Belfry Bulletin THE BELFRY BULLETIN JOURNAL OF THE BRISTOL EXPLORATION CLUB Volume 10 No.105
September 1956.
After a lapse of several months, from May, in fact, I am delighted to be able to resume publication of the B.B. As I stated in Paragraph One of the may issue, there has been a shortage of material and only now has the position eased sufficiently to enable any degree of continuity. It has been pointed out that there was a very ambiguous statement in the editorial for the may issue, and when re-reading the particular paragraph I agree. The sentence in question read – First we met the ‘Empex’ Cave Club on several trips and then decided to sink their identity in ours, as we had hoped the W.C.C. would have done years before. In my own mind all was perfectly clear, that the ‘Emplex’ had been absorbed by the B.E.C. as the B.E.C. had hoped to be absorbed by the W.C.C. So one must amend the sentence to end – as we had hoped the W.C.C. would have done to us years before. My apologies to all. o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o A LETTER FROM THE FORESTRY COMMISSION. Mendip Forest. Fire at Priddy Pool on 2.4.56. Dear Sir, My District Officer has informed me of the valuable assistance which some of your club members gave at the fire at Priddy Pool on 2.4.56. Would you please convey my thanks to your members listed below: Mr. A. Sandall. Mr. B. Prewer. Mr. D. Scott. Mr. D. Gwinell. Miss Osborne. Miss Busson. Such help (as was given in this case) by members of the public is very much appreciated. Yours faithfully, A.W. Matthews. For Conservators of Forests. -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
109, Park Hill Road, Bexley, Kent. Dear Sir, Whilst I fully appreciate that the research work carried out by Mr. Ellis and his colleagues is complete from the scientific point of view, I wonder if you would be possible to express the results of their work in terms that a Pseudo-scientist such as myself can comprehend? Perhaps how much battery acid must be added to a pint of water to obtain a drink of a similar ‘pH index’. Do you think they could be persuaded to carry out this further work on behalf of those who although familiar with an electric iron and even a steam iron have only the vaguest conception of what a hydrogen ion is? Yours sincerely, Ian A Dear. + + + + + + + + + + + + + 24, Ludwick Way, Welwyn Garden City, Herts. Dear Sir, As requested by Mr. Dear, further research work has been done to enable those persons who are only familiar electric and other forms of eating irons to comprehend more fully what a pH of 3.5 is. Following Mr. Dear’s suggestion, sulphuric acid (or Oil of Vitriol, as it is sometimes known) of the density used for lead accumulators – which is what I assume he means by the term ‘battery acid’ - was added to water until a hydrogen ion concentration of 10-3.5 was obtained that is a pH of 3.5. It was found necessary to add 1.5 millilitres of the acid to one litre of water; to convert this to the ridiculous British system of measurement, it would be necessary to add ¼ fluid drachms of the sulphuric acid to one pint of water. While this will produce a drink of similar pH index, I feel that it would not be identical with Sylvester’s ‘rough’ as the latter contains, contrary to the belief held by many people, constituents other than acid – such things as ethers and aldehydes. To save possible further correspondence and also frantic searching of long neglected text and reference books: 8 fluid drachms = 1 fluid ounce. 20 fluid ounces = 1 pint. Now you can see why earlier I referred to the ‘ridiculous British system of measurement’. Yours faithfully, Bryan M. Ellis.
+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+0+
BB105/3
WHITSUN FESTIVITIES. On Saturday afternoon the Festivities commenced with a fancy dress hunt in Goatchurch. Use was made (for the first time?) of an interest if somewhat unusual, chemical reaction in order to provide the necessary illumination. This was found quite effective but the solution was found to react unfavourably with the brass portions of the lamp. The clues were laid by a gentlemen wearing the latest type of ‘Helmets Caving Mk.XXVIII.C’ Passers by gained the impression that some late member was being laid to rest in the club vaults. Those members who had obtained prize chits (either by dint of their caving prowess or by buying a certain member ice cream) were present at the draw held during the club social that evening, at ‘The Globe’, Wells, where mineral waters (Brandy, Whiskey, Rum etc.,) were to be won. A thoroughly enjoyable evening was had by all. An early start was made next morning, some members were even seen to leave the Belfry by 11 o’clock. Small parties were formed to go about their lawful (?) pleasures. All met again for a sober, but convivial evening at the ‘Hunters Lodge’. The highlight of the evening was furnished by the ceremonial burning, over a bonfire built from the portions of the Old Belfry, of an effigy of Brian Baru (complete in every detail). Community Hymn singing and a cabaret of local artist completed the evening’s entertainment. On Monday morning the squire of Priddy was seen at the Hunt – the hunt for his trousers! The hunt was called off however when a suitable alternative was found. A party then proceeded to wells led by a Colonel of the M.R.A. wearing the Regimental Mess Dress. The main event (and only?) event of the Priddy year, the Whit Fair, was held that afternoon. A member expressed the intention of entering for the high-jump but, seeing the ‘Speed twins’ were entering, cried off. Voices were raised in support of competitors and cries of ‘cheat’, ‘chuck ‘im out’, etc., were clearly heard. An evening at the ‘Hunters’ completed a very enjoyable weekend. PRO BONO TOMASSO. =x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x= 12, Hurst Walk, Filwood Park, Bristol. 4. Dear Sir, I became a member of the club years ago as a youth in search of adventure. I hoped to find it in the B.E.C. - I did not find it, that is why I am writing this letter, in the hope that something may be done to stimulate the spirit, and headline the resources, which I feel are latent in the club. With about four exceptions, all the trips and expeditions with which I have been associated since becoming a member (they are numerous) have been organised outside of the club. In fact the entire usefulness of the club lies in the following facilities: 1. Use of club equipment and tackle (not accommodation)
BB105/4 2. Value of membership in trips to closed caves etc. 3. Library and information service. As regards to organised caving, with the exception of G.B. parties, I have never seen or heard a club trip advertised. Whispers do occasionally go around, but I have no wish to butt in on private ‘do’s’. Behind the smoke haze and mugs of T.V. I can hear the stalwarts mumbling to each other… ‘Ah, but there is the Belfry, Thursdays evening etc., etc., I did, regularly for some several months attend weekly evening meetings both in Old market and Guinea Street, but the one sole occasion when anything of interest happened was the showing of slides of a Scottish holiday, by Don Coase. This was not announced before the evening and it was by pure chance that I happened to be there. I think you must agree that it is the exception rather than the rule that the evening is organised, or else many more would attend regularly. Enough of destruction and on to construction. Many adult organisations with whom I am in close contact, base their future upon their youth. Are we doing this? Adventure to the young, and not so young, is the very essence of life, but what are as a club doing to encourage new members and then keep them? If a new member looks in one evening, is he allowed to stand idly by himself in the midst of chattering groups of pals, is he given a glimpse of the wild and wonderful things to come, things that some of you old hands take for granted? Does the newcomer go away eager for next week to come around, eager to bring his friends along with him: is there good opportunity for him to learn and practise caving, mountaineering and all the side interests linked with them? I am aware that some trips and courses have been tried in the recent past but fell through due to lack of support. Were they announced several B.B.’s in advance, was it adequately publicised? Please don’t leave it to the mysterious ‘they’, why don’t WE do something about it. Some while ago I tried to get a trip fixed up to August Hole, it was a year before the trip took place. Is the caving Secretary very hard up for leader’s names, if so he can add my name to his list, how about YOURS? You at the back there, how about a few evenings practical work on geology, or photography or what have you. Not a series of articles in the B.B. but a practical course? I believe that the officials of our club are very capable persons, but they are handicapped by lack of support from US. How about you and me backing them up and making OUR club one to be proud of? Yours sincerely, John Skinner.
=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=x=
POTHOLING IN YORKSHIRE – BY A.J. DUNN. An account of an exploration of Lost John’s Pot, Easter 1956. A pleasant 4 mile motor-cycle ride from Ingleton, the last being over a very rough track above Keeper’s Cottage, brought us to within a few yards of the cave entrance. The weather was definitely too good for caving, but we had not travelled over 200 miles just to admire the scenery, so we changed into caving apparel without further ado. The entrance, being ’tight’ by Yorkshire standards meant that we had to go down on our hand and knees for the first few yards, after which we picked our way along the upper section of a fairly steep rift passage, the route we followed being the New Roof Traverse.
BB105/5 After clambering across two pots we descended the third by rope ladder and after a short horizontal passage we reached the Cathedral Pot. This entailed scrambling down a steep groove on a rope for 25’ to a ledge where we belayed a 50’ ladder.
This ledge is about halfway down the pot and it makes quite an airy stance for life lining people down the ladder especially when there are 6 bags of ladder and 2 more bodies all standing on an area about the size of a hearthrug. The party, having descended safely, pressed on willy-nilly down Dome, Candle, Skittle and Battle Axe Pots. At this point we ran out of lifeline so we returned to the surface having spent about 6 hours underground. The following day, Easter Sunday, we decided to split up into two parties to speed the proceedings. I was in the second party and we ploughed our way downwards at an impressive rate, all the hard work of laddering the Wet and Final Pots being completed about 2 hours beforehand by the first party. The Wet Pot ladder was pitched to hang about 6 feet away from the stance at the top of in order to avoid the worst of the waterfall. Hence the ladder had to be pulled across to the stance, the intrepid caver would step on, swing out into the pot and descend as fast as possible to try and keep reasonably dry. This meant, of course, that one of us had to remain at the top of the pitch to pull the ladder over when the party returned, a rather thankless task. A short winding passage after the Final Pot and we found ourselves in the Master Cave. This was a roomy passage extending 1,000 feet upstream and about 2,000 feet downstream to a sump that was passed a few years ago to yield another 3,000 feet of cave. We explored the upstream section which terminated in the Lyle Cavern. I climbed up through a boulder ruckle into the cavern while my companion Rex waited below. In order to get a better view of the main formations I attempted to climb some boulders which appeared to be cemented firmly to one another with ‘stal’. The next thing I knew I was that I was sliding quickly downwards, close followed by a couple of boulders. The boulders narrowly missed me and I reached terra firma unhurt. I shouted to rex, “I am all right”, which he interpreted as, “I’ve broken my leg!” He shouted back and I replied, the louder we shouted the less we could hear as I was still some way from him. He was relieved to find me in one piece when I got back to him. The five of us in the party removed about half the ladders on our ascent, leaving the rest for the photographers who would be busy in Shale Cavern at the foot of Dome Pot on the following day. X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X+X R.J. Bagshaw, Hon. Sec. & Hon. Treas. 56, Ponsford Road, Knowle, Bristol.4. T.H. Stanbury Hon. Editor B.B. 48 Novers Park Road, Knowle, Bristol. 4. ………………..