Culvert in Eyam Dale

Mark

Well-known member
The Stoney Middleton Flood group, are thinking of getting the culvert near the Eyam Dale shaft entrance to Carlswark, covered over, to stop it becoming blocked with leaves and flooding the road.

It is a very popular place to wash off, after visiting Carlswark, and is used several times a week

I would like to suggest that caver's could take on a bit of responsibility for keeping the downstream outlet clear, and maybe bolt a plaque to the concrete suggesting the same.
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
Isn't that where a late mutual friend of ours contracted Weils disease several years ago?
Possibly worth including a small note to this effect if any such plaque is being considered, just so cavers can take basic precautions?

Just a thought. (Have had Weils myself and it's grim.)
 

Graigwen

Active member
Pitlamp said:
Isn't that where a late mutual friend of ours contracted Weils disease several years ago?
Possibly worth including a small note to this effect if any such plaque is being considered, just so cavers can take basic precautions?

Just a thought. (Have had Weils myself and it's grim.)

At least you are alive, it killed my father in law.

.
 

Mark

Well-known member
Pitlamp said:
Isn't that where a late mutual friend of ours contracted Weils disease several years ago?
Possibly worth including a small note to this effect if any such plaque is being considered, just so cavers can take basic precautions?

Just a thought. (Have had Weils myself and it's grim.)

No that was by Hawkenedge Well, but a very good point
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
Graigwen said:
Pitlamp said:
Isn't that where a late mutual friend of ours contracted Weils disease several years ago?
Possibly worth including a small note to this effect if any such plaque is being considered, just so cavers can take basic precautions?

Just a thought. (Have had Weils myself and it's grim.)

At least you are alive, it killed my father in law.

.

Yes - I consider myself very fortunate that my doctor is a caver (a CRO doctor in fact) and he took me seriously and acted fast. It's the only time I've ever had a condition which can prove fatal and, believe me, it doesn't half focus the mind on doing everything you can to get right.

That experience really brought home to me just how effective the NHS is. I hope that the NHS becomes one of the main issues in the forthcoming general election. Any party which doesn't show full commitment to the NHS will not get my vote; the NHS is a very precious thing.

Mark - thanks for the update - yes, I remember now; Hawkenedge Well. Apologies for the above digression into Weils disease; I didn't want to hijack your main point (which is a very good one).
 

al

Member
Pitlamp said:
I hope that the NHS becomes one of the main issues in the forthcoming general election. Any party which doesn't show full commitment to the NHS will not get my vote; the NHS is a very precious thing.
(y) (y) (y)
 

Jenny P

Active member
I can recall being told that rats had been seen in the stream and the culvert here and, at the time, DCA put out a warning to that effect and reminded cavers about Weils Disease.  I think this must have been in the 1970s some time.  Even if you don't see the rats, they are undoubtedly still around today, so cavers using the stream to wash off need to be aware.

BCA has just recently issued a replacement for the old Weils Disease warning cards, the ones which were the size of credit cards and made to fit in a wallet.  They were sent out with the BCA Membership cards earlier this year.  It would be worth making a note of the symptoms, just in case, so that if you are taken ill with a flue-like problem after caving you know to visit your GP and show them the BCA Weils Card.  Many town GPs will never have heard of this disease so it won't be the first thing to come to mind if they are unsure of a diagnosis.
 

Graigwen

Active member
Jenny P said:
BCA has just recently issued a replacement for the old Weils Disease warning cards, the ones which were the size of credit cards and made to fit in a wallet.  They were sent out with the BCA Membership cards earlier this year.  It would be worth making a note of the symptoms, just in case, so that if you are taken ill with a flue-like problem after caving you know to visit your GP and show them the BCA Weils Card.  Many town GPs will never have heard of this disease so it won't be the first thing to come to mind if they are unsure of a diagnosis.

Being aware of the symptoms yourself is valuable. Dr Oliver Lloyd was able to self-diagnose when he picked it up in Stoke Lane Slocker but I dare say being a morbid pathologist helped.

.
 

royfellows

Well-known member
The card is very useful.

I personally have a low opinion of so called 'professional people', in that nobody else knows anything except them. Exception is my solicitor for whom I have a very high regard.

A few years back I tried to explain to my doctor that I was 'at risk' of this and I may as well tried talking to one of my fish.
 

al

Member
royfellows said:
The card is very useful.

I personally have a low opinion of so called 'professional people', in that nobody else knows anything except them. Exception is my solicitor for whom I have a very high regard.

A few years back I tried to explain to my doctor that I was 'at risk' of this and I may as well tried talking to one of my fish.

My experience was similar. I believe that there's very little point showing the card to a doctor who doesn't cave, canoe or similar.
 

AR

Well-known member
Jenny P said:
...if you are taken ill with a flue-like problem after caving you know to visit your GP and show them the BCA Weils Card....

Is a flue-like problem smoking like a chimney? Sorry, couldn't resist that one.... :chair:
 

Jenny P

Active member
AR said:
Jenny P said:
...if you are taken ill with a flue-like problem after caving you know to visit your GP and show them the BCA Weils Card....

Is a flue-like problem smoking like a chimney? Sorry, couldn't resist that one.... :chair:

Whoops - touch of the fat fingers there, sorry.    :(
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
When I was ill I actually found the Weils disease info published by NCA (originally) and BCA (more recently) to be a massive advantage in convincing myself what the problem was, then the doctor. I felt so ill and I was immensely grateful for this resource.
 

Dhodgs1

New member
Hello , its Dan from the flood group. Appreciate talk of unblocking it. Main problem is the bars on the culvert that need ridding, plan was to cover one bit over and grid the other to stop children etc getting washed down it .
In full flood you can unblock it and by the time you get down to the A623 its blocked again . This then washes all the muck off the road into the gullies blocking them and then it goes right down to stoney . You couldnt build that now , its against the  council culvert  policy as it blocks up so fast .
I know a lot of the youth groups get in the river on the way back down to the layby, or indeed in the Layby.
Im exposed to weils disease as a sewage worker . If i was leading a group of children one might think washing the kit back at the activity centre might fit the risk assessment better .
We dont want to conflict with other users of the outdoors , if it floods thats all the water from the top of water lane in Eyam coming down the road at us . If we leave a bit with a grid on for emergency access you can still was your feet or perhaps just consider washing your boots off in the brook on the walk back down ?
 

2xw

Active member
Dan if it floods that seriously and its that much of a hassle to the flood group I can't really imagine there'll be strong opposition (or really that much of a conflict) to covering it over. More of a minor inconvenience really?
 
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