This year MHT has found a long-term home (subject to ongoing negotiations) with the University of Cumbria at its Ambleside campus (formerly Charlotte Mason College). Already we have occupied a room in the library there for storage of items (that include, for example, the prototype Friend that Ray Jardine gave to Mark Vallance for future manufacture). A team is working on a joint business plan that will represent this exciting partnership and provide a working, accessible national base for the historical archive of British mountaineering.
 
The Mountain Heritage Trust operates as the heritage arm of the BMC, which appoints its trustees. It is the only body that is concerned with identifying and preserving the heritage of British mountaineering and MHT’s ever-expanding database includes the collections of individuals and clubs (www.mountain-heritage.org).
 
This year the trustees have been strengthened by the additional experience, expertise and commitment of Doug Scott and Jim Lowther.
 
We plan to have an exhibition on the Ambleside campus, but we intend to mount small exhibitions at different locations around the country. If BMC members or regional groups see an opportunity for us to exhibit The Crux collection of photographs, for example, we would be glad to pursue this. Contact the MHT Archivist Maxine Willett on 01768 840911.
 
We have been part of a successful bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund by Keswick Museum to mount a permanent exhibition there, the first of which will have a Keswick theme for the re-opening of the museum in March 2010.
 
MHT has been active in planning for a Sports Heritage Network exhibition for the London Olympic Games in 2012. At a launch for this project in London MHT was represented by Julie Summers, Jerry Lovatt, Maxine Willett, George Band and Leo Holding. As an example of what we might be able to display, Mallory’s last note to Odell created much interest from other sports.
 
Our Archivist continues to generate income under contract to both the Scottish Mountain Heritage Collection and Kendal Mountain Festival. The films submitted to Kendal Mountain Festival 2008 have been deposited in the MHT archive. Other contributions to MHT’s archive during this year include Doug Scott’s Triplex boots from his Everest 1972 trip and recordings of interviews with historic Cumbrian climbers made by Alan Hankinson to be added to MHT’s Hankinson Collection.
 
If any clubs are considering following the example of the Fell and Rock in appointing a club Oral Historian to record interviews with senior members, advice and guidance is available from Maxine Willett who has received training in this aspect of archive work this year.
 
Finally, we have been successful in receiving Heritage Lottery Funding for our next major project ‘Quest for Adventure – The Chris Bonington Archive Collection’. With the exception of the Bonington Picture Library, MHT will catalogue and make available for research and display 60 years of expedition reports, correspondence, scrapbooks, films, lectures and manuscripts contained in shelves of box files. This will help future generations understand the famous Bonington logistics of funding, planning, executing and reporting this British contribution to world mountaineering.
 
If any individuals or clubs wish to discuss any aspects of our mountaineering heritage impartial advice is available from the MHT Archivist Maxine Willett on 01768 840911.
 
 
MHT Trustees (2008)
Prof. Terry Gifford (Chair)
Julie Summers (Vice-Chair)
Sir Chris Bonington
Paul Braithwaite
John Innerdale
Ron Kenyon
Dr Jerry Lovatt
Jim Lowther
John Porter
Doug Scott
Mark Vallance
BMC


Mountain Heritage Trust, a Registered Charity, number 1083219, Station House, Ullswater Road, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 7JQ, 01768 840911, enquiries@mountain-heritage.org
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