Belfry Bulletin Vol. 2 No. 14
BRISTOL EXPLORATION CLUB
August 1948
List of Members No.5 J.M. Thompsett E.H. Cole W.W. Hucker J.K. Bindon P. Daymond F. Seward S.J. Collins P. Woodroffe Miss K. Hartnell J.L Hull
6. Peter Street, Taunton, Somt. “Sunnyside” Clarendon Road, Kenilworth, Warwickshire. 14, Dean Lane, Southville, Bristol. 19. Morse Road, Redfield, Bristol. 15, Chenddon Road, Taunton, Somt. 32, Uxbridge Road, Slough, Bucks. 33. Valentine Avenue, Bexley, Kent. 296, Cooden Drive, Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex. 14. Endsleight Street, London, W.C.1. 137. Filton Ave., Horfield, Bristol. **************************
The Belfry Bulletin The change in style of the BB for July has been acclaimed as a great improvement, so it has been decided to continue with it as long as the paper situation permits. ************************** Belfry Charges It has been decided by the committee, that in view of the popularity of the Belfry, a ‘rebate’ system be instituted, whereby those members using the hut most frequently will pay a reduced charge. Although this announcement is rather late for this year, there are plenty of member who will even now reap a benefit from it. The rates decided were: - The first 20 nights 1/- per night; the next 20 nights 9d. per night; the next 20 nights 6d. per night; all subsequent nights free. A season ticket for 40/- can also be obtained. A season ticket being available from 1st. Jan. to 31st. Dec., these dates being applicable for the reduced rates. viz! On the 1st. January a member who is paying reduced rates will again pay 1/- a night for 20 nights and so on. ************************* EXODUS XIV. 47. A translation by Pipistrelle and Versperugo. And it came to pass, in the eighth year of the reign of George, at the Feast of Easter, that Beecham, a wealthy man and owner of the land whereon the tribe of the Bat had chosen to dwell, gave audience to one of the Head Men of that tribe, and said unto him: ‘Behold, I like thee not nigh unto my house, neither thee, nor thy tribe. Here on every seventh night no man sleep, and my servants are weary from their labour in the fields’. And he further said; ‘Get thee gone, thou, thy tribe, und thy dwelling, unto the furthest part of my land’. And he of the Bat said; ‘It shall be even so.’ But he went away sore troubled, for the dwelling was large, and seemed more than the tribe could move. Then cam unto a maiden of the people, a huntress of great renown, one Pamela, so fair that all marvelled at her beauty. And she said unto them: ‘ Lo, my father’s brother hath many men and horses the sound of whose hoofs is as the thunder of the sea. For the love that I bear ye' all, I will persuade him to lend ye a cohort of these horses; and with these and a great wagon shall ye move your dwelling. ‘ And they said; ‘Yea, it shall be even so.’ So, on the twelfth day of the month of midsummer, a great number of the tribe gathered at that place. And there came unto them, the maiden, as she had promised, driving a cohort of horses. Then did the tribe heave, mightily to lift the dwelling, in three pieces, on to the wagon. But it moved not. Then said they: 'Let us appoint a leader, one that say unto this one, ‘go,’ and he goeth, and unto this one, ‘Come,’ and he cometh.
BB14/2 And they chose one Sett from among them, a man not of Royal Blood, but skilled in, the making of devices withal, and of a piercing voice. And he called unto him all they of the tribe that were likewised skilled in the arts of making engines of war, and they what were miners in the earth, and said unto them: ‘How shall this thing be done?’ And one said: ‘This and even this should we do,’ and another said: ‘Nay, I would do this, and this.’ Having heard their counsel, Sett then said unto them. ‘So shall we do.’ And behold, men came running with great bars wrought of iron, so great that one man could scarcely lift with both hands, and those they placed under the divers parts of the dwelling. Then said Sett unto them: ‘Lift’ and they lifted as one man, and placed a piece of the dwelling upon the great wagon. Swiftly then were the horses that the maiden had brought harnessed to the wagon, and the tribe said unto her: ‘Take it away.’ And. she called unto the horses, in the tongue of the people of that place: ‘Yur! Giddap!’ Which are the words those people use to drive horses. And they strained mightily, and did bring the dwelling unto its new place. There were those present, they that had the power of making likenesses on pieces of papyrus, without a pen. And these exercised their power, and made many likenesses. Which likenesses pleased them greatly, and they did shew them unto all men. This was done with all the pieces of the dwelling. And they were upon the ground in their new place, but were not joined in one. And the tribe were weary and said: ‘Let us break the dwelling into smaller pieces that we may carry them with less labour.' Then came one Weekes, a man that flew even as a bird, and, calling aloud on strange Gods, said: ‘Nay, let us shift them now.’ And the tribe, likewise calling on other strange Gods, did labour mightily, and did place the dwelling on its proper pillars, and by the eighteenth hour it was done. Then they went to an Inn, and drank of the wine of that place which they needed sorely, for they were a thirst. After this they went their several ways, in carriages drawn by many horses, to their dwellings, many thousand paces distant. And in the morning Beecham looked from his window, and said unto his wife and his servants: ‘It is well.’ ‘Tis said, though I believe it not, that in sundry parts of the world beyond the pillars of Hercules, men have made carriages to move at great speeds, without horses, or oxen or elephants. If so, is great impious. ************************* CLUB LIBRARY. Following up the note printed in the last BB, the Hon. Sec., and Librarian have been checking up further on the library. As a result of this examination the following books are found to be missing: British Caver, Vol. 14, Copy, C, British Caver, Vol. 15, Copy. A. Cave Science. No. 1. U.B.S.S. Proceedings 1945, Copy C U.B.S.S. Proceedings V0l. 5 No.8. 1944-46, The library has always been made available for reference on Thursday evenings, and these books must have been taken home for reference without notifying the Librarian: will all members with books at home please check that they have none of those listed above amongst them: if so please send them to the Librarian as soon as possible. ************************** From Hon. Sec. Postbag. As you all know the Hon. Sec. has a considerable amount of mail from members and others. Some of these are from ‘Furrin’ Parts and are of general interest, others contain items that are worth passing on to members but would not in themselves be worthy of a special article. The Editor will browse through these letters from time to time and anything worth while will be printed under the above heading. From Tony Crawford, now serving with the Royal navy. He has been stationed near Porthleven. -----There is a pool called Loe pool and on the west side of it there is a boarded up opening that leads to an extensive and dangerous lead mine. The sea caves are noted for their stinking rotten sea-weed, dead fish, crabs and lobster pots which rather sullies the pure Cornish air.
BB14/3 Our Naval Engineers today pumped oil fuel through our fire water-pipes system, so the fire fighting practice team pumped oil on to a fire, much to their surprise.-------From Terry Reed, then in Rio. Report on Rio is disappointing. All this coast line is igneous and eruptive. Every minor hill meriting description of mountain. ----------I found nothing even giving me a hope of a ‘dirty great hole’ and my attention was somewhat diverted when two girls sitting behind me started to squirt scent into my ear, and into the 3rd. mate’s beard!!---From John (Menace) Morris. There is another cave in Plymouth itself; it starts in limestone down by the Hoe and is supposed to run for a considerable distance. There are supposed to be some good formations.---********************* PERSONAL We are pleased to announce that S.J. (Alfie) Collins was married on Sat. 19th. June to Miss Jean Hill at Dartford. Pat Woodroffe was the best man. ********************* Back Numbers of this Bulletin are obtainable, when in print, from the Hon. Sec. 3d. each; post free, 4d. each. ********************* Programme for September, October and November 1948. September Sat. 4th. Digging. Vicinity of Belfry. Sun. 5th. Ditto Sun. 19th. Swildons 1 & 2 October Sat. 9th. Bath Freestone Workings Sun. 24th. Muddy Mendip Mine Shafts November Sat. 6th. Lamb Leer Sun. 21st. Eastwater, both routes. Will all members intending to go on any of these trips please notify Hon. Sec. so that arrangements may be made. ******************** The following poem has been sent down by Don. Coase. It was written in the 1935 diving days by, I believe, Rossy Powell to whom we give due acknowledgement; Club Members who have been on CDG ops. at Wookey, will I am sure enjoy it. Ed. On Saturday nights the Diving Gang, A wild and lawless crew, With pumps, and ropes, and scarlet hats, And shirts of navy blue, Come roaring down from Mendip’s heights, In Wookey Hole to pitch. So call the Win-co, quickly boys, To chaperone the witch. Begob! They are the toughest crowd That ever filled the cave, The Celtics and Roman-Brits Lie shaking in their grave. They’d use a pound of gelignite, To open any niche. So call the Win-co, quickly boys, To chaperone the witch.
BB14/4 The Diver takes some holding down, It’s done with leaden weights, His frightful boots are made of brass, As Safety First dictated. His range is quite 400 feet, Before here comes the hitchSo call the Win-co, quickly boys, To chaperone the witch. Before they go, on Sunday morn, They take a last look round, And anything they may have missed Will now be surely found; The mermaids of the river Axe Lie swooning in a ditch,So call the Win-co, quickly boys, To chaperone the witch. *********************** Will all those stalwarts who are interested in digging, please contact Jim Weekes or Dick Woodbridge, when they will find that there is plenty of work at hand for them to do. *********************** The Belfry The new hut is still being chased but there has, at the time of going to press, been no purchase as yet. The Old Hut has been reared phoenix like from its own ashes and is being used until the great day. *********************** Those members who attend our Thursday evening meetings will remember our American friend Albert Eccles, ‘Ek’ to the gang. He has now returned to America and has sent over a cartoon cut from a newspaper in his home town. This cartoon shows two mountain goats. One of these has fallen off its mountain top, and is lying rather the worst for wear, on a pile of boulders at its foot. The caption reads: - ‘A family tradition of sure-footedness for ten thousand years, and you. have to bust it’ He has added: ‘dedicated to all the B.E.C. cavers. It may not be Stoke Lane, but-------!!!!’ ‘Ek’ had his first experience of caving in Stoke Lane. More news from America is from Joan Fountain in Texas. She sends her love to all the gang and Happy Caving!!! *********************** One Belfry Tent, Property of B.E.C., One Ground Sheet, Property of Pongo Wallis, One Sleeping Bag, Property of R.A. Setterington, One Folding Primus, Property of B.E.C. The above have been borrowed from the Belfry, would the person who the dirty deed please return them as soon as possible. If gear is wanted please ask any committee man, who will willingly explain who owns the various kit and if it is borrowable. *********************** POHOTOGRAPHY. In these days of inflation & what have you, the costs of developing and printing has also risen. Members will be pleased to hear that if they contact Bob. Bagshaw they can obtain films and get developing, printing and enlarging done at about 2/3 of normal shop prices. ************************ T.H. Stanbury, Hon. Sec., 74. Redcatch Road, Bristol. 4. J.C.Weekes, Recorder & Assist. Sec., 376 Wells Road, Bristol. 4. D.H. Hassell, Hon. Editor, Belfry Bulletin, 1. Soke Hill Cottage, Chew Stoke, Somt. A.M. Innes, Hon. Librarian, 246. Filton Ave, Bristol. 7. G. Platten, Hon. Editor, British Caver, Rotherfield, Fernhill Lane, New Milton, Hants.