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Caving Audio Archives

Gerbil007

Gerbil007

Member
I'm currently enduring a 4 month period of government imposed exile in one of the Middle East's sandy ashtrays and have found this archive invaluable for keeping the fire burning. A truly excellent resource.  :clap:
 
langcliffe

langcliffe

Well-known member
Two recordings have been added to the BCA Audio Archives recently - both being interviews with John Frankland, the CRO doctor. A fine photograph  has been added to of Willie Stanton's  interview page - courtesy of the Wessex.

An RSS feed link has also been added to the Audio Archives. This allows the last ten recordings to be automatically bookmarked in a browser, so you can easily see if there is anything new.
 
langcliffe

langcliffe

Well-known member
Has anyone got some decent pictures of John Buxton we can use? One from the 1950s and a more recent one would be good.
 
langcliffe

langcliffe

Well-known member
Has anyone a picture or two of Fish Jeanmaire from when he was in his prime? The one on the Audio Archives web site was taken last year and is currently shared by three recordings. It would be nice to have a couple from the time he was actively caving.
 
langcliffe

langcliffe

Well-known member
Sid has added six interviews with Bob Leakey, recorded in September 2010 as part of a project associated with Eli Simpson. As usual, Bob Leakey is good value - one story tells how he was involved in the rescue of the same man from a peak in the Himalayas, and from Grange Rigg Pot!
 
langcliffe

langcliffe

Well-known member
Two new recordings have been added to the Audio Archives following the film made by Basher Baines in tribute to Sid Perou when Sid moved to Thailand late last year. The first is Sid's description of how he got into filming, and the other is an interview with Jack Pickup who describes the trials and tribulations of working with Sid. They can be most easily found from http://caving-library.org.uk/audio/mostrecent.php
 
langcliffe

langcliffe

Well-known member
Smithers said:
Also does anyone have any pictures of Bob Leakey that could be uploaded on to the website to go with the descriptions or put on here?  It'd be useful for me as I've put the audio files in iTunes as audiobooks, and am using the pictures as album artwork etc.
Click to expand...

Some 28 months after receiving this request, I have done something about it! The time interval is due to the fact that I find setting up the MP3 metatags from software a little traumatic.

The Audio Archive MP3 files now have an embedded 'album cover' in the ID3 tags which is the picture associated with the recording. This means that if you download the recordings into your own MP3 library, you'll get a picture to help you identify the recording.  This isn't infallible, as owing to a lack of photographs, one third of the recordings share pictures with others. More photographs are in particular required of Dave Gill, Dave Brook,  Dick Glover, Eric Hensler, Geoff Yeadon, and Jim Newton.

If you encounter any problems, please let me know.
 
langcliffe

langcliffe

Well-known member
As many of you will know, Clive Gardener has for many years been working on 'Searching for the Secret River' ? a film and associated book project, 'Exploring The Caves of Llangattock Mountain' ? documenting subterranean exploration beneath the mountain.

As part of this exercise he recorded a number of  interviews with people who have made significant contributions to the explorations, and he has generously made some of these available on the Audio Archives. The quality of the interviews and the quality of the recordings are superb, and well worth a listen.

The following are now available:

Brian Price: The discovery and naming of Agen Allwedd
Mel Davies: The first excavation of Upper Trident Passage in Agen Allwedd
Paul Hartwright: The discovery of Summertime in Agen Allwedd
Clive Westlake: The creation of the Grand Circle in Agen Allwedd
John Parker: Discovery of the Hall of the Mountain Kings, Ogof Craig a Ffynnon
Bill Gascoine: Determining the hydrology of the limestones of South Wales
Ian Rolland: Explorations beyond St. David's Sump in Daren Cilau
Steve Pedrazzoli: Unravelling the Mysteries of Llangattock Mountain
Rob Parker: The discovery and naming of the Seventh Hour Sump in Daren Cilau

We have also added a recording of Dr. John Wilcock talking about dowsing.

We hope that you enjoy them.
 
langcliffe

langcliffe

Well-known member
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to abseil down a big shaft on a short rope, finding that there was no knot on the end, and not being able to hold on?

Well, you can now find out! It happened to Andrea in Stream Passage Pot, and she was fortunate enough to survive the experience. A new recording has been added to the archive (with Andrea's permission), in which Jack Pickup reads out Andrea's written account of the event. It's a riveting account.

http://caving-library.org.uk/audio/selected.php?id=186
 
langcliffe

langcliffe

Well-known member
Three new interviews have been added to the Audio Archives.

Frank Atkinson is best known for his work in founding the Beamish Museum, but when he was younger he was an active member of the BSA with a particular interest in geology and surveying in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He was involved in the original surveying of Lancaster Hole amongst other places.

The first two interviews are mainly concerned with his memories of Eli Simpson, but the second is concerned with the Penyghent Trip in 1951 during which John Williams died of exposure. Bob Leakey and Frank stayed with the casualty, whilst Ken Pearce, Trevor Shaw and Keith Braithwaite went for help.

http://caving-library.org.uk/audio/selected.php?id=187
http://caving-library.org.uk/audio/selected.php?id=188
http://caving-library.org.uk/audio/selected.php?id=189

Enjoy.
 
langcliffe

langcliffe

Well-known member
On the afternoon of the 6th November 2011, the Bruno Kranskies Rising Sump dig in Notts 2 was connected to Lyle Caverns in Lost Johns' Cave, forging the final link in the Three Counties System. To celebrate the culmination of all the hard work put in by hundreds of cavers over several decades, a Three Counties System Connection Party was held on the 26th November 2011 in Burton-in-Lonsdale Village Hall. It was well attended by generations of cavers who had contributed to the project, some of whom gave short presentations about their own contributions.

Johnny Latimer had the far-sightedness to record the presentations, some of which are now available on the Audio Archives. Some made extensive use of visual aids, which obviously doesn't make good radio, but those published still make reasonable sense without the visuals.

The following are available:

Dave Brook: The Three Counties System Celebrations (1)
Alf Latham: The Three Counties System Celebrations (2)
Dave Cobley: The Three Counties System Celebrations (3)
Andy Walsh: The Three Counties System Celebrations (4)
Frank Pearson: The Three Counties System Celebrations (5)
Hugh St. Lawrence: The Three Counties System Celebrations (6)

We hope that you enjoy them.
 
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