Friends and Relations
This page is about my friends, relations, the clubs and societies I'm in etc.
OUMC
I've been a member of Oxford University Mountaineering Club since 1999. It's a particularly welcoming club and there are lots of active members, regular meets and unofficial vacation meets to places as diverse as Canada, Skye and Turkey. The OUMC chat page tends to remain an important social hub for members for some time after they leave the University. I am fortunate to have many very good friends and many of them are from OUMC: Steve, Katja, Huw, Phil, Paul, Alison, Jamie and Clare deserve very special mentions but there are many others with whom I've had great days climbing and exploring.
The Alpine Club
The Alpine Club is the oldest mountaineering club in the world. I don't currently use as many of its features as I doubtless would if I lived near London, but the Journal is very good, and it's as good a way to be an affiliate member of the BMC (for insurance) as any. I'm currently an aspirant member; I need to climb two more alpine routes before I can apply for full membership.
ARCO
Not a club as such, but a group of friends. During my third year at Keble twelve of us shared a flat in the ARCO building: Paul Cooper, Lee, Steve, Lynn, Patrick, Paul Rogers, Ellie, Kirsty, Alison, Martin and Doyle. There were a few others who became part of "the ARCO bunch": Sharan, Alice, Katja and Huw in particular. That year was one of the best of my life. I was climbing regularly, and to a high standard; I found a particularly satisfactory balance of work and play and life in the flat, for that golden year, was by and large incredibly harmonious.
Unfortunately something went wrong that summer and the group was left somewhat fragmented, and since leaving Oxford I have lost touch with several of my friends from the flat - if any of you stumble across this page and haven't heard from me for a while please get in touch - I probably don't have your email address and I'd love to catch up.
Razorwire
My friend Dan Peach is in a heavy metal band called Razorwire, which is excellent (far better than much of the nu-metal with which it is often associated) and worth seeking out. I was in a previous incarnation of the band, at the time called Mirror Demon, whose highlight was playing a rubbish, abusive set to three people in Compton Social Club, Wolverhampton. Some time I ought to get round to destroying the recording we made of that appalling gig!
Family
I live with my wonderful wife Geertje, who is of Dutch origin. She is beautiful, sensual and very sweet...
We have two cute kittens, Monkey and Puzzle, pictured below.
