'. There is one individual, Pete Ellis, who contrived to be in both parties and completed the whole section in a space of four weeks.
I will leave it to you to decide on how you regard these achievements. However, I would like to point out that there are members of the bagging community who have never even seen these rocks, except from a distance from summits on the west coast of Lewis or Harris - and that is not from a want of trying to get there.
In November, a gathering of hill-baggers in Northumberland was accompanied by an author, Lucy Feltham, researching for a book of 26 chapters on an A-Z of British subculture. For H she has chosen hill-bagging, and we were honoured by being the last community she visited to learn all she could about our social structures, rituals and customs. The book is due to be published during 2015. In the meantime an introductory piece, including a short video, is available in Lucy's blog at: alphabetbritain.com/2015/01/h-hill-bagging/
For the last few years each edition of this magazine has included several references on where to look for up-to-date information on changes in the location and status of Marilyns, Humps and Sims.
Despite being a sixth of the way into the 21st century, there are a significant number of baggers who have still to grasp the 20th century invention of the internet. Sorry, not a lot we can do for those people - they will just have to rely on this magazine or ask someone else.
However, each year, we receive complaints by email (i.e. from people who clearly do have access to the internet and know how to use it) about the difficulty of getting the information. For example:
'I hope I have kept up with the changes but there seems to be some inconsistency in the way these are reported. Is there an agreed approach and single reporting site and if so what is it?'
So, yet again, I recommend joining the RHB bagging mailing list to be found at: groups.yahoo.com/group/rhb. A summary of all the changes can be found at hills-database.co.uk/marilyn_changes.html and are incorporated in hill-bagging.co.uk as well as being listed in Marhofn.
Another comment we received said:
'Basically I am a hillwalker not a stats nerd'
If you use the hill-bagging.co.uk website properly and log all your ascents there, you do not even have to be a stats nerd at year-end. The site will automatically take into account any demotions, promotions or relocations for you. We get people asking us to do the sums for them because they cannot find the previous year's totals. Just remember, you only have to make the effort for one person - we could potentially end up doing it for hundreds.
A final plea. A typical comment from late entries is 'I am sorry I was too busy living my life'. Well, the reason we set a deadline is that so we can plan and live our lives. How difficult is it to remember on New Year's Day - must send in my totals and perhaps a baglog?
This is the 17th edition of Marhofn, the magazine for Marilyn baggers. It was edited by Martin Richardson, with proofreading and layout by Alan Dawson and significant statistical assistance from Chris Watson. Marhofn is distributed free of charge to anyone interested. Various back issues are available free of charge on request. The next Marhofn will appear in 2016 all being well. Bag totals, articles, baglogs, letters and pictures should be submitted no later than the end of January 2016, by email to rhb@rhb.org.uk or post to Marhofn HQ, 173 Radcliffe Road, Huddersfield HD7 4EZ.
Contributions to printing and postage costs are very much appreciated and should be sent to Alan Holmes, Marhof Treasurer, 7 Ramsgill House, Ramsgill, Darlington DL1 4XD (cheques payable to Marhofn or email rhb@rhb.org.uk for bank transfer details).
Web: www.rhb.org.uk
Mailing list: groups.yahoo.com/group/rhb
Corbett Tops and Graham Tops have now been incorporated into Sims (along with Murdos and Hewitts), but there is a wealth of useful information in the printed booklets that is not available in any database. Buy one CT or GT booklet (£3.70 each) and get the second one free, plus £1.30 postage. Also included will be the latest update sheet to cover changes since publication, as reflected in the current list of 2528 Sims. To take advantage, send £5 via PayPal to rhb@rhb.org uk or email the same address for how to pay by cheque or further details.
