The 1953 British Mount Everest expedition was the ninth mountaineering expedition to attempt the first ascent of Mount Everest and the first confirmed to have succeeded when Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary reached the summit on 29 May 1953. Led by Colonel John Hunt it was organised and financed by the Joint Himalayan Committee. News of the expedition's success reached London in time to be released on the morning of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation on the 2nd of June that year.
Edmund Hillary was a New Zealander and a beekeeper. Tenzing Norgay, a Nepalese Sherpa guide. He buried sweets and biscuits at the summit as a Buddhist offering to the gods. Hillary took several photographs of the scenery and of Tenzing waving flags representing Britain, Nepal, the UN and India. They looked for signs of George Mallory and Andrew "Sandy" Irvine who had disappeared in 1924 in a similar attempt to conquer Everest but found nothing.
Hillary described the peak, which is 29,028 feet above sea level, as a symmetrical, beautiful snow cone summit. Hunt and Edmund Hillary were knighted on their return. Tenzing Norgay was awarded The George Medal.
So began the race to the top. On the 50th anniversary of the ascent in 2003, over 1,300 people had reached the summit of the 'roof of the world'.
In 1962, my parents moved us to a pub in Maghull near Liverpool. The brand new build was named The Everest and was in an area where all the street names were based on the 1953 expedition. Hunt Road, Hillary Crescent, Tenzing Avenue. I suppose it was one of the very first themed pubs, All over the walls were photographs, plaster made to look like sections of mountain, climbing axes, crampons and flags.
My Dad was a skilled cocktail bartender so he invented drinks to suit the theme. An Everest, (turquoise blue with a foamy top), and a red, white and blue Union Jack, (all the colours in stripes of different specific gravity liqueurs). He was very creative.
The pub became favourite haunt for the Everton Football team and on weekdays during school holidays, I met most of them. Ray Wilson, Tommy wright, Alex Scot. Alex Young, Brian Harris, Colin Harvey, Derek Temple, Mike Trebilcock, Brian Labone, Jimmy Gabriel, Gordon West, What a team - FA Cup winners 1966. And that was before Alan Ball joined the side.
I had a serious bicycle accident, was concussed and spent three days in hospital. When I was discharged, several of them came to see me. They even bought me a huge box of chocolates. Naturally, I have been Evertonian ever since, I can see parallels for the current team with the 1953 Everest expedition as they now languish near the relegation zone of the Premier League. They will have a tough climb to mid-table and out of trouble, I hope that new manager Frank Lampard proves to be an effective Sherpa. Win or lose I will l always be true blue.
Thanks for reading. Adele
6 comments:
What a month, May 1953! Same month that Blackpool scaled the heights to win the FA Cup. I remember it all so well - being 3 months old at the time ;-)
There's a pub near where I live called Top Of The World (and it is on the brow of a hill). It was originally an 'Everest themed' pub when it first opened in the mid-1950s as part of the new town development. The pub sign is still a painting of Everest but most of the themed stuff disappeared in various renovations and re-brandings.
I wonder if Mallory or Irvine were ever found.
I seem to remember photos of huge queues lining up to get to the summit, was it last year.
Malloey was found in 1999 Terry
Everton were hard done by yesterday. They have what it takes to climb away from the relegation zone.
Looking sticky for the Toffees!
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