Ferranti Mountaineering Club

Photos through the ages click here! (or here for Adobe version)

50^th Anniversary Dinner Saturday 12^th March 2005

In March 1955, the Ferranti Mountaineering Club was formed. In those far-off days of nailed boots, long ice-axes and hairy breeches, the club headed off to the hills- more often than not in an old Land-Rover borrowed from the company for the weekend. In those days 6 shillings (30p!) paid for the week-ends petrol ! Interestingly, the clubs early accounts show that even then the members were falling for the vice of ski-ing- with instruction for the princely sum of 1 3s 0d.

Times have moved on, but the FMC has prospered and continues to sally forth to the hills at frequent intervals. The club is now open to all and at the ripe old age of fifty continues to have a keen and active membership.

Club records are not as clear as they might be, but it seems that over the years over four hundred and fifty people have been members at one time or another. It also seems that the clubs penchant for culinary excesses is also long established- it wasnt long before a first Annual Dinner was arranged, although as the menu suggests the choice was still a bit limited in a Scotland still recovering from the restrictions of the wartime era.

To celebrate the clubs 50^th Birthday, a grand celebration dinner was organised on Saturday 12^th March 2005 at the Roxburghe Hotel, Charlotte Square, Edinburgh.

Those who felt the need for pre-dinner exercise enjoyed a celebratory ascent of Ben Vorlich, reputedly the clubs first hill- a fine day and a fine view.