All Those Years Ago! 

The seed was sown in the Autumn of 1973 when Ken Smithem was asked to arrange walks for a few interested colleagues in the Lucas electronics factory at Mere Green. Having thought he had discouraged them with the scramble up Tryfan they came back for more, so the idea of a club was formed. At an inaugural meeting, which was so well attended that it filled the whole canteen area, the Lucas Fellwalking and Rambling Club was born. Representatives from the nine main midlands factory areas were elected to produce a programme of walks. The cold, 20 seater coach for the first club walk, left the Great King Street factory on 17th February 1974, bound for Lathkill Dale.

In this first year, members' subs were deducted from their monthly wages. Finding this arrangement less than satisfactory, the club was dissolved at its first AGM in February 1975, and reopened to all-comers as the Hill Walking Club - a double entendre reflecting the Hill Village area of its origin as well as our intention of being much more than a rambling club.

Ray Siddell was the first chairman, and Stan Patchett designed the first club badge which is still seen on a few rucksacks, and now on the website. Little remains in the club archive from that very early period, but an entry from May 1975 details two walks interestingly described as a 'Ramble' and a 'Fell Walk'. The Ramble led by Joy and Ken Madeley took walkers from Patterdale, along Grisedale to finish at Grasmere. The Fell Walk led by Stan Bellaby and (of course!) Ken Smithem, was over St Sunday Crag, offering walkers a chance to watch fell runners on the Fairfield Horseshoe.

Many friendships, marriages, subgroups for weekly walks and backpacking have been generated from the contacts through the Club – we all have that common interest at heart.

May it long continue.
Ken