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I got into skiing relatively late when a staff place came up on the school trip to Canada almost thirty years ago but have been making up for lost time since then! Last year I was contacted by Colin Clifton- Brown (1977) who fondly recalled a trip that he went on with Mike Barry SCHOOL SKI TRIPS As an avid skier myself I’ve been keen to include an article about St Andrew’s Ski trips in the Newsletter for some time.
His detailed accounts in the Androvian illustrate just how much of an adventure these trips were. Invariably there was as much excitement off the slopes as on it. Mike takes up the story of their day in Munich: “...hurtle into town on tram
or so. We didn’t stay in Ischgl but down the road in, I think, the Galtürerhof hotel in Galtur. I do remember the hotel, not least because I spent the whole week thinking ‘Damen’ was for men to use! We were kitted out with skis and boots. I have a vague (and slightly proud) memory that my ski boots were lace up, and the skis didn’t have modern bindings.
for massive shopping spree: whole party dismounts at
Munich Olympic Stadium
Hauptbahnhof, notice Darougar asleep inside tram as doors close! Mad fists on windows, much loud German heard from within as shocked Darougar bursts through emergency doors to safety. Kurtz toyshop voted favourite. Parts ordered by M.R.B. from England for train club waiting on shop counter. Darougar takes two hours to spend 5 marks while Hollway ii loses 10-mark note in one minute. Magnificent large meal in posh restaurant. Wilks’ ‘chocolate’ machine turns out to be something completely different.” To gain further insight into these wonderful holidays I wrote to a number of OAs who had been on Mike’s trips to seek their memories and recollections. Michael Schroeter went on four trips, starting as a beginner in Pertisau (‘73) followed by Chatel (’74), Igls (’75) and Innsbruck(’76) and was good enough to send me pictures from his first week on the slopes. Michael recalled the huge box of wine gums that MRB would always bring
There weren’t any lifts nearby so we had lessons on the slope outside the hotel, side stepping up and skiing down to learn the basics. I suspect that was just an introduction
and six other Androvians in early January 1976. Colin wondered if this was the first ever St Andrew’s school trip but, on delving through back
Mercedes Museum Badge
to the basic moves because, later in the week we did go to Ischgl.
The lifts there were a revelation and I think we also got modern ski equipment. I recall twisting my knee on the first morning after falling off a T-bar lift so that was the end of my skiing week! “I think of it now with wonder that Mike Barry did all this in the days before the internet. How could anyone know anything much about the facilities both locally and far away, order the proper gear and so forth with no internet and prohibitive international phone calls? I did continue with skiing, getting engaged to my wife on the slopes, so the venture was never wasted. I have such happy
copies of the Androvian, I discovered that these had in fact started a few years earlier when MRB took 25 boys to Galtur, Austria in the Easter holidays of 1971. This would have been a considerable challenge in those pre internet days even if Mike had previous knowledge of that particular ski area. Thankfully he did step up to the plate as he then ran trips (and hugely enjoyable they were too) for the next ten years until he left St Andrews in 1980, moving on to teach at KCS, Wimbledon. Apparently on that first occasion he was able to get all the way to Basle by boat train – crossing on the ferry from Folkestone Our hotel
Ski school badge
Marklin Factory Badge
in the van which were shared out and enjoyed along the way. He also mentioned the white pair of Toni Sailer skis that Mike had which not only impressed the boys but also drew admiring remarks from some of the ski Instructors on the slopes: “Sunday 1st April. MRB sports his new skis for the first time. Two instructors see them ‘Oh ar, Toni
and then catching the overnight train down from Calais. Once on board and ensconced in their couchettes the competition was then to see who could stay awake the longest! On arrival
at Lille, those who had fallen asleep were awakened with screams of ‘it’s our book’ when one of the night owls recognised that the station location was the same as the picture on the front of his French textbook! That first trip ran for twelve days and included breaks for sightseeing and souvenir buying (in Innsbruck) as well as a trip to the farm of one of their ski instructors on the final day. Après Ski in those days was a mixture of games in the hotel (Risk and Buccaneer proved extremely popular), swimming and also disco evenings in the Hotel. The following year saw a trip of 15 boys ski at Ischgl but, on this occasion, Mike opted to fly to Munich instead of taking the train. On the plane with him were James and Peter Brooke Turner, Howard and Matthew Carson, John Cato, Sean Dill, Matthew Dryden, James Freeman, Edward and William Hollway, Charles Horner, Azam Khan, Neil Mackichan, James Malby and Donald Wilks. James Brooke-Turner was good enough to get back to me with his memories of that trip: “Oddly I often think of that ski trip so I’m interested in the memories of others since memory is such an unreliable friend. I would have been 12
Blissfully quiet on the slopes
Michael (hat) and Charles Clark on lift
Sailer skis, you race? Champion?’ MRB makes excuses about April fool and retires to hide.” “Tuesday 3rd April. MRB makes another fateful appearance, but his skis are spotted by top instructors. ‘Aah, Toni Sailer, – you come mit our class – no?’ Excuse of having wrong wax on accepted. MRB gets to top of lift. Skis now spotted by Ski Race Organiser. MRB unpacks rucksack, full of 13 cameras, says he’s only here for the view! ” Colin Clifton Brown was also on that trip in
memories of Mr Barry and the love of Greek myths that he instilled upon us.” In 1973 Mike organised a trip to Pertisau but decided to drive all the way there in his trusty blue and white Commer van (with Peter Lake as his co-driver). Whilst this meant a smaller group (ten boys I believe, but how did he get them all in plus their luggage?!) it did allow him to include itineraries during
their stay as well as breaking the journey en route. Thanks to the generosity of the Shelley and Stumpf families the party was able to enjoy days in both Stuttgart and Munich. As well as seeing the Deutches Museum,
January 1976 with Michael when, once again, the trusty Commer van was loaded up with boys, gear and wine gums and driven the 750 miles down to Innsbruck. In the van were also John Guthrie, James Vestey,
Paul Spillane with another Androvian ski trip – any names please?
Gregory Chapman, Murat Genckal, Charles Clark and his sister, Jackie. On that occasion Mike was fortunate enough to have the dual support of Dr Guthrie as medical officer as
Olympic Park and the TV tower in Munich, Mike was also able to take them to the Marklin Model Railway factory in Goppingen and the Mercedes Motor Museum in Stuttgart.
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