Belfry Bulletin Number 080

BB JOURNAL OF THE BRISTOL EXPLORATION CLUB Vol. 8 No.80

April 1954

Comment I am given to understand that there has been some comment and complaint that the initials of certain members are appearing too regularly in the BB. I would point out that I print articles from anyone, provided of course that they are printable, and that the frequency of any one person's initials on the bottom of an article reflects that person’s enthusiasm and co-operation. I might also add that as far as I am aware I have never received any article whatsoever from the complainants. How easy is the path of criticism, but how different when co-operation is called for.

Comment has also been passed, I am given to understand about the fact that my name, plus usually that of Bob Bagshaw and Ken Dobbs also appear regularly whilst that of other officials is not.

Regarding my own name, I am editor of the BB and as such I append my name to each issue as a matter of course. Ken Dobbs is the other half of the BB organisation and does the rest of the work, ergo, his name.

Bob Bagshaw as the Hon. Gen. Sec. of the publishers, The Bristol Exploration Club must according to the rules of publication (Not club-rules) append his name as the club representative. As Gen. Sec., Bob also is the clearing house for club correspondence, which from him is or should be distributed to the various sectional secretaries. These names are not put in because I like printing them, and if anyone else would like to see their name in print I should be very happy to hand over one of the most thankless jobs in the club to them.

I feel most strongly about this matter, and would say in conclusion that if the persons who spend their time in thinking up such pettifogging and puerile complaints were to devote their energies in the furtherance of the Club, as other members are doing, then would be the time to do other peoples jobs for them.

T.H. Stanbury Hon. Editor ************************************* Club Library Conditions of borrowing Club Library Books.

The FIRST Thursday of the month is Library night. If you are unable to attend Thursday meetings, advise the Hon. Librarian of your needs and he will send you the book you require by registered post. It MUST be returned by registered post also, and the person to whom the book was sent will be held responsible for it, i.e. the borrower should not pass the borrowed volume on to anyone else unless he is sure that the Librarian has adjusted his records accordingly.

The Hon. Librarian is John Ifold, Leigh House, Nempnett, Chew Stoke, Nr. Bristol.

BB80/2 Additions to the Club Library.

Newsletters of B.C.C. nos. 10 & 11.

C.R.G. Publication No. 6. The Ogof Ffynnon Ddu System.

British Caver No. 24.

N.S.S. Newsletter No. 9.

J.I. *************************************************** New Members We are pleased to welcome the following new members into the Club: J. Pitts No.298. 50 Croxteth Road, Sefton Park, Liverpool 8.

A. Knibbs No.299. 10 River Walk, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.

E.W. Hockey No.300. The Post Office, Chickerell, Weymouth, Dorset.

W. Ackland No.301. 94, Grittleton Road, Hoirfield, Bristol 7. *************************************************** Personal To Pat & Margaret Woodroffe, another daughter, Carol Rosemary on Feb. 16th.

Acting on the assumption that two can live as cheaply as one, Mike Jones and Judy Osborn are happy to announce their engagement. *************************************************** Congratulations to Auntie Prudence (Ray Brain) on his return to the Active fold after a long period of illness. Also for her/his efforts to comfort the frightened child when he helped control a party of scouts in Goatchurch recently. ************************************************** A Pongo Book Review.

‘British Caving’. Edited by C.D.H. Cullingford. reviewed by Pongo Wallis.

Published by Routledge and Kegan Paul at 35/-.

In producing ‘British Caving’ the Cave Research Group have undoubtedly done the caving community a great service, and I wish them the very best of luck with it. At the price of 35/- it is, of course, rather expensive for many people to want to buy; the price is really a matter of surprise in that it is so low as the production is on a lavish scale and the illustrations are really first class. There are a large number of diagrams in the text and a lot of photographs which have been excellently reproduced. It is a pity that they couldn’t manage just one colour photograph as a frontispiece.

The book is the work of a number of different, writers, each dealing with his own subject. It is divided into two parts - - The science of Caving & The Practice of Caving. Part I is largely the work of Dr. Gordon Warwick and his chapters deal with the Geology and the formations of Caves (complicated matters being explained very lucidly) and then treat the various cave regions separately describing their special features and how these react on their caves. A further chapter reviews the different types of formations and their modes of growth. Dr. Wilfred Jackson deals with caves of Archaeological interest and there are other very interesting chapters. All these are subjects about which the average caver is sadly ignorant although he might bandy terms lie ‘Vadose’ & ‘Phreatic’ about it is rare to meet someone with a good grasp of the essentials of the various theories of cave formation etc.

BB80/3 The original papers on the subject are often hard to get hold of and are rather long and complex, but Dr. Warwick’s summaries and explanations are very good and should give every one a chance of understanding everything. I think that this is the really important part of the book.

The practice of caving is also well covered. The technique of exploration, including the matter of Tackle, is dealt with by C.L. Railton; cave photography by Don Coase; Bats by the Hoopers; survey by A.L. Butcher; cave Diving by Graham Balcombe, and so on.

At the end are a glossary, a list of caves with their National grid References and a list of Caving Clubs.

I suppose we all have our own pet aversions and preferences and I was sorry to see that word ‘Corrasion’ perpetuated. It has now all the hallowed force of Holy Writ, but I still find it a nasty word. The O.E.D. merely gives it as an old form of ‘Corrosion’ which is a well understood term, as is ‘Erosion’, the two which seem to cover all requirements. On the other hand, I was very glad to see the term ‘Cat-run’ well blasted as a poor translation of the French ‘Chatiere’. Oh! Casteret, what crimes are committed in thy name! I should also have preferred to see stalactites growing vertically and not on the slant (there is one bad example in the photograph I naturally looked at first).

As you can see, my criticisms are very much of a minor kind, and I cannot recommend the book too highly.

R.M.W. ********************************************** Winter Motoring in the Alps. by Dennis Kemp.

From where I stood I could see the road rising gently for nearly a kilometre. Dead straight, bordered by snow-banks and occasional clumps of trees, the surface was alternately hard-packed snow and clear macadam. The sun was setting and had lost its midday warmth, and slush had already frozen into hard ridges, water on the macadam had turned into black ice.

At the far end of the road was a motor-cyclist, riding a 125 cc popper flat out. Legs extended on either side, skidding violently on the black ice, he was keeping well to the centre of the road.

Behind him, hooting madly and also almost flat out, was a 2-CV Citroen. The driver was obviously intending to pass, and his attempts to do so - on either side of the motorcyclist - were only thwarted by the bike’s frantic and erratic skidding.

As they passed me, the motor-cyclist madly hooting back at the car, I climbed down from the tree where I’d taken refuge and promptly went flat on my back on the road. My nerves were so shaken it took three Dubonnets to recover.

Dennis Kemp ************************************************* Two Cliffs in Llanberis with the B.U.M.C. by D. Radmore.

Many months ago Bristol University booked the two Climber’s Huts in the Llanberis Pass. They very kindly said that if willing we could share the accommodation. Eight of us took the opportunity, while four more spent the same weekend with Mrs. Jones in the Nant Francon.

We hired a 10hp. Brake and left early on Friday evening. By 1am., the lights of Ynnys Hettws appeared, Cwm Glas cottage soon reached and thanks to its welcoming fire, tea was brewed and sleep slept.

BB80/4 But only after I had established that I could borrow a rope from ‘Mr. President, Sir’ of the rival organisation. For I blush to admit it, my own rope had been forgotten in the mad rush.

To that queer animal, the early riser, the crags must have looked very inhospitable in their mantle of snow, half hidden by flurries of snow and sleet. We were out by 9.30., one party to do the Snowden Horseshoe and the rest of us to climb on Carreg Wasted.

The ‘Crackstone Rib’ was tackled - a climb to be recommended. The third pitch was ‘Pleasantly Airy’, (so the guide book said) it was also rather near the ultimate, under the conditions. What is technically the crux of the climb was just yielding as the Uni. Mob sleepily emerged from Ynnys Hettws. Soon the cliff was festooned with wriggling prehensile bodies, forcing seven routes in sock covered rubbers.

After a quiet snack at Cwm Glas we rejoined the throng on Wasted and did the Wrinkle. Although one, and reputedly two grades harder than the morning’s climb, it was really of about the same difficulty, but of a more sustained nature.

In the evening after the inevitable stews, we journeyed to the P.Y.G. and when they closed on to the Royal, our plans for the morrow becoming more ambitious as the evening wore on.

Sunday morning dawned all too soon, and with it 3” of snow. We engaged the Uni. to a snow fight, and the weather took on both parties and won. For we both decide to attack the Flying Buttress on Dinas Cromlech, but the driving snow turned us back. And we all roped down from the Gendarme on the second pitch.

After that we tidied up the hut and left by 4.30. The roads by this time were at least v.s. and we passed 3 cars that had ‘come off’ and would not perform again for many a day. But we made good time to the English border a drink.

Despite the weather it was a very worth while weekend, thanks largely to our drivers, the Climbers Club and Bristol U.M.C. Irrelevant Jottings There might be another similar meet in May. Cost £1/14/- inclusive.

The bods climbed an average of 0.0105 M.P.G. It is 15 minutes amble from Cwm Glas to Carreg Wasted, i.e., climbing before breakfast!

Extract from Cwm Glas Log – by kind permission of Barry Page.

My rubbers came off!!

My sock came off!!

And I came o f f ! ! !

D. Radmore ********************************************************** R.J. Bagshaw, Hon. Sec. 56, Ponsford Road, Knowle, Bristol.4.

K.C. Dobbs, Hon. Assist. Sec. 55, Broadfield Road, Knowle, Bristol. 4.

T.H. Stanbury, Hon. Editor. 48, Novers Park Road, Knowle, Bristol. 4.