Pinnacle Poetry!

Hey - how about this? I just came across a poem about our guys by Merryn Williams in 2006 - weird I hadn't come across it before. Here's a couple of stanzas, find the whole thing here

The Night Climbers of Cambridge

When all are gone, except the cats,
and the occasional, homecoming drunk,
and the world goes chrome-yellow in the tinted light –
better in the old days when the town was dead black –
they creep from vault to chimney stack,
with their climbing-tackle.

The college clocks chime quarter-hours
in tune as they ascend with care,
foot over foot on the frosty gleaming slates,
spires spread out like wedding cake,
crusted icing, hard to break.
Up here, it’s so graceful.

The Alps are heroic but this is perverse;
if caught, ...continued here

Still at it!

Still going strong - but it appears the university authorities have gone a bit Health and Safety crazy. Quite a ruckus - and a distinct waste of emergency service resources wouldn't you agree?

Stories:

Mail on Sunday

Telegraph

Night Climbers Grow Up..

...to become pillars of the establishment and play golf?? Not quite..


Earlier this summer I came across an old book called The Art of Golf- out of print in the UK since 1892. An absolute classic of the game it's very rare and costs a fortune if you find a first edition. It's written by a baronet - Sir W. G. Simpson, twice Captain of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers - and is a worthwhile yet humorous attempt to garner all golfing knowledge to that date in one volume. Concerned with mindset as well as method it makes a fascinating effort to explore and explain the artistry of golf. I loved every page and so, following the massive success of Night Climbers last year I thought I'd republish this title too and Peter Alliss kindly wrote an introductory note for this edition. Simpson does deal with the serious aspects of how to actually play the game better but there is a lot of dry, sardonic humour throughout.

"The ‘Dynamite’ is a very powerful weapon. It is a club in the
face of which is inserted a small cartridge which explodes when
the ball strikes it. With this club a good driver has been known to
get past the long hole at St. Andrews in one shot. Loading for each
drive is, however, so inconvenient that the dynamite has not come
into general use. Besides, the trouble, the expense, and danger
connected with it are so considerable as to make it unpopular - it
would be rash to start on a round without a surgeon to carry the
clubs, and surgeons of course charge more than ordinary caddies."

"A perfectly unconscious style in a grown man is very rare. It will oftenest be found among professionals whose education does not tempt them to think."

"Between him and them is one nearer and dearer – his partner. It is not selfish to crush the enemy; it is duty – duty to the partner. What are the tears of two enemies to the joy of one friend?"

And hundreds more. I promise you, any golfer is going to love this. It's a Christmas hole-in-one ;) It's available the 20th October but can be pre-ordered here. I have a little blog (how unlike me...) featuring pics, quotes etc. just started here.

The Great Escape Shown Thus...

Sorry about the fuzziness (the picture's not mine) - the actual postcards are pin-sharp. I've obviously done something Jon-like to this image somehow. Anyway - it still looks awesome if you ask me. This is the last in the series of the funky ones. I might post the others but you can see them all just by going here as you know. 'til next time - Sayanara.

The Past's Orange...

Probably my favourite image in the book this one. The orange tint gives a 'seedy underbelly' feel which appeals to my rather care-worn ideals... heh. This, the fifth in the series, nearly rounds off the collection. As you know, they're all available on the website here but, again, don't forget that you can also get any of the images from the book unframed or framed for the wall - just swing by here. Back on the morrow.

Blue sky Thinking...

... to steal a modern management term. You'll all know this as one of the most famous Night Climbers images given a beautiful treatment here in the fourth of the six new cards. As you know, they're all available on the website here but don't forget that you can also get any of the images from the book unframed or framed for the wall - they're pretty fantastic even if I say so myself (hats off to Hamish Symington who repaired and prepared them for the new edition). Check 'em out here. Mañana.

Seconds Out...

This one's gorgeous but shows a distinct lack of rationality on our adventurer's part. I mean, he's free-climbing with over 100ft of space between him and concrete... This card is the third of six, newly designed and soon to be available all over town. You, however, can get yours from here and enjoy the privilege of an online-only offer. I'll post another tomorrow.

Nice Uvula

This one's a classic. Crazy people these Night Climbers. The card is the second of six, newly designed and soon to be available all over town. You, however, can get yours from here and enjoy the privilege of an online-only offer. I'll post another tomorrow.

New Cards Coming!

Some new design postcards were designed by and for a particular outlet here in the city and I think they're awesome so I'm going to make them available from the Oleander site. Give me a couple of days to get the listing sorted and then you can take your pick. There are two styles - modern (like this, all with tinted wording) and classic, each of six designs and both oversized with quotes on the back. I'll be posting each of the designs up here over coming days. All designs by the fabulous Ayshea Carter using images digitally remastered from the originals by the talented Hamish Symington.