Long Service
The B.B. is 21 years old this month. A caving publication to have reached this age
is surely a great event and there are few Mendip Journals that date from the
immediate post war years.
The B.E.C. formed in 1935 (according to the OFFICIAL
records!) had 80 or so members in 1947 the year in which Harry Stanbury a
founder member launched the B.B.
Quite a span of time and its really brought home when one
thinks that Alan Thomas was taking his School Cert., beer was 1/- a pint, no
wet suits, Sett, Pongo Wallis, Alfie, Harry Stanbury and Don Coase were among
the leading lights, Stoke Lane II discovered some 7 months later, St.
Cuthberts dig open 7 years later, Roy Bennett at school and Phil Kingston born
in November!
Over the years the B.B. has served members well,
particularly those away from Mendip for long periods, by keeping them in
regular contact with the Belfry and Im sure it is the wish of all B.E.C.
members that this will continue long into the future. Whatever may be said of
the B.B. it is gratifying to hear the oft quoted phrase Wheres the next B.B.
WIG
ALFIE
If you look through any twelve months of Belfry Bulletins
you will find that you have a pretty good Club Journal. Comparisons are odious but the B.B. is
something no other club has. Dont
imagine that its unfailing production is an easy task. Ask the average B.E.C. member to write an
article and you will find a variety of excuses that you could use them for a
basis of an article written by yourself.
Alfie has done this
thankless task for eleven year. This is
longer than all the other editors put together. He began before there was electric light or mains water at the Belfry;
before the Stone Belfry was built and at the time that St. Cuthberts was first
being explored. Alfie has edited 120
issues of the B.B; he has printed over 20,000 copies and used half a ton of
paper. If all the pages of all the
B.B.s Alfie has printed were laid end to end they would reach from Brean Down
to Frome, much to the annoyance of the Mendip Preservation Society!
Young cavers are like butterflies: they escape from the
parental crèche, spend a brief span fancy free and then are finished (in the
case of the butterfly dead; in the case of the caver married). How can then a caving club last for more than
a few years? The B.E.C. has stood the
test of time because there are always people like Alfie in it to provide
continuity between one generation and the next.
Fanks from hte Publicans Departmunt!
In wieu of the remarks made in the Christmus B.b. vith
regards to the use of the B.B. typevriter, the Cawing Publications Dept. voul
like it to be knovn hov wery grateful they are for the opportunity of being
able to vrite this Thank you note in type type vriting instead if vriting
type vriting.
Gord. Tilly