Glencoe ski area event to feature tribute to murdered MP

This weekend’s celebration of snow sports and the longest day at Glencoe ski area will this year feature a tribute to murdered MP Jo Cox.

The event is part of a national celebration of Mrs Cox’s life taking place at the weekend, under the banner The Great Get Together to coincide with what would have been her 44th birthday.

The MP for Batley and Spen was murdered two years ago by neo-Nazi Thomas Mair in a politically-motivated attack during the EU referendum campaign.

‘Glencoe mountain has a long history of people from different backgrounds coming together to share their love of the outdoors and seems a very fitting space in which Jo’s approach to life can be celebrated and shared,’ said Glencoe resort owner and managing director Andy Meldrum.

Saturday’s event also celebrates snow sports and the longest day of the year and will be the first for two years if it goes ahead, with last year’s staging cancelled due to inadequate snow cover.

Despite much better snowfall this past winter, warm weather in May and June has also impacted this year’s event, but the centre

hopes it will go ahead, weather permitting.

‘It’s not going to be a vintage year for snow but should still be more than enough to have some fun,’ added Meldrum.

As in previous years, the resort’s Cliffy lift will run for half an hour in the morning around 10am for experienced skiers.

The resort plans to organise a barbecue at the Plateau Café for hungry snow sports fans.

‘The last chairlift down is at 4.15pm after that it’s walking down,’ added Meldrum.

Glencoe’s northerly latitude means that in midsummer it hardly gets dark at all, with daylight from around 3am to 11pm.

Meldrum went on to say that Glencoe Mountain Resort has a long history of people from different backgrounds coming together to share their love of the outdoors and resort staff believe it seems a very fitting space in which Jo’s approach to life can be celebrated and shared.

And he concluded that the event will be ‘a great opportunity to enjoy all that we have in common and raise a toast to the life of Jo and all that she worked hard for, recognising the value of all that unites us’.