CORRESPONDENCE

28th March 1980

Dear Mr Mehta,

Sincere congratulations on the splendid Golden Jubilee number of the Journal. I was much interested in the article on the history of the Club and can fill in some details about the first Himalayan Club dinner in London, as I believe that it was my idea and I organised it with J.R.G. Finch and Col Tobin. It was held at the Royal Empire Society, now Commonwealth, of which I am a life member, in celebration of King George VI's coronation. General Bruce was in the chair. I enclose photo copies of the menu with the signatures of those who sat at our table (Finch and I both kept ours) You will recognise Odell, Ted Marriot, Geoffrey Howard, Graham Brown, Mills, Rob, Wigram, Cooke, and Mrs Townend from the Eastern Section. Someone may care to do some research into these and others. The dinner was quite a large gathering and who was at the other table I cannot remember but there were a number of our leading climbers, Tilman, I think, and possibly Shipton. I was never a serious climber. I loved the hills but most of my climbing was incidental to the pursuit of Ibex and Markhor. The only time I have featured in the Journal was in the 1937 edition where photographs of me appear on page 107 in an article on rock climbing at Quetta by Finch. In case any researcher is puzzled by the signature of Rosemary Foster on the menu, she was my guest and is now my wife.

With all good wishes.

Brigadier L. F. K Thompson¹

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