QUODCUMQUE  FACIENDUM : NIMIS  FACIEMUS

Dates

Easter

Yorkshire
(Sleets Gill, Pippikin and Lancaster/Easgill.)

Summer

Pyrenean Trip – See notice board
in belfry for details.  Sailing 20th
July.  Minibus returns 3 weeks
later.  Names to Mike Palmer by end of march
– stating preference for 2 or 3 weeks.

Editorial

Beware of Dogma

On Saturday, March 22nd, at 2.30 p.m. – which will probably
be a fine day and time for caving, climbing and all the activities for which
the B.E.C. was founded – some of us will spend several hours copped up in
Priddy Village Hall attending the meeting of the Council of Southern Caving Clubs.

I can almost hear the comments – ‘More fool you!  ‘It’s the ruddy cave politicians at it again’
– ‘Some people would rather talk about caving than actually do it’ – and so on.

I don’t suppose for a moment that our Hon. Sec. for example,
actually wants to be there – and I’m sure that I don’t.  It’s all far too like the mythical University
of Charterhouse for my liking – BUT – unless we DO turn up and see for
ourselves what is going on – and do what we can to prevent what must be
prevented – the University of Charterhouse may cease to become a Christmastide
joke and be actually with us one day in the near future.  Look at all these statements, which have
actually been made recently by people whose control over caving is increasing:
–

‘It does mean control;
regimentation; licences etc. if you don’t like it, give up caving.’

‘Caving will have to become more
expensive.’

‘It also implies setting up
educational and equipment safety standards.’

‘We would be greatly helped by
having lots of brass in order to employ full-time staff for administrative,
publicity, training and scientific work.’

Are you frightened yet? You should be!  Unless, of course
you take the attitude that you have nearly finished caving and couldn’t really
care less about the future.

This is, if I might say so, a rather selfish attitude and
smacks of ‘Throw the mess deck overboard, I’ve had my breakfast, Jack!’

The Southern Council have so far had a good record of
opposing some of the more dangerous suggestions that are being made, but we
cannot afford always to leave it to somebody else to fight on our behalf.  Why not turn up on Saturday 22nd March and
see and hear what goes on?  Who
knows?  You might be just the sort of
person who will one day be in a position to take over from those who are at
present fighting to preserve our Mendip way of life – A way of life which we,
perhaps, take too much for granted.

Or couldn’t we really care less?

“Alfie”

Space Filler

The sentences below contain anagrams of the names of some
members of the present committee.  One
name is concealed in each sentence or phrase, and each gives a clue to the
activities of the member concerned. Answers elsewhere in this B.B.

A.         I draw vein – a mineral vein perhaps.

B.         A line jams on growth, and needs repairing?

C.         C. Cold in ye loo! (and in ye Belfry sometimes)

D.         No liar brew it! – Jean checks that.

E.         I call on files (if I can find them!)

F.         Carry on as I am – or sell ‘Which?’

 

Diccan Pot/Alum Pot Through Trip

Towards the end of last summer,
Roger Wing, Keith and Derek Sanderson, who wrote this article spent a week
camping in the
Yorkshire dales.  One of their trips is described here.

Ever since we had clustered in the narrow passage and peered
into the first pitch of Diccan Pot, it had been our ambition to do this
trip.  Being familiar with Lower Long
Churn, we quickly laddered to the bottom of Alum Pot carefully traversing round
a bloated dead cow just above the final 25′ pitch, and regained the surface in
about an hour.  We then crossed the field
over to Diccan Pot.

The entrance to Diccan Pot is similar to all the cave
entrances in the Alum Pot area, being formed by a collapse into a horizontal
stream passage about eight feet below the surface.  A low, wide entrance soon develops into a
square shaped passage formed in light grey smoothly scalloped rock over which
the stream swiftly flows.  The passage
contains two deep pools – one chest deep. After about a hundred feet one comes to an abrupt halt as the stream
plunges sharply over the first pitch of 105 feet.

The pitch looks narrow at first, with the stream seemingly
filling the whole cavity.  We quickly
belayed 150 feet of rope to a prominent spur of rock about 15 ft back from the
lip and prepared ourselves for a single line abseil.  I went over first and dropped 15 feet to a
narrow ledge, keeping out of the main flow of water.  Deciding that all was well, I dropped another
20 feet to find myself in the full flow of the water, hanging free from any
rock surface.  From here, the descent to
the floor of the pitch is entirely free hanging.  There is something awe inspiring in dangling
free on a single line some eighty feet above the floor.  All one can see is the fan of water as it
pours off one’s helmet, and the noise is deafening.  The descent was one of the most exhilarating
experiences I have ever had underground.

The base of the pitch is a wide ledge.  Here, some of the stream has become
fragmented during its fall, filling the whole area with fine spray – rather
like the fragmenting of Fell Beck as it reaches the floor of G.G.  Once on the ledge, I gave two blasts on the
whistle to indicate that I had landed safely, and the others descended.  Communication is only possible by whistle due
to the noise of the water and the depth of the pot.

From the ledge, a twenty five foot drop to the floor of the
chamber was soon passed using the end of the same rope.  Crossing over a boulder strewn floor, we came
to the head of a thirty foot rift with wedged boulders across the top.  This is meant to be a climb, but we were
probably over cautious and descended on a double line fed through a pulley
attached to the end of the previous rope.

Having retrieved the line, we followed the narrow, high rift
passage over shallow pools for about seventy feet to the head of a twenty five
foot drop.  This we found we could
free-climb by chimneying.  At the foot of
the drop the rift widens slightly and leads on for about fifty feet over uneven
floor to the head of the final pitch of a hundred feet down which the stream
cascades.

This pitch is not a smooth exhilarating pitch like the first
one.  It is broken by ledges and is not
quite vertical.  To descend it is hard
work.  It is difficult to know where the
pitch starts as it does not drop suddenly. We could not find a suitable belay from which the abseil rope could be
retrieved, so we fitted up a crab and sling to a spur of rock on the right.

The descent consists of dropping from ledge to ledge in the
full force of the stream, kicking the rope down as you go.  Care should be taken not to allow the water
to force you off your feet as it tends to do. On the first pitch one could live with the stream, but on this pitch one
has to battle against it.  Twenty feet
from the base of the pitch is a wider ledge where one can rest for a while and
look out into the final chamber of Alum Pot into which one has just descended.

We experienced some communication trouble here, and it was
some time before all three of us were down and the rope retrieved.  It only remained for us to climb out via
Lower Long Churn, de-tackling as we went. We reached the surface tired mentally as well as physically.

Although it is not a long cave, Diccan Pot is a formidable
place.  The total trip was just over five
hours but we were very deliberate and careful at each stage, not knowing quite
what to expect next.  We could probably
reduce this time by more than an hour on our next visit – and we certainly
intend that there shall be a next visit!

 

Mik’s Peregrinations

January was to be the month when I started the first of a
series of nonsense articles or jottings of some of the things observed during
my wanderings over (and on occasion, under) the Mendip scene.  However, it was not to be!  I’m sure that it did not pass your notice
that the Christmas B.B. was a trifle delayed – due to the non-availability of
an up-to-date membership list, and this in turn delayed the January issue and
hence this article.  Being a fan of a
monthly B.B., I pursued this matter and was told (by a source close to the
editor) that we will still get twelve issues this year.

Anyway, having started to talk about January, I’d better
briefly mention the social scene – the first being the Setterington welcome to
the New Year, followed later in the month by the Collins’s ditto.  Meanwhile, one of the other clubs was holding
a sort of lynching party for one of their deviant members whose crime was to
spend the Christmas enjoying himself (he thinks) with friends from the
B.E.C.  I understand they relented in the
end and have not revoked his, or any other of the joint members membership.

The Morris Dancing (or climbing) section of the club made a
visit to
N. Wales which was a great success
except that some rotten ——- seems to have stolen the route round the ‘shoe’
thus causing the party to walk miles further than necessary.  Anyone re-discovering this route please
report to the Climbing Secretary.

On the subject of secretaries – amazingly devious mind, this
bloke has – someone has sent me a cutting from a local paper which demonstrates
the remarkable erudition of our club nowadays, and in particular the Caving
Sec.  Mr. Andrew Nichols acting in his
capacity as Bath City Corporation Assistant Solicitor (Mr. YY has found two
rusty drawing pins in his sausages) “Mr. Nichols said that Mr. YY was not hurt, but it was a very
unpleasant experience.  You may well
consider he was lucky not to have swallowed them.”

A while ago at the Belfry, the S.R.T. enthusiasts were
observed measuring and chopping into reasonable lengths a bundle of Super
Braidline Nylon rope which they had bulk purchased.  No doubt we shall hear more of the doings and
success (or failure) of these enthusiasts at a later date.

There is one of the usual lulls on reports of caving
activities at the moment, unless you count all the secret digging being carried
out at places like Windsor Hill.  A few
snippets just in case ‘Wig’ misses them: –

Royston Bennett’s Chepstow dig
seems to have been a success.  It is even
got a sump that can only be passed by consultation with a set of tide
tables.  Although we don’t see too much of

Roy on Mendip
at the moment I trust he will continue doing these good things to the normal
excess.

Cuckoo Cleeves is a small cave
you might remember only for its shuttering. However, it’s getting larger, thanks to the

Wessex, and now boasts a terminal (?)
boulder ruckle which might appeal to those masochists who appreciated the
stability of Tankard’s Hole.

On Eastern Mendip, the quarrymen
continue to aid caving, albeit with less enthusiasm than in the past and only
recently one Sunday morning they could be observed escorting cavers across the
quarry floor in the direction of Withyhill. It seems access is getting no easier despite the close relationship of
Cerberus to the quarry management.  Any
cavers should be careful not to offend when visiting this area.

On a lighter note, the Belfry after hours has been getting
quite riotous lately, as emphasised by Colin Dooley and John Hookings
demonstrating the old Irish wrestling – a vicious pastime not to be taken
lightly.  Then there was Butch
celebrating both his membership and his birthday with a barrel.  His birthday presents included a personal
copy of the Sex Maniac’s Diary and a pretty string vest type cover for his
‘sock’.  Then there was Steven’s adoption
as Belfry Boy – a decision I’m sure he will rue when he learns fully the duties
that go with the job.

That’s all for this month. Maybe next month there will be something interesting – you never know.

Withyhill
Cave Survey Notes

Notes on the recently published
survey of Withyhill to be read in conjunction with that survey, by Dave Irwin.

Withyhill
Cave was discovered by
quarrying at Fairy Eave Quarry, near Stoke St. Michael in December 1972 – the
sixth system of any size to be explored within the quarry limits.  The cave was explored by members of the
Cerberus Speleological Society.  Shortly
afterwards, Dr. W.I. Stanton produced a line survey to Grade 3 that indicated
that the cave lay parallel with, and at certain points near to, Shatter Cave.  To determine possible sites for digging, Doug
Stuckey and the author produced a survey to the obsolete C.R.G. Grade 6D (with
tripod mounted instruments).

Instruments. The compass, a liquid-filled ex-W.D. prismatic and the clinometer
(Japanese type) were mounted on a table together with two spirit levels, placed
at right angles to each other for levelling purposes.  The whole unit – the Surveying Unit – was
mounted on an ex-W.D. wooden theodolite tripod with brass fittings.  The tapes used were 30m and 10m fibron tapes.

Method of Surveying. The survey lines were produced by using the familiar ‘leap-frog’
technique commencing at the far end of the Glistening Pool Series and taken
through to the entrance.  The West Limb
of the system was surveyed on a later occasion to the same standard except
where difficulties were encountered in the First and Second Boulder Chokes,
when the standard was reduced to hand held equipment (B.C.R.A.5).  Offsets were marked so that extensions of
this line could be made and enabling side passages to be tied on to the main
survey line.

Passage detail was measured at all survey stations and at
many intermediate points.  Chamber detail
was collected by ‘raying’ from survey stations. The survey work was split between the surveyors as follows: –

Glistening Pool Series to Entrance – D. Irwin & D.
Stuckey.  G.P. Junction to second boulder
choke – D. Irwin.

Calibration. This proved difficult, as all field hedges were fenced additionally with
barbed wire, rendering field junctions useless for calibration purposes.  After preliminary checks, the centreline of a
straight portion of road was finally selected.

The calibration point lay along the southernmost section of
the Fairy Cave Quarry road to the crossroads at N.G.R. 6521 4725.  It was later shown that this point was not
completely free of magnetic influence, as the overall N/S distance from the
entrance of the cave to the second boulder choke was in error by a little less
than 10 and this error is entirely due to calibration error, as the two points,
the radius location point and the same point represented on the survey
coincided satisfactorily when the two were superimposed.

Survey Grading. All main survey lines were surveyed to C.R.G. Grade 6D (or B.C.R.A.6D
tripod mounted).  Side passages were surveyed
to B.C.R.A.5 and in two short passages; the standard was dropped to
B.C.R.A.4.  This reduction of surveying
standard was due entirely to the presence of stalagmite deposits.

Plotting.  The
co-ordinates for each station and passage outline were plotted on to graph
paper and then traced on to ‘Permatrace’. The small scale at which the survey was drawn (1:400) did not permit the
inclusion of floor deposits without cluttering the overall appearance.  Thick deposits of stalagmite are shown in
many of the passage sections.

General Data.

Surveyed length = 766m (2,513
feet)

Vertical
Range
= 20m approx. (65feet 7 inches)

Number of surveying trips – line
survey 3 (total 7 hours) details etc. 4 (total 7 hours)

Conclusions. The optimistic relationship of Shatter and Withyhill caves, as concluded
by various people, does not exist.  The
distance between East Rift in Withyhill and the Five Ways Chamber in Shatter is
some 60m (197ft) apart.  The survey has
been checked by radio location, an exercise carried out by Prewer et al. (6) in
1973.  Plotting of the radius location
point and comparing the co-ordinate change between the entrance and the second
boulder choke show the survey to be at variance by about 7m (23ft).  The reason for this has already been given
and is wholly attributable to a faulty calibration site.

Acknowledgements. The surveyors would like to thank and acknowledge the help of the
following, without whom the survey would not have been possible:-

Hobbs Quarries Ltd.; Cerberus Speleological Society; B.
Wilton, for technical advice regarding the presentation of the survey and for
photographic reduction, and the many members of the Bristol Exploration Club
who held tapes and took notes.

 

The
Lake District (6^th – 10^th
February)

An account by Andy Nichols of a
typical club trip.

The response to Barrie Wiltan’s Thermawear Fetishists
weekend in the Lakes was enthusiastic – and on the evening of Thursday 6th
February, Colin and Angela Dooley, Sue and Tony Tucker, Tom and Colleen Gage,
Barrie and Brenda Wilton, Chris Batstone, Martin Bishop, Andy Nichols and Mike
Palmer travelled north to the ice climbing and snow walking we had been
promised (via a pub at Sandbach which had a power cut as we pulled up outside –
they must have been warned!)  Instead of
falls of snow, we got something better – three days of flawless blue skies and
cool, still air.  The best walking
weather I’d seen in the Lakes for ten years.

The morning’s first task was to visit Coniston to sound out
the pubs.  Reassured, we set out for the
hills. Colin, Angie and I scaled the Old Man of Coniston and completed the
semicircle of crags to the north and east. The others, with a later start, had-time to trundle up and down the Old
Man before dusk.

Later that evening, Bob Cross arrived after throwing the
last of the days old ladies out into the cold streets of
Bradford.  The driver succeeded in getting the lorry off
the mountain and we all went to the pub. Mike must have exceeded the bounds of prudence with the Hartley’s
prize-winning Ales, because we woke blearily on Saturday morning to find him
lurching around in his pyjamas and trying to retch up a mouthful of feathers
left by the Night Parrot.

Saturday’s attack was on Helvellyn, from Patterdale.  A dozen of us made our way up on to Striding
Edge and to the top at varying paces and in small groups.  The D team pace is particularly difficult and
those unused to the slow transfer of weight from one foot to the next,
frequently overbalance.  The descent was
along the plateau like summit to Dollywaggon Pike, down to the sombre Grisedale
Tarn and along the valley towards Patterdale, a total of some ten miles.  Barrie and a group of ice men preferred the
shorter, steep gully descent from the Pike as one variation; as another, the
caving secretary went berserk at the tarn and insisted on storming up another
two peaks before returning to the van – to the amazement of himself and the
whole population of the Goddam Isles.

Saturday evening was another uproarious one at the pub.  At

Barrie‘s
request we tried to stay awake to catch the ghostly Irishman with the Night
Parrot on his shoulder but failed.  The
dormitory woke on Sunday morning to moans of “Like an Afghanistani
crab-catcher’s bait-bucket!”  In the
morning we were briefly joined by Jock and Judy before journeying to the New Dungeon
Ghyll to dispose of Langdale valley.  The
teams arranged themselves.  Mike, Colin
and I climbed Pike o’ Blisco, then on over Crinkle Crags and Bow Fell, down
over Rosset Pike to the end of the valley, returning by Rosset Gill and the
valley bottom.  We had intended to do the
Langdale Pikes on the other side as well, but needed another ninety minutes
daylight.  The ‘E’ team – whose members
are nameless – did nothing, despite being joined by Barrie, who had aggravated
an earlier ankle injury.  Anyway, that
was what we decided it was, though a stranger in a passing Rolls tipped a
jumble of gleaming bones out of a green felt bag marked ‘For medical use only’
and tried to persuade us it was malaria.

The rest of the party; Brenda, Angie, Tom and Colleen and
Tony and Sue made their way with Bob Cross to climb Bow Fell by the
little-known Fiasco Traverse.  At about
the time that the ‘A’ team was trotting across the summit, Bob decided that his
route was dangerously icy and there was no way up, so a perplexed group was
lifelined back down a gully.  The other
half of the group caused an uproar by bursting into laughter and the situation
was only resolved when a boatswain stepped out of a nearby recitation, blow his
whistle and sent them all back to the van, deciding he could do more than a
little better himself.

And so to the pub for the last evening, where the colour
T.V. in the bar was showing a programme so lavishly cultural that there were
roars of approval from the B.E.C. members in the cheaper seats and the caving
secretary in his determination not to miss anything, missed two rounds without
noticing.

On Monday the meet wound down.  As a complete contrast, thin mist blotted out
all the hills and sent us to the pub for a final session before the driver got
the lorry off the mountain for the last time and we began the long drive back
to

Bristol –
but with three magnificent days walking to look back on.

 

A
Yorkshire Trip

This article, on the recent
Yorkshire trip at least goes to show that club trips DO
come off and that caving DOES get done!

As a result of the short notice of the trip, only four
B.E.C. members arrived in
Yorkshire.  John Dukes, Bucket, Graham Wilton-Jones and
myself were joined by Fred Weekes (Ashford Speleological Society) and Ted
Popham (A Cerberus exile in
Nottingham).

Graham awoke at eight o’clock and started to dress.  John and I remained inert until a sickening
thud announced that Ted had forgotten that he had been sleeping under an oak
beam.  The resulting laughter revealed
that John and I were awake, so we dressed to humour Graham.

During breakfast, Bucket arrived with Fred.  Despite a lecture on the wonderful weather
and the subtle charm of
Yorkshire beer, Bucket
still wanted to go down Rowden Pot.  We
had hoped to abseil the 240 eyehole entrance so that Bucket could learn the
art.  Unfortunately we had insufficient
rope and so had to make the alternative descent, Bucket and Fred arranged a
line down the seventy foot slide at one end of the shakehole, and we descended
by a variety of abseil and free fall methods. After this we threaded ourselves through the bedding plane that leads
back to the eyehole, eighty five feet down.

Here, we rigged a further hundred and ten foot drop to a
ledge.  Again, we did not have a long
enough rope to bottom in one abseil. John abseiled down Bucket’s sixteen year old rope, to find that the
ledge was way off to the right.  After
some fearful acrobatics, he arrived at the ledge and we joined him.  Soon we had the wet pitch rigged and we all
descended the fifty feet to the bottom of the eyehole.  Even now, some misty daylight filtered down
with the ice-cold water from the moor above.

The main route then leaves the stream for a few minutes and
follows a dry by-pass, rejoining the stream at a twenty five foot pitch down to
a pool.  John and I distinguished
ourselves by tripping over the ladder and falling face down in the pool.  After another pitch we got to the sump pool
which separates Rowdon from

West
Kingsdale Master
Cave.

Bucket, Fred and Ted were determined to free-dive the
sump.  John and Graham preferred not to,
and I remained undecided.  However, the
relative warmth of the pool after the stream persuaded me to go, through.  The sumps are fitted with a good line and are
quite roomy.  On arrival in Kingsdale, we
floundered through until the approach passage to Deep Rising was found.  We grovelled off down as far as a sump – not
the boiling cauldron that I imagined from the name Deep Rising – but a sombre,
glooping pool with a diving line as thick as a bootlace and as stretchy as
knicker elastic.

We returned to the sump area and then joined the stream that
leads towards Valley Entrance at the master cave junction.  We followed the stream to its sump, and then
Bucket and Fred climbed the nineteen foot pitch to rig a ladder for Fred and
myself.  Last time I saw someone try his
hand at this climb, he sawed his lifeline in half, but Fred and Bucket
performed better and soon afterwards we slithered out of the Oil Drum entrance
into a sunny afternoon.

Bucket suggested a Swinsto/West Kingsdale through trip, but
fortunately Graham and John were still pushing their way out of Rowden
Pot.  Before Bucket’s scheme could be put
to the vote, I changed and suggested a walk back to the peat cutters track to
collect John and Graham.

On our arrival back at the eyehole, the air was rent with
Graham’s swearing.  He was not prussiking
very well on my cloggers.  I’d lent them
to Graham for the return trip, as I wanted to pass the sumps without hindrance.

Eventually Graham, John and a heap of tackle arrived at the
ledge.  We lowered them a rope and hauled
the tackle to the surface to save the drag through the bedding plane.  Graham and John soon surfaced and Graham
immediately demanded my cheque book to buy some Jumars in Settle as cloggers
cramped his style!  After a fine morning
as guests of Fred, Ted left to attempt Black Shiver Pot and we were joined by
another A.S.S. member, Brian.  Fred was
keen to do the link from

Dow
Cave to Providence Pot.  His main reason being to practice route
finding. I make no excuse for omitting details of the trip – Northern Caves is
far more precise in its description.

The trip, as I remember it, is one long traverse, besides
which the traverse of O.F.D. III pales. Wearing a pair of joke boots didn’t help and in several places I needed
a rope.  At one point we even rigged a
Tyrolean Traverse.

Providence Pot is much easier to find now that there is a
telephone wire to trace, although this is doubtless a shocking breach of
ethics.  Providence Pot is aptly
described as the bowels of the earth! Nevertheless, we survived and will doubtless recall the trip with tender
memories as time gradually obscures the boredom and terror.

A good weekend.  Let’s
hope there will be more like it.

 

Round and About

A Monthly Miscellany

Compiled by ‘Wig’

154.      Survey Gradings.  In December 1972, the Surveying Sub Committee
set up by the C.R.G. before its amalgamation with the B.S.A. reported its
findings in C.R.G. News Letter Number 132.  It said that the majority of cave surveyors
were ‘of the opinion that because the existing system worked very well and was
widely recognised it would be preferable for any amendments to be minor rather
than radical changes.  This would have
the advantage that the new and modified schemes were at least reasonably
compatible.’

The sub-committee (Dave Brook,
Bryan Ellis, Trevor Ford, Dave Judson and Gordon Warwick) sounded out surveyors
for their comments and views.  The
fundamental decision reached was that no longer would grades be based on
instruments used but on the required precision for lower grades and accuracy
for the higher grades.  The numbering of
the grades is unaltered except that there no longer exists a grade 7 but a
grade X for any survey not based on magnetic instruments.  The grade X can be of any related accuracy
and no longer has to be better than grade 6. The terms ‘accuracy’ and ‘precision’ have been defined.  Accuracy is the nearness of the result to the
true value and precision is the nearness of a number of readings to each other
irrespective of their accuracy.  The new
grades are as follows:-

1.                    A sketch of low accuracy where no measurements
have been made.

2.                    A sketch intermediate in accuracy between grades
1 and 3.

3.                    A rough magnetic survey.  Horizontal and vertical angles to nearest 50,
distances to within 1m.  Station position
error less than 1m.

4.                    A survey lying between grades 3 and 5.

5.                    A magnetic survey.  Horizontal and vertical angles accurate to
1O.  Distances accurate to 20cm and
station position error less than 20cm. Instruments must be calibrated.

6.                    A more accurate magnetic survey than grade
5.  Compass and clinometer readings up to
the present best standard of accuracy of ½O. Distances and station positions to 5cm.

X.                    A survey based primarily on a theodolite.  All grade X surveys must quote an estimate of
their accuracy and details of the methods and instruments used.

Why, oh why must we have our
national ‘specialists’ bury their heads in the sand against all reasoned
argument?  However, it does seem that the
sand was a little loose around their ears as they have now introduced preferred
grades and if one looks a little closely at them, one will see that the Mendip
surveyor’s arguments have been filtering through.  In the late 1960’s, after considerable
thought, the Mendip surveyors came to the conclusion that there were only TWO
basic groups of survey.  One was a LOW accuracy
survey which for want of a better word they called a MAP and a high accuracy
survey which they agreed should be actually called a SURVEY.  Even these definitions are unnecessary as the
only message that need be put across is that any survey is better than none at
all and when you’ve done it, white a short note on how you did it.  By the way, is your 1” O.S. survey (or map) a
map (or survey)?  Is the 25” O.S. a
surveyor map?  Pity the sub-committee
couldn’t see it!

155.      Watch your car.  Car thieves are about on Mendip again.  Recently a visitor to the Mineries Pool had
his car broken into and over £120’s worth of property stolen.  No longer are the thieves sliding wire
through the quarter lights – they are simply smashing them.

156.      No speed limit through Priddy.  The local authorities have turned down a
request for a 30 m.p.h. limit through the village.

157.      New Books.  The third hook in the Series ‘

Northern
Caves‘ (Volume 4) Whernside and
Gragareth has made its appearance.  Price
£1.20.  At the same price Trevor Ford’s
‘Caves of Derbyshire’ (3rd Edition) makes its appearance.  In the same format as the

Northern
Caves
series, it now includes line surveys of the larger caves in the area.  Small stocks are at the Belfry.  The second in the Series ‘Limestone and
Caves, published by David and Charles, dealing with Mendip makes its appearance
now, after three publishing dates, on April 3rd 1975.  Price £7.50. Tony Oldham’s latest offering is a giant bibliography entitled ‘Caves of
Scotland (Except Assynt)’.  Though there
are several caves within the country longer than a thousand feet, the majority
are merely short caves and rock shelters. Martin Mills has contributed the section dealing with the
Isle of Skye. 174pp, maps, surveys, price £3.00. The dedication is to John Hooper. 

ADO
states that ‘Caves of Devon’ is now out of print.

158.      Digging.  The N.H.A.S.A. Windsor Hill dig is continuing
on Wednesdays.  The B.E.C. dig has ground
to a halt for the next few months. Flower Pot is being reopened and dug in the side passage near the
entrance.

159.      Cave Notes.  The next edition will make its appearance
later in the year and will include more interesting articles on original work
carried out by club members.  Among the
items to be considered is John Hunt’s SRT, Graham Wilton-Jones and Bucket
Tilbury’s ‘OFD’ and other bits and pieces.

160.      Library Books.  Have you any library books?  If so, will you please return them as soon as
possible so that a half-yearly check can be made.

161.      C.S.C.C. Hon. Secretary.  In May this year, Tim Reynolds is resigning
as Hon, ‘Secretary of the C.S.C.C.  He is
looking round for possible contenders for the post.  If you feel that you ought to enter the filed
of National caving politics, then chat Tim up as I feel sure he will be
interested.

162.     
Britain‘s
Longest caves: (including
Eire). O.F.D. 23.9
miles (38,500m); Easegill 18.95 miles (30,500m); Aggy 15.41 miles (24,800m);
Pollnagollum 7.33 miles (11,800m); Gaping Gill 7.02 miles (11,300m); D.Y.O.
6.96 miles (11,200m); Doolin 6.52 miles (10,500m); Langcliffe 6.03 miles
(9,700m); Mossdale 6.03 miles (9,700m); L.N.R.C. 5.09 miles (8,200m); W.
Kingsdale 4.72 miles (7,600m); Peak 4.66 miles (7 ,500m).

Answers to Space Filler on page 12

A.         Dave Irwin

B.         Graham Wilton-Jones

C.         Colin Dooley

D.        
Barrie

Wilton

E.         Alfie Clloins

F.         Chris Howell

 

Monthly Crossword – Number 54

Across:

1. Fifty one cats provided caving
safety aids. (9)
5. It’s home can be found in Lamb Leer and Cuthbert’s. (3)
6. Cavers from
Harrow or naturally cave
diggers. (5)
8. The Bishop has a stone one in Wells. (3)
9. The best. (1,1,1)
10. See 13 across.
11. You can see one from Dear Leap for instance. (3)
12. Kept this in goon suit? (5)
13. Describes well known grotto (3)
15. Caver lies this rocks when in 9 down underground. (2,7)

Down

1. Throw stone casually down
unknown pitch perhaps. (3)
2. Inexpensive rockwork without I across. (4,5)
3. Local stone type. (4)
4. Only pen or specific 1 across. (9)
7. Mendip hole found in subs owing. (3).
9. See 15 across. (3)
11. Shortened Mendip Templar? (4)
14. One of these is locally named after a short “M” pulley. (3)

Solution to Last Month’s Crossword

 

Club Headquarters

The Belfry,

Wells
Rd, Priddy, Wells,

Somerset. Telephone WELLS 72126

Club Committee

Chairman          S.J.
Collins

Minutes Sec      G.

Wilton-Jones

Members           C.
Dooley, J. Dukes, C. Howell, D. Irwin, T. Large, A. Nicholls, G. Oaten, B.
Wilton.

Officers Of The Club

Honorary Secretary             D.J
IRWIN, Townsend Cottage, Townsend, Priddy, Wells Som.  Tel : PRIDDY 369

Honorary Treasurer             B.

WILTON, ‘Valley View’,

Venus Lane,
Clutton, Nr. Bristol.

Caving Secretary                A.
NICHOLLS, c/o The Belfry

Assist Cav. Sec.                 T.
LARGE,

15 Kippax Avenue,
Wells, Somerset

Climbing Secretary             G.
OATEN,

32 St. Marks Road,
Easton,

Bristol. Tele :

BRISTOL
551163

Hut Warden                        C.
DOOLEY, 51 Ommaston Road., Harbourne,

Birmingham
17. Tele :  (021)  427 6122

Belfry Engineer                   J.
DUKES,

4 Springfield Crescent,
Southampton. SO1 6LE  Tele : (0703) 774649

Tacklemaster                     G.
WILTON-JONES, ‘Ilenea’,

Stonefield
Road. Nap Hill,
High Wycombe,
Bucks. Tele : (024) 024 3534

B.B. Editor                         S.J.
COLLINS, Lavender Cottage, Bishops Sutton, Nr. Bristol. Tel : CHEW MAGNA 2915

Publications Editor              C.
HOWELL,

131 Sandon Road,
Edgebaston,

Birmingham
17.  Tele : (021) 429 5549

B.B. Postal                        BRENDA

WILTON  Address as for Barry

Spares                               T.
LARGE,  Address already given

MEMBERSHIP
SECRETARY…Mrs A. DOOLET, c/o THE BELFRY.

TO WHOM ALL SUBS
SHOULD B SENT.  SUBS ARE DUE NOW