Skiing in Church and Climbing in Corridors

[kenneth]

1977 found my disillusioned with the commercial world so I spent the summer doing very little. Realising that I needed to do something I mused that it would be good to work in something that was also a hobby. I made an appointment to have a meeting with Dave Clarke of Centresport in the Merrion Centre and a couple of weeks later started working in his climbing department. Dave had recently come back from Everest where he had acted as equipment advisor on Chris Bonnington's Everest North West Face Expedition. Saturday's in the climbing department were a sea of Helly Hansen and Javelin fibre pile jackets and a gathering of the great and good of British climbing. These were exiting times in climbing and it was realised that if the large hold-less aid routes in the Dales were to be climbed free then climbers would have to train as athletes. Foremost amongst there were climbers like Pete Livsey, Ron Fawcett, Steve Bancroft and Al Manson to name but a few.During this period Don Robinson developed what was to be the first climbing wall situated in the corridors of the University PE Department. He had also realised the need to be able to train, up until then climbers were forced to practice outdoors on stone walls in the Headingley. The great leaps in climbing standards are well documented but Leeds was at the forefront of this.Meanwhile Dave acquired the use of a redundant church behind the old Leeds Playhouse and proceeded in building the first indoor dry ski slope. It was quite scary at first as there was no run out. You stopped when you hit the wall. The matting used was called Dendex and if you fell on it it hurt in fact if you put your hand down to save yourself there was every chance you would brake your thumb. The injury became known as Dendex Thumb at casualty at the LGI. Needless to say you either go proficient quickly of gave in.I continued to work in the industry leaving Centresort to join an Austrian Ski company but after about 10 years realised that working in my hobby was not ideal however I do have very happy memories of the days at Centresport    

[grumpytramp]

I dont recall the indoor skiing, though that sounds a hoot but I do remember the university climbing wall well. I haven't been near Centresport since I left Leeds in 1983, but I still remember fondly in my early teens when I began to explore the Dales, Lakes and beyond wandering around Centresport dreaming of being afford all the mysteriousl climbing gear. In those days the shop was in an arcade (though I cannot recall which ........ then if I recall correctly it moved up to the Merion Centre). My first ever fleece was a navy blue Centresport branded jacket, which seemed dead exotic at the time!In later years I remember seeing the likes of Ron Fawcett at various venues in the Dales and Peaks. Equally where ever me and my pals ended up going for a (rather ineffectual and non-technical) boulder around Leeds (the Chevin, Hetchell and most often Wetherby) Al Manson seemed to appear always looking terribley enigmatic and commence to trundle about for an hour on a curcuit of terrifyingly hard problems and traverses before disapearing again!

[kenneth]

grumpytramp wrote: I dont recall the indoor skiing, though that sounds a hoot but I do remember the university climbing wall well. I haven't been near Centresport since I left Leeds in 1983, but I still remember fondly in my early teens when I began to explore the Dales, Lakes and beyond wandering around Centresport dreaming of being afford all the mysteriousl climbing gear. In those days the shop was in an arcade (though I cannot recall which ........ then if I recall correctly it moved up to the Merion Centre). My first ever fleece was a navy blue Centresport branded jacket, which seemed dead exotic at the time!In later years I remember seeing the likes of Ron Fawcett at various venues in the Dales and Peaks. Equally where ever me and my pals ended up going for a (rather ineffectual and non-technical) boulder around Leeds (the Chevin, Hetchell and most often Wetherby) Al Manson seemed to appear always looking terribley enigmatic and commence to trundle about for an hour on a curcuit of terrifyingly hard problems and traverses before disapearing again! Originally Dave and Liz Clarke opened thier shop on Blenheim Terrace and when the Merrion Centre opened they took a site on Woodhouse Lane virtually opposite Leeds College of Art. Frank Davies was Daves partner. Frank also had The Climbers Shop in Ambleside and Mountainsports in Snow Hill Birmingham Later on the business was bought and run by Alpine Sports a London chain. When this company went into receivership Kevin, the then manager made a management buy out and they moved it to the bottom corner of Merrion Street opposite The Wrens Pub.As far as I am aware the climbing wall was the first of it's kind in the country as indeed the ski slope was also a first so maybe the two sites qualify for a Blue Plaque. Sadly Dave is terminally ill but I might contact him whilst I can and see about The Civic Trust placing Blue Plaques which would honour his achievements

[blackprince]

kenneth wrote: 1976 found my disillusioned with the commercial world so I spent the summer doing very little. Realising that I needed to do something I mused that it would be good to work in something that was also a hobby. I made an appointment to have a meeting with Dave Clarke of Centresport in the Merrion Centre and a couple of weeks later started working in his climbing department. Dave had recently come back from Everest where he had acted as equipment advisor on Chris Bonnington's Everest North West Face Expedition. Saturday's in the climbing department were a sea of Helly Hansen and Javelin fibre pile jackets and a gathering of the great and good of British climbing. These were exiting times in climbing and it was realised that if the large hold-less aid routes in the Dales were to be climbed free then climbers would have to train as athletes. Foremost amongst there were climbers like Pete Livsey, Ron Fawcett, Steve Bancroft and Al Manson to name but a few.During this period Don Robinson developed what was to be the first climbing wall situated in the corridors of the University PE Department. He had also realised the need to be able to train, up until then climbers were forced to practice outdoors on stone walls in the Headingley. The great leaps in climbing standards are well documented but Leeds was at the forefront of this.Meanwhile Dave acquired the use of a redundant church behind the old Leeds Playhouse and proceeded in building the first indoor dry ski slope. It was quite scary at first as there was no run out. You stopped when you hit the wall. The matting used was called Dendex and if you fell on it it hurt in fact if you put your hand down to save yourself there was every chance you would brake your thumb. The injury became known as Dendex Thumb at casualty at the LGI. Needless to say you either go proficient quickly of gave in.I continued to work in the industry leaving Centresort to join an Austrian Ski company but after about 10 years realised that working in my hobby was not ideal however I do have very happy memories of the days at Centresport I remember there was a climbing wall in a corridor of the students union at leeds Uni about 10 years before the one you mention. I was in the climbing club for a while and used it in the late 60s. Also the dry ski slope in the old church was already there by the late 60's or early 70's. I never used it myself but took my first tentative steps on a similar slope under a railway arch in Manchester.

[kenneth]

I spoke to Dave's widow tonight. Sadly Dave past away last month. I had meant to contact him but I was too late. Supposedly the funeral was well attended by ex Centresport staff. Chris Bonnington came down and also some of the South West Face Expedition were there. I discussed the Blue Plaque thought with Liz Clarke. She confirmed that the ski slope was a first and that dave would have been thrilled to know it had been recognised as the first indoor artificial ski slope in the UK. As far as the climbing wall was concerned she felt that was also a first but I will need to contact Don Robinson to clarify this. I am also mindful of the previous post but Dave attended Leeds University and was active back in the early 60's and it would not surprise me to find out that Dave was the instigator of that. With Liz's blessing I will look into both locations and inform her of my findings. Dave J Clarke would have been 72 next Monday. Please forward anymore Centresport memories to this thread and please feel free to e-mail me so as I can collate them for Liz and thier son and daughter