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Mark Weir tragedy

Mark Weir tragedy


Postby susanmyatt » Fri Mar 11, 2011 1:35 pm

Sad to hear about the untimely death of Mark Weir, owner of the Honister Slate Mines, in a helicopter crash. He did much for the area when he re-opened the mines and of course initiated the Honister Via Ferrata; hope his legacy carries on. :(
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Re: Mark Weir tragedy

Postby tango » Fri Mar 11, 2011 4:13 pm

:( I dont him, but i saw what he was doing on programmes such as Mountains..with Mr Jones..& it all looked good.
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Re: Mark Weir tragedy

Postby Essan » Fri Mar 11, 2011 4:52 pm

I shall be happy if his legacy of exploiting the hills and those who visit them does not carry on.

Hopefully we're now spared that monstrous idea of a giant death slide.
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Re: Mark Weir tragedy

Postby susanmyatt » Fri Mar 11, 2011 6:24 pm

I was thinking more of jobs etc to help the locals and if you go on the Loweswater cam site, they speak well of him and live there, perhaps they know him better than us :D I think the zipwire was shelved anyway and perhaps we all exploit the hills in someway, we all like the freedom but how much do we give back ?
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Re: Mark Weir tragedy

Postby Slogger » Fri Mar 11, 2011 6:40 pm

Sad to hear of his passing. Many do not agree with his Via Ferrata, and i for one prefer wilderness areas to remain just that. However his wired route on Honister Crag, followed the miners route to work, many parts of which were already man-made including the tunnels. He simply made it safe for people who wanted go that way. As he owned the crag he was entitled to charge a fee for leading people along it, and I don't see it that he caused any damage by way of environmental or visual.
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Re: Mark Weir tragedy

Postby tango » Fri Mar 11, 2011 6:49 pm

Im with you on this 1 Susan, He was by the sound of things making the hills a little more exciting for some not all!!I dont think 1 death slide would make any difference!!!!!!!!! :? ..with all the other crap we have laying around on the hills..Fence posts,cars,cafes,people,sheep,tracks,trig points,cairns,litter,motorbikes,4x4s,bridges,man made paths,deer fences,roads, Our thoughts should also go out to his family & friends.. enough said by me :)
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Re: Mark Weir tragedy

Postby colgregg » Fri Mar 11, 2011 8:12 pm

Essan wrote:I shall be happy if his legacy of exploiting the hills and those who visit them does not carry on.

Hopefully we're now spared that monstrous idea of a giant death slide.

This statement comes across as very disrespectful The hills of Honister have been exploited for centuries. Mark was actually in the process of removing some of the junk left after years of mining prior to his ownership.
This is a small part of the lakes which is only continuing the industry of the past, providing employment and more importantly preserving a piece of Lakes history that no museum exhibition could come near to replicating. Regarding the Via Ferrata and zip wire : Had he wanted to use mountains away from Honister for this activity then I'd agree but as it is where it is I can only give a thumbs up to some one wanting to create something people will actually enjoy using.
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Re: Mark Weir tragedy

Postby stomper » Fri Mar 11, 2011 9:42 pm

Essan wrote:I shall be happy if his legacy of exploiting the hills and those who visit them does not carry on.

Hopefully we're now spared that monstrous idea of a giant death slide.



Very distrespectfull if you want to make comments like that keep your opinions to yourself. At least the bloke gave jobs which are now hard to come by. Ok the area might not be as scenic as other parts of the lakes but its still a good place to visit
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Re: Mark Weir tragedy

Postby colgregg » Fri Mar 11, 2011 10:17 pm

stomper wrote:
Essan wrote:I shall be happy if his legacy of exploiting the hills and those who visit them does not carry on.

Hopefully we're now spared that monstrous idea of a giant death slide.



Very distrespectfull if you want to make comments like that keep your opinions to yourself. At least the bloke gave jobs which are now hard to come by. Ok the area might not be as scenic as other parts of the lakes but its still a good place to visit

Same feelings here Stomper. The point is that it was never scenically beautiful and has always been an industrial site.
Maybe Essan might want to check out this Youtube clip from 1926 to see if Mark Weir was responsible for "exploiting the hills".
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Re: Mark Weir tragedy

Postby walk aboot » Sat Mar 12, 2011 12:02 am

That is sad news, Susan. I saw him in a TV programme a few years ago and remember thinking he was a remarkable bloke.
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Re: Mark Weir tragedy

Postby stomper » Sat Mar 12, 2011 10:07 am

I can remember him when he was interviewed by the only one Julia Bradbury when she did the coast to coast programme
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Re: Mark Weir tragedy

Postby AlisonFox66 » Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:19 pm

his enterprise should be celebrated

The Honister via ferrata was quite unobtrusive

In our area all we get are wind turbines (which are obtrusive) and they really do spoil the hills
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Re: Mark Weir tragedy

Postby jester » Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:41 pm

stomper wrote:
Essan wrote:I shall be happy if his legacy of exploiting the hills and those who visit them does not carry on.

Hopefully we're now spared that monstrous idea of a giant death slide.



Very distrespectfull if you want to make comments like that keep your opinions to yourself. At least the bloke gave jobs which are now hard to come by. Ok the area might not be as scenic as other parts of the lakes but its still a good place to visit


+1. Very sad, I thought he was a decent bloke.
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