The Last Step...

“It had long been a theory of his that a climber should
know how to fall without hurting himself. In pursuit of
this pessimistic ideal he had been dropping from a
height every day for months.”

The book has gone to the printers. Nothing else to be done now. You will see the finished article at the launch party on the 26th. Tickets available at Heffers. So many people seem interested in this; it was originally just a small hobby project and it seems to be gaining a lot of momentum. It's a little daunting. Especially when you realise the mistake will be huge - like I've mis-spelt Cambridge on the cover or something...

The Night Climbers of Cambridge are back - hopefully with a vengeance. Here's to Whipplesnaith! Here's the blurb from the cover flap:

The Night Climbers of Cambridge was first published in October 1937 with a second edition rapidly following in November of the same year. Reprinted in 1952, the book has since been unavailable and has built up a cult following with copies of either edition becoming increasingly rare. Authored under the pseudonym Whipplesnaith it recounts the courageous, or foolhardy, nocturnal exploits of a group of students climbing the ancient university and town buildings of Cambridge. These daring stegophilic feats, including such heights as the Fitzwilliam Museum and the venerable King's College Chapel, were recorded with prehistoric photographic paraphernalia carried aloft over battlements, up chimneys and down drain-pipes. The climbers all this while trying, with mixed results, to avoid detection by the 'minions of authority': university proctors, Bulldogs and, of course, the local 'Roberts'... The result is a fascinating, humorous and, at times, adrenalin-inducing adventure providing a rare glimpse into a side of Cambridge that has always been enshrouded by darkness. The tradition, known now as urban climbing, buildering, structuring or stegophily and followed all over the world, started long before publication of the first edition and is sure to continue for generations after the arrival of this one.

This edition celebrates the 70^th anniversary of the original and features the complete text and over seventy digitally re-mastered images, half of which have been reproduced from the original negatives.

Here to be kept updated. Here to pre-order your copy.

Take care guys, and see you soon.


N.

Made it Ma! Top of the World!

'Cambridge brings back a jumble of pipes and chimneys
and pinnacles, leading up from security to adventure. We
think of those nights spent with one or more friends, nights
when we merged with the shadows and could see the
world with eyes that were not our own.'

Well, tomorrow I send it to the printers. Early yet. We could check it even more but by now we're just seeing what we want to see. It is time.

Bookshops are calling up and reveiwers are ready. We've started selling the first copies through the site - which is great. Can't wait for you to see the pictures - they've come up superbly. Btw - the images here are the originals, untouched - we didn't want to spoil the surprise. I'd best go check the dots and crosses once more...

Here to be kept sporadically updated. Here to pre-order your copy. How exciting is this? Take care, i'll be in touch again soon.

New Court, New Dawn, originally uploaded by Neorelix.

“We had no qualifications, mental or physical, for the job, except
a strong desire not to jellify into permanent unconsciousness”

There's a scary possibility that we may be ready on time. Don't worry, I can still cock it up but at present we're operating like the proverbial well-oiled machine...

I'm working on something special for the first 100 or so copies sold on the site - bizarrely we're into our 3rd week of sales already! Keep an eye on the update page.

Here to be kept sporadically updated. Here to read updates. Here to pre-order your copy.

Take care :)

N