All journeys have a purpose Ti-Konki arose from a desire to promote study. Alan, David, Harry, Ian & Geoffrey were 20 year old students from Huddersfield Technical College.
History of Architecture was a mandatory subject up to intermediate professional examination level and the trip was an opportunity to gain first had knowledge of the buildings in Rome, and other cultural and historical sites of Italy.
Doug an engineering student at the Tech was invited to join the group as a travelling mechanic, his inclusion in the group was important considering the state of the ex-army truck. The economics of the trip were more favourable with 8 members so friends Brian & Glynn stepped in.
The name of the truck arose from a nagging fear that the vehicle would end up ‘konking out’. The skills of Doug ensured that the fears were groundless.
The present planned pilgrimage is a 65th Anniversary but more importantly an effort to raise funds for Yorkshire Cancer Research a charity which is seeking to prevent suffering and improve the quality of life for many thousands of individuals and their families.
The cost of the research is exceedingly high and cannot be done on a shoestring. Your support is urgently needed.
The Ti Konki trip was done on a shoestring budget the truck was purchased for £35. Alans paspsort shows he took £35 sterling with him which covered his contribution for petrol, food, camping site fees and other miscellaneous costs, all members had similar funding.
The Ti Konki trip was a news item in both the national and local press. The country at the time was still suffering from World War II. It was before the advent of package holidays and foreign travel was impossible for most of the population.
In one of the meetings made to the press during their preparations for Ti Konki it was said that the budding architects tutor Norman Culley was going to meet them on their arrival in St Peters Piazza in Rome. The first Tutor Culley knew of this was when he read it in the press!
He told his students they had been very ‘naughty’ but it turned out he was delighted and was there to meet the team on their arrival to the eternal city.
Andrew and Paul are not quite as naughty but have hinted they would be delighted if any of the surviving Ti Konki members were to meet them on their arrival
A big thank you to Mel Booth of the Huddersfield Examiner who has provided the images below
Copies of glass negatives. Of a trip by friends in 1954 from Huddersfield to Rome.
Route 1954
Huddersfield – London – Dover
Boulogne – Amiens – Paris
Lyons – Grenoble – Cannes
Nice – Monaco – Monte Carlo
Menton – Genoa – Legorn (Livorno)
Pisa – Rome.
Return Journey
Florence – Ravenna – Venice
Verona – Milan – Chiasso
Luguano – St Gotthard Fall – Furka Pass
Grimsel – Interlaken – Berne
Basel – Alsace – Paris
Boulogne – London – Huddersfield
Original Members
Alan Roebuck – David Senior
Harry Noble – Geoffrey Taylor
Ian Greaves – Glyn Webster
Brian Hutton – Douglas Blackhall