Annual Dinner

The Hon. Sec. has still a few tickets left for the next Annual Dinner, to be held on Saturday, January 26^th, at the Whiteladies Cinema Restaurant, at 7 for 7.30pm. Tickets are,7/6 each, cash with order. Those who were there last year will no doubt already have booked tickets, and will be ready to assure others that a very good time was had by all. The backsliders will now, no doubt, rush to get the few remaining tickets from Bob Bagshaw, whose address appears, if we still remember it, at the end of this Bulletin.

Those who have already applied should receive their tickets within a week, otherwise, panic is in order, and the Hon. Sec should be, to put it mildly, informed.

Annual General Meeting

Owing to ill-health Miss Jill Rollason has asked that her name should not go forward for election to the Committee for 1952. All members should therefore amend their ballot papers accordingly. We wish Jill a very speedy and complete recovery.

Members who have items or resolutions which they wish to be discussed, at the AGM should hand these, in writing to the Hon Sec. before the start of the meeting, As time is strictly limited, these should be kept as short and as few as possible.

London Section Meeting

The next meeting of the London Section will be held on Sunday, 24^th February 1952 at 26, Gateside Road, S.W.17. All the usual arrangements will apply. This is by way of being the London Section Sec's farewell party, and he hopes that as many as possible of the exiles will help him to celebrate.

Photographic Competition

As it is now after the closing date, and no entries have been received for the 1952 Photographic Competition, this has been abandoned.

Equipment Sales

Roy Ifold reports that there is still plenty of equipment particularly lamps and spares available. Helmets cannot be kept in stock but can be obtained to order in about three or four weeks. Members needing caving gear should get in touch with Roy.

For Sale

One standard cap lamp and 3-volt NIFE cell complete, in working order,... £2

Apply D. Radmore, 3, Gloucester Road, Old Patchway, near Bristol.

Christmas Greetings

The club received a message of Christmas Greetings from Pierre Ageron, Vice President of the Socete Speleologique de France. Pierre will be remembered by those who attended the conference at Valence in 1949 for the immense amount of work he put in to ensure the success of the trip.

Greetings were received also from the Westminster Speleo Group, of Ilford,

Club Library

The Club Library has recently suffered from an attack of additions, including the following:-British Caver, Vol. 22

Cave Science, Nos. 17 and 18

Teach Yourself Geology.,. E.U.P.

Climbing Section Meet - Xmas 1951 - Coniston Westmorland

The following attended the Climbing Section's Christmas meet at Coniston, Westmorland:- R.A. Setterington, A. Rice G.T. Lucy, D. Bindon, M. Yea, A. Searle, D.P. Puplett, R.W.G. Cantle, and J.R. Crabtree. The following note on the expedition has been provided by the Climbing Secretary.

Weather. Very Indifferent, rain, snow in the air.

The party assembled at Holly How Youth hostel on Saturday evening 22^nd December, 1951 for dinner and a drink at the Black Bull.

Sunday 23^rd December The party decided as the weather was too bad for serious rock climbing, ridge-walking would be preferable. The track up past the Old Copper Mines was taken, and the party ascended to the summit of the Old Man Of Coniston after having passed round Levens Water. On the summit, Christmas cake, Australian wine (Women! Beware! It will make you hop like kangaroos), French wine, chocolates, oranges and the other good things of Christmas were consumed with relish. After partaking of this meal a rapid descent was made down the side to the track leading to Goats Water and thence back to the Hostel, Altogether a good energetic walk, although the mist had prevented the fine views being seen. The evening was spent at the festivities at the Black Bull where Hot Lips (Crabtree) entertained the party by pulling faces

Monday 24^th December. All but two of the party motored into Ambleside where shopping and general sight-setting took place, followed by drinks and lunch. It had by now come on to rain, but nevertheless the party's original intention was carried out, namely a general tour round the lakes. The road for Keswick was taken, and then on to Cockermouth, through the fine mountain scenery could only be seen at intervals as the mountaintops peeped through the mist. Prom Cockermouth round by the Honister pass, where bottom gear is useful. and cyclists are advised to walk... YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED then on to Buttermere and thence back to Keswick (Don't mention the place to Sett, unless you also tell him where to get a straight "Duggy" frame). Then on to Ambleside and back to Coniston, dinner, and a quiet sing-song round the fire.

Tuesday, Christmas Day. The day dawned clear and the party in general set off for Dow Crag and Goats Water after a lazy but very enjoyable walk, lunch was had at the foot of, Dow Crag. Here the party split up, half going up on to the ridge in the snow while the tires, lazy and crippled hobbled off back to Coniston for tea. (Sorry, no tea to be had). Christmas dinner was had, a merry evening at the Black Bull and much jollification In the Common Room till the early hours of the morning,..., a very good party.

Wednesday December 26th Dawned clear, but not for long.  At 10.00 am the party left, splitting up for their various destinations after a very happy Christmas.

Mendip Caves                     J. Ifold,

I           August Hole

August Hole is one of the five largest systems in the Mendip area, but for some reason is just about as popular as Stoke Lane. The entrance is in Longwood, close to Lower Farm Charterhouse, and admission is obtained on paying a small fee to the owner of the farm, Mr. Young. Cavers may change in the barn a t the farm. Then, proceeding down the valley, fill carbide lamps at the cattle trough, if the weather is dry. If it is wet, ample opportunity will be found at the cave entrance, which is. opposite the sewer bed.

The entrance is a tight vertical rift about forty feet deep. On reaching the bottom it is followed for a further twenty feet and into a small bedding chamber on the left.  A BEC member once broke two ribs going through this part of the cave, but since that time some patient person has chipped away the tight piece. Follow the passage until the head of the double ten-foot vertical is reached. A twenty-foot rope is needed at this point. At the foot, the left hand passage leads to Long Wood, and the Right hand one to August Hole. Following the right-hand one, we come to the Water Chamber, where there is usually a waterfall dropping from the roof and disappearing into a small passage, down which we proceed to the top of a thirty foot chimney At the bottom of this chimney is a small tunnel. If by any chance one has stayed dry to this point, and wishes to remain so, one takes the opening to the left of this tunnel and turning right almost immediately wriggles down a tight squeeze leading to the other end of the tunnel, This is known as the "By-pass".

Soon after this, one reaches a high rift passage with formations, ending in a drop of about ten feet, which requires a twenty foot rope. This is the last point at which a rope is required. One is now in the top of a fault which slopes at about 30 degrees for a hundred feet or so. It is twenty to thirty feet wide and about ten feet high, and there are two grottos a short way down on the right hand side, one I of which I consider to be the prettiest on Mendip This is a good time and place to stop for a breather.

(To be continued)

Useful addresses:-

Hon. Secretary              R.J. Bagshaw,

56, Ponsford Road,

Knowle,

Bristol,4,

Librarian                        J.W. Ifold,

Leigh House,

Nempnett Thrubwell

Chew Stoke,

Near Bristol

Hut Warden                   R.A. Setterington,

21, Priorswood Road,

Taunton.,

Somerset,

B.B.Editors                   D.A. Coase and W.J. Shorthose,

26, Gateside Road,.

Upper Tooting,

London, SW,17

Bristol Exploration Club -- AGM

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING to be held at REDCLIFFE Community Centre at 2pm on Saturday, 26^th January, 1952.

AGENDA

1          Election of Chairman,

2          Collection of resolutions to be raised by members.

3          Collection of voting papers.        

4          Election of three tellers for the ballot,

5          Hon. Secretary's report.

6                     Treasurer's report. (See statement on back of thls agenda)

7                     Caving report,

8                     Climbing report.

9                     Library report.

10                 Archaeological report.

11                 Tackle officer's report,

12                 Hut Warden's report.

13                 London Section report,

14                 Members’ resolutions (from item 2)

15                 Photographic competition report,

16                 Any other business,

Financial Statement for 1951

CREDIT

Annual subscriptions                                                                                     37     0     0

Belfry:   Income                                                                42    12      1½           

Less expenditure                                                  17    12      5½        24    19     8

Calor gas: Income                                                              9     9      3

                  Less cost                                                        4    18      6             4    10     9

Goods for resale: Receipts                                                16    13      7

                             Less Cost                                           14    10      4             2     3     3½

Redcliffe Hall: Income                                                       25     3      6

                       Less hire                                                  12    10      0           12    13     6

Sundries P.O.S.B. Interest, etc.                                                                      2     9     7

                                                                                                                 £83    16     9½

DEBIT

Belfry Bulletin: Stencils, paper, etc,                                   10    19    11

                        Postage                                                    2    16      9           13    16     8

Hut loan repayment                                                                                       10     0     0

Insurance                                                                                                       7    10     0

Telephones                                                                                                    7    12     0

Postage                                                                                                         6     5     1

Festival expenses                                                                                           4    19     9

Library                                                                                                           4    18    10

British mountaineering council entrance

                                fee and subscription                                                        3    10     0

Stationery and printing                                                                                    3     4     3

Deposit for Annual Dinner                                                                                2     2     0

Climbing hut: Expenditure                                                   4    11      8

                      Less income                                                2    16      0             1    15     8

Rent of field                                                                                                    1     0     0

Cave research group subscription                                                                          10     8

Sundries                                                                                                        1    16     8

Surplus for year                                                                                            14    15     2½

                                                                                                                 £83    16     9½

Total club moneys 1^st January, 1951                                                               29     1     7

Surplus for year                                                                                            14     5     2½

                                                                                                                 £43    16     9½

Deposit in P.0,S.B. 31^st December, 1951.                                                       32    17     4

Cash in hand                   do.                                                                        10    19     5½

Total club moneys           do                                                                        £43    16     9½

There is a balance of £15 still owing in respect of the hut fund,