Author: Tim Taylor

In addition to Carole’s note, the family have supplied a link to a much loved web page – https://derekmcwilliam.muchloved.com/ This provides opportunities to: * to make a donation to Derek’s charity, the John Muir Trust; * to add a reminiscence to the document; * to add a favourite photo of Derek in action. Carole Smithies writes: Derek McWilliam I can now confirm that Derek’s funeral will take place at St Thomas’s Church, Buxton Road, High Lane, Stockport SK6 8DX on the 9th May at 13.30.  There will be refreshments afterwards at the Red Lion in High Lane, across the road from the church. Please let me know if you will be at the funeral, so we can let the family know.  Contact details as in the handbook. Derek McWilliam died on 3rd April at the age of 91.  Derek who joined the Club in 1991, resigned in 2019 because of ill health.  I am sure many members, particularly our Wednesday Walkers will remember Derek.  His partner Ann has specifically asked that no letters of condolence or cards are sent. 

Carole Smithies writes: We have just heard that Dennis Gower died on 27th January 2024 aged 96.   When Dennis joined the Club in 1957, he was an Instructor at the OutwardBound Mountain School, at Watermillock Ullswater and his application form is full of climbs, walks and expeditions in the Lakes, Derbyshire, Scotland, Wales and Europe.  He later moved to Skye first as a mountain guide and then as anOutward Bound Instructor.

The Meetstaff Editor writes: May is often a fabulous time in the hills and as usual the Rucksack Club is aiming to make the most of it. We have four varied meets: We start the month (3-4 May) with a climbing meet based at our hut in the heart of Eryri, Beudy Mawr. The following weekend we have one of the highlights of the Club calendar, the President’s Meet, which this year will visit Lowstern, the Yorkshire Ramblers’ capacious purpose-built hut near Clapham. A week later (17-18 May) we have another climbing meet, this time on the Bleaklow plateau. We will be exploring the Grinah Stones, with an optional overnight bivvi. Finally for May (24-25), we have our Tidza Marathon – a back-yard ultra which demands a run around a loop of 4.6km with 120m of ascent once per hour, every hour, for 24 hours! The attached photo shows Lowstern Hut (Yorkshire Ramblers).           Andrew

Carole Smithies writes: Derek Overton’s funeral will take place on Thursday 17th April at Park Lane Crematorium, Regent Avenue, Lytham St Annes FY8 4AB at 1045am.  Family flowers only but donations in memory of Derek can be made to Climbers against Cancer on line, or to Unit 34, Lake District Business Park, Kendal LA9 6NH. Afterwards, all are welcome at the Bedford Hotel, Clifton Drive, Lytham St Annes FY8 1HN Please, let me know if you will be at the funeral, so we can let the family know.  Contact details as in the handbook. Derek, who joined the Club in 1982, died on 30th March. 

The Meetstaff Editor writes: April is often a fine weather month and the Rucksack Club has another varied programme of meets to take full advantage: One of our most enthusiastic new members is running a weekend meet at our superb Lake District hut, High Moss (4-6 April). A week later we will explore one of the less-trodden hills of the north-western Yorkshire Dales, opening views to the Howgill Fells as well as to Whernside and Ingleborough (12 April). Our Easter Meet will have a family theme, for which the large capacity of High Moss is ideal. We will of course have an Easter egg hunt! (17-21 April). Finally in April we will be reviving a Rucksack Club classic, the 35-mile Etherow Watershed walk that circumnavigates the catchment basin of the River Etherow (26 April).  The attached photo shows the setting of High Moss (behnd the trees) in Dunnerdale (Mark Baron). Best wishes          Andrew Beckett          Meetstaff Editor