It is with regret that I write to inform you that Robert Hodgson has died.
His son, James Hodgson writes:
My father first visited St Moritz in 1956 at the suggestion of a friend and existing Member. He rode the Run (sent down by Mac – Fairchilds MacCarthy, the Club Secretary), liked it and joined as a Life Member on the spot - different times! As he was fond of reminding me, being a Life Member from that time meant that he never had to pay riding fees.
He started riding before the Clubhouse was built. The Run was controlled from a wooden tower with the Secretary perched on top. Apart from ‘Top Hut’ the only building on the Run was a substantial wooden hut where Junction 'Hut’ now stands. It served as changing room, toboggan store, workshop and shelter presided over by, I believe, Lorenzo. He bought a toboggan from Hugh Wentworth-Ping that had been made in stainless steel by the workshops of one of the Sheffield steel companies. It still bears the scars of when he came out at Thoma and ended up in the woodyard with it needing to be welded back together. On the topic of coming out he was there when a rider from Top came down but thought he was riding from Junction – he came out in Rise and ended up in the stream. Now of course we have the timber roof to keep us in.
Nino Bibbia, the winner of the 1948 Olympic event, was riding. Riders used to pile onto Nino’s vegetable truck with their toboggans as transport back from Finish – the police took a rather dim view of this and the Club invested in the first camion!
On a possibly contentious note he considered that we are all embers of an amateur international club and that as such a rider’s nationality was not relevant. He thought that the practice of including nationality on the timesheets was unnecessary.
As a former Royal Marine he always supported the Navy team in the Inter-Services Championship. He rode in the Harland a number of times, winning it twice as an open race from Top in the early 60's and then came second to Digby in 1983 when it was a handicap - he always said that Digby had the more generous handicap! He last rode from Top in 1992 (going faster than his age) and from Junction about 20 years ago."
The funeral service will be at Philberd's Manor, Halls Lane, East Hanney, OX12 0HJ on Tuesday 25th November. [What three word location - option.ambition.tightest] All are welcome.
