Carole Smithies writes:
I can now confirm that it was Tom’s wish that he should have a direct, that is, an unattended cremation.
However, there will be a celebration of his life later. I will let you know the details in due course.
Carole wrote earlier:
It is with great regret that I have to inform you that Tom Waghorn died last Saturday, the 30th November.
Tom joined the Club in April 1955 and in 2021, he became the Father of the Club. More details will follow.
Carole Smithies
John Allen writes:
So sorry to hear that Tom has passed away. He was one of the first members I climbed with (along with Joe Walmsley, Geoff Smith and Harold Mellor). In the 1960s we often met on meets at Beudy Mawr and climbed in the Pass, on Cloggy, and he did the Skye Ridge in 1965 on a meet organised I think in 1965 by Harry Moody. He was the backbone of our organisation to visit the Himalayas in 1968 overland – we actually went to the Karakorum, from Manchester via Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Employed by the Manchester Evening News for most of his working life, he managed to persuade his bosses to release him for the expedition, continuously to employ him in order to send regular reports on route and on the mountain (Malubiting -24,451ft) and donate £500 to the venture. He had the unenviable job of relating the death of Brian Ripley to the MEN and to readers.
He was a founder member of the Outdoor Writers Guild, wrote regularly for ‘Climber’ magazine and was particularly keen to promote the 90th Anniversary of the Mass Trespass on Kinder Scout (1932).
He also had a remarkable recovery from Covid in 2020; eventually had cancer, dementia, parkinson’s, a stroke; he did not give up lightly.
He had two sons and a daughter by his first wife Ann. His second wife Barbara died of cancer some years ago, but over a period of many years had enjoyed world travel with her. He and I kept in touch irregularly and I would send my condolences to his surviving family.
My memories of Tom Waghorn are mostly of his presence on the Rucksack Commitee where he was almost a continual member between1962 and 1998. When the commitee after long deliberation, decided they wanted a letter, article or press release Tom would write it in the bar immediately after the meeting. The result was always appropriate, polished and effective.
He was a regular presence on Club Meets in those days and I remember climbing with him on gritstone in the 1990’s when he was perhaps less agile.
Tom was a highly valued volunteer for the BMC in the 1980s, advising on PR via the relevant Committee. His advice was always relevant, intelligent and witty, and he was hugely in demand!