Jack Longland
Encyclopedia
Sir John Laurence "Jack" Longland (26 June 1905 – 29 November 1993) was an educator, mountain climber, and broadcaster.
He was educated at the King's School, Worcester
, and Jesus College, Cambridge
. He lectured in English at Durham University
from 1930 to 1936. He then served as Director of Education for Derbyshire
for 23 years, from 1949. Whilst Director, in 1950, he established the outdoor centre at Whitehall, near Buxton
, one of the first of its kind in the UK.
He was President of the Cambridge University Mountaineering Club during a particularly productive era mid-war, and was later President of the British Mountaineering Council (1962-1965).
As a rock-climber, he was one of a group who opened up the harder grades, for instance with his 1928 ascent of Longland's Climb (VS) on Clogwyn Du'r Arddu
, Snowdon
. Several of these first ascent
s were made with Ivan Waller. He also made the first ascent of Javelin Blade on the Holly Tree Wall at Idwal in 1930. As the CUMC site records, at E1 5b, this was "An outstanding lead that stood as the most difficult piece of Welsh climbing for many years, though few were aware of it".
As a mountaineer, he is remembered for his heroic actions during the 1933 expedition to Mount Everest
led by Hugh Ruttledge
, in which he brought down 8 Sherpas from Camp 6 (above 27,000ft) in a whiteout
.
He was the chairman and occasional question-setter on on the BBC
radio panel game My Word!
from 1957 to 1977.
He was a sometime member of the West Country team in Round Britain Quiz
.
He was educated at the King's School, Worcester
The King's School, Worcester
The King's School, Worcester is an English independent school refounded by Henry VIII in 1541. It occupies a site adjacent to Worcester Cathedral on the banks of the River Severn in the centre of the city of Worcester...
, and Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...
. He lectured in English at Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
from 1930 to 1936. He then served as Director of Education for Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
for 23 years, from 1949. Whilst Director, in 1950, he established the outdoor centre at Whitehall, near Buxton
Buxton
Buxton is a spa town in Derbyshire, England. It has the highest elevation of any market town in England. Located close to the county boundary with Cheshire to the west and Staffordshire to the south, Buxton is described as "the gateway to the Peak District National Park"...
, one of the first of its kind in the UK.
He was President of the Cambridge University Mountaineering Club during a particularly productive era mid-war, and was later President of the British Mountaineering Council (1962-1965).
As a rock-climber, he was one of a group who opened up the harder grades, for instance with his 1928 ascent of Longland's Climb (VS) on Clogwyn Du'r Arddu
Clogwyn Du'r Arddu
Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, on the north flank of Snowdon, is considered by many to be one of the best climbing cliffs in Britain. It is north-facing and comparatively remote . The name is Welsh and probably means "black cliff of the plough"...
, Snowdon
Snowdon
Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales, at an altitude of above sea level, and the highest point in the British Isles outside Scotland. It is located in Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd, and has been described as "probably the busiest mountain in Britain"...
. Several of these first ascent
First ascent
In climbing, a first ascent is the first successful, documented attainment of the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route...
s were made with Ivan Waller. He also made the first ascent of Javelin Blade on the Holly Tree Wall at Idwal in 1930. As the CUMC site records, at E1 5b, this was "An outstanding lead that stood as the most difficult piece of Welsh climbing for many years, though few were aware of it".
As a mountaineer, he is remembered for his heroic actions during the 1933 expedition to Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
led by Hugh Ruttledge
Hugh Ruttledge
Hugh Ruttledge was an English civil servant and mountaineer who was the leader of two expeditions to Mount Everest in 1933 and 1936.-Early life:...
, in which he brought down 8 Sherpas from Camp 6 (above 27,000ft) in a whiteout
Whiteout (weather)
Whiteout is a weather condition in which visibility and contrast are severely reduced by snow or sand. The horizon disappears completely and there are no reference points at all, leaving the individual with a distorted orientation...
.
He was the chairman and occasional question-setter on on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio panel game My Word!
My Word!
My Word! was a long-running radio panel game broadcast by the BBC on the Home Service and Radio 4 . It was created by Edward J. Mason and Tony Shryane, and featured comic writers Denis Norden and Frank Muir, famous in Britain for the series Take It From Here...
from 1957 to 1977.
He was a sometime member of the West Country team in Round Britain Quiz
Round Britain Quiz
Round Britain Quiz is a panel game that has been broadcast on BBC Radio 4 since 1947, making it the oldest quiz still broadcast on British radio...
.