Editorial

The B.B. published after an A.G.M. is invariably rather full
of club affairs, and this one is no exception. In addition to the remarks about the B.B. which readers will find in the
account of the A.G.M., we should like to remind them of Jonah’s offer of
photographic assistance which we hope is still open and which we have never had
the opportunity to use.  Who is going to
be the first to send in an article with photographic illustrations??

We have also been asked to remind members that Caving
Reports are normally obtained through the Secretary, either by post or directly
at Redcliffe.  They may now be bought on
Mendip (at the Shepton Hut) and there are a number of back copies of the B.B.
for sale there at 3d each.

The Editorial Board now consists of Alfie (Editor), Bob
Price (Printer), Jill Rollason (Checker), and Prew and Tony O’Flaherty
(Addressing and Postal Department).  We
should like to take this opportunity of thanking all past members of the Board
for their help.

“Alfie.”

September Committee

At the September Committee Meeting, Keith Robbins was
elected as a Junior Member. Amongst other business dealt with, Norman Petty
agreed to fit doors to the cupboards in the Belfry kitchen; the speeches for
the Annual Dinner were arranged; the laying of hardcore outside the Belfry and
progress on the new building were discussed and it was agreed to purchase new
spades at 5/6 each and more nylon rope. The club insurance cover on the Belfry is being looked into with a view
to raising it if necessary.  The Tackle
Officer also announced that preparations for a new wire in the wire rift are in
hand.  The meeting was concluded by the
chairman formally disbanding the committee pending the election of the 1959
committee.

October Meeting

The first meeting of the 1959 Committee was held at the
Belfry on the Sunday following the A.G.M. The committee appointed club officials as follows:-

In addition, it was agreed to proceed with the doors and
other carpentry in the kitchen.  It was
agreed not to hold the dinner at the Cave Man again.  Keith Asquith was elected a member. It was
agreed to obtain one more lorry load of hardcore for the Belfry outside.  Other items dealt with included fire fighting
equipment for the Belfry; arrangements for obtaining materials for the new
building; Cuthbert’s survey equipment and caving and climbing tackle.

Report of The A.G.M.

The 1958 Annual General Meeting of the Bristol Exploration
Club was held at Redcliffe Church Hall on Saturday 4th October 1958.  The meeting started at 3 p.m., at which time
a quorum of 28 members were present.

The minutes of the 1957 meeting was read by the Hon. Sec.
after R.A. Setterington had been unanimously elected Chairman; and were adopted
by the meeting.

The Hon. Secretary mentioned in his report that 21 new
members had joined the club in the eight months since the last A.G.M., but in
spite of this, club membership was only up to 115.

The Hon. Treasurer declared that the club’s finances were in
a healthy position and the cost of the new Tackle and Changing Hut could easily
be borne.  Mush of the increased receipts
were due to the greater number of Life Memberships being taken out.  He also announced that a sum had been
collected for a memorial to Don Coase, but he was keeping this separate from
the club finances.

The Hut Warden announced that Belfry Bed nights were greater
than those at the same tine last year by about 300 bed nights and that all
records would be easily broken by the end of the year.  He attributed this to the bad summer which
resulted many members staying at the Belfry, and there was some mention of a
number of unemployed in club.

A report in the Belfry Bulletin followed in which the Editor
pointed out that the B.B. was tending to cost rather more than had been originally
agreed on when the present Board took over its running.  A discussion followed in which R.M. Wallis,
speaking as a member who was rarely able to come to Mendip, pointed out that
the B.B. should not be hampered through lack of funds.  This was agreed by Dan Hasell.  Bob Price then made a plea for some
volunteers for the Addressing Dept.  Prew
and Tony O’Flaherty responded and become members of the B.B. Board.

The Caving Secretary commented on the high level of caving
activity this year.  Arising from his
speech, it was agreed to advertise a club trip in the B.B. at suitable
intervals.  The new caving secretary to
arrange this.

At this stage, the result of the ballot for the 1959 club
committee became known and was read out by the Chairman.  The committee again consist of 10 members, as
there was a tie for the last place.  It
consist of: – R.A. Setterington; R. Bagshaw; C. Falshaw; N. Petty; A. Collins;
R.J. Price; B. Prewer; P. Ifold; R. Bennet and ‘Mo’ Marriott.

The Tackle Officer’s report followed.  He announced that club now possessed 136′ of
lightweight tackle and 45′ of Ultra lightweight as well as a new 100′ of nylon
line.

The Hon. Librarian reported that Clare had donated most of
Don’s books to the Club Library.  We now
have 40 books but it appears that some 70 must be missing, judging by old
lists.  The Chairman suggested that Chris
Falshaw and Johnny Ifold get together and attempt to trace the missing books.

The Climbing Secretary reported that active membership of
the section had increased and suggested that camping equipment be purchased by
the club for the climbing section.  It
was agreed to leave this matter to the 1959 committee.

Sleeping arrangements at the Belfry provided the main
talking point under the heading of ‘Member’s Resolutions’ and the meeting ended
with a lively discussion on the subject.

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Editor’s note
on the above.  This account of the A.G.M.
was taken from notes made at the time, but is not an ‘official’ account.  The full proceedings may be seen by members
on application to the club secretary.

Caving Log

Personal

Congratulations to Dave Radmore whose wife has recently
presented him with a daughter, Carol, weight 6lbs.7oz.

Congratulations also to Joan and Tony Crawford on the birth
of their son, Roger Alan.

Library. 

AN APPEAL to all members to turn out cupboards, attics, and
other odd corners.  Have you a club
library book, for instance, propping up one side of your piano?  Please let Johnny I. or Chris have any club
books you might find!

Caving Trips.

If you are organizing a trip, let the caving sec. know, so
that it can be advertised in the B.B. or send or give the information directly
to the Editor or any member of the Board.

New Building.

Don’t forget.  FREE
BED NIGHTS to all who WORK on this job. Work will be starting in earnest very soon.  Come and do your bit!

Racing In
North Wales!!!

The hand of fate fell heavily on two club members,
inflicting them with that dreaded malady, ‘Midsummer Madness’, the effects of
which are not so long lasting or so consequential as Spring Fever, but much
more horrific.

This illness started when Alan Bonner and myself accepted
the invitation of Rex Aldridge to join the Yorkshire Rambling Club’s meet to
attempt the Welsh 3,000’s in
North Wales on
June 21st – midsummer day.

After three and a half hour’s sleep, we found ourselves
deposited in the Pen-y-pass Hotel car park, to make up a total of 19
starters.  The clouds were down low and
hanging heavily on Crib Goch with no wind to harass it.  The time was 4.30 am.  A fast pace was set, and we were soon in a
thick, muggy blanket of cloud walking up the steep side of Crib Goch and doing a
balancing act on the ridge leading to the pinnacles.  By now there were four of us in the leading
group, which was reduced to three when Rex tried to turn the last pinnacle and
so lost valuable minutes.  1 hour 50
minutes from the start, we were past Crib-y-Ddisgl and on top of
Snowdon.  From
there we belted down the railway track to Clogwyn station and then plunged down
a fine scree slope to

Llanberis
Pass.  Alan Bonner was the first down at 6.50 am
approx., myself being delayed a few minutes by a call of nature.

Older members of the Y.H.C. were installed in Bendy Mawr hut
and cooked us a very welcome second breakfast. Rex, Alan and myself set off for Nant Peris just before 8 am and were
soon climbing up the long, tedious slopes of Glydir Fawr.  Because of the cloud, we did not find the
best way, climbing up amongst loose boulders. We then realised that we were possibly off route when a raven croaked
some 100′ below us.  Rex’s map reading
and compass work was first class in that we were in cloud while traversing.
Elidir Fawr, Y Garn, Glyder Fawr and Glyder Fach.  It was not until we descended to Bwlch Tryfan
that we saw our first cloud free peak, Tryfan. From the summit it we eased our way down a gully on the N.W. face
bringing us down to the main road at Milestone Buttress, and so to the Midland
Club Hut where more food was waiting.

We left the hut at 3 p.m. under a bright sun and headed to
the east ridge of Pen-yr-oleu-wen, making our way over the steep, broken and
vegetated slopes until we found a track which led to the summit. We rested in
the hollow cairn and enjoyed the excellent view.  The rest of the peaks on the Carnedds were
easily reached, compared with the previous going, reaching the last peak at 730
pm.

The last part of the trip down to

Bethesda was taken seriously, as the thought
of a beer and closing time at 10 pm occupied our main thoughts.  We cut through a churchyard to arrive at a
pub at 9.30 p.m.  Our conscience was
eased by finding the vicar installed there. We were met by our friends of the Y.R.C. who plied us with pints and
transported us back to their club hut. Our thanks are due to them for providing us with food en route and to
Rex Aldridge for inviting us to the meet.

Geoff Mossman

Social Column

It must be recorded that at the Hunters Lodge on Saturday
11th of October, Sid Hobbs drank screech from a ladies shoe!  To the best of out knowledge this has not
been attempted before at the Hunter’s. Sid seems to be surviving well!

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The Belfry Bulletin. Editor: S.J. Collins, 33
Richmond
Terrace,
Clifton,
Bristol
8
Secretary: R.J. Bagshaw,

56
Ponsford Road, Knowle,

Bristol 4