think your cat's a climber? see this

[Snippet taken from Michael Swan's "Kaleidoscope", a book of samples of
English text intended for foreign learners of English to practice on.]

25 years ago
From The Times of Thursday, September 7, 1950

Matterhorn climber
From Our Correspondent

Geneva, Sept. 6 - A new conquest of the Matterhorn, this time by
a 10-month-old black and white kitten, is reported from the Hotel
Belvedere (10,820ft) on the Hornli Ridge - the starting point for
alpinist attempting to climb the mountain.

The kitten, accustomed to watch from his hotel home the dawn
departure of climbers, decided one morning to follow in their
footsteps.

[Two mornings later] he was seen by a group of climbers, who passed
him by, convinced that his climbing skill, if not his spirit, would
be defeated... They were wrong, and hours later the cat, meowing and
tail up, reached the summit (14,780ft) where the incredulous climbing
party rewarded him with a share of their meal.


Kitten on the Matterhorn
From Mr C.R. Simpson

Sir, Your reprint today (September 8) from 25 years ago certainly
revived the memory of one who was there. The kitten, which was in
fact four months old, not ten months, climbed the Matterhorn on
August 18 and 19, 1950, and was carried down by an Italian guide
to the Riondet Hut in Italy.

On August 21, Alfred Biner, a Zermatt guide, and I traversed the
Matterhorn, descending into Italy. We returned over the Furggjoch,
bringing the triumphant kitten back to Zermatt, whence it eventually
reached its home at the Hotel Belvedere.

Yours faithfully,
CHRISTOPHER H. SIMPSON,
The Clock House,
Roman Road,
Birstall, Leicester.


[Does the Matterhorn grow wild catnip in August or something?]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
e m a i l : j a c k @ c a m p i n . m e . u k
Jack Campin, 11 Third Street, Newtongrange, Midlothian EH22 4PU, Scotland
mobile 07800 739 557 http://www.campin.me.uk Twitter: JackCampin

"Jack Campin" wrote in message
...
Yours faithfully,
CHRISTOPHER H. SIMPSON,
The Clock House,
Roman Road,
Birstall, Leicester.


Birstall is a mere 4 miles from me.
Tweed

On Fri, 8 Jun 2012 02:08:53 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:


"Jack Campin" wrote in message
...
Yours faithfully,
CHRISTOPHER H. SIMPSON,
The Clock House,
Roman Road,
Birstall, Leicester.


Birstall is a mere 4 miles from me.
Tweed



Now if one of my cats managed to climb there, that would be a feat.
Crossing the ocean is not trivial.

"dgk" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 8 Jun 2012 02:08:53 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:


"Jack Campin" wrote in message
...
Yours faithfully,
CHRISTOPHER H. SIMPSON,
The Clock House,
Roman Road,
Birstall, Leicester.


Birstall is a mere 4 miles from me.
Tweed



Now if one of my cats managed to climb there, that would be a feat.
Crossing the ocean is not trivial.

g
I'm quite interested in the fact that it was someone from Birstall who
reported it, and there is certainly a road called Roman Road there, whether
The Clock House is still there from 1950, I don't know. It sounds like
(having only a name in a long road) it might have stood on a large plot and
it's likely that if C R Simpson isn't on the earth now, his relatives would
have sold the plot for building neat little houses on and it will have been
demolished.
Although Birstall is not far from where I live, there is no reason for me to
go there so I don't. It's a large village now affected by urban sprawl.
If I ever do go to Birstall again, I will drive down Roman Road and see if
The Clock House is still there.

Tweed

"Christina Websell" wrote in
message ...

"dgk" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 8 Jun 2012 02:08:53 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:


"Jack Campin" wrote in message
...
Yours faithfully,
CHRISTOPHER H. SIMPSON,
The Clock House,
Roman Road,
Birstall, Leicester.


Birstall is a mere 4 miles from me.
Tweed



Now if one of my cats managed to climb there, that would be a
feat.
Crossing the ocean is not trivial.

g
I'm quite interested in the fact that it was someone from
Birstall who reported it, and there is certainly a road called
Roman Road there, whether The Clock House is still there from
1950, I don't know.

A Google search revealed that it's still there - at 121 Roman
Road - and a 'drill down' to Google Maps' Street View reveals why
it's so named.

--
MatSav