2021 J Rat Digging Award

PeteHall

Moderator
2021 J Rat Digging Award

From 19:30 Saturday 20th November at The Hunters Lodge Inn

51420305637_71c429824e_c.jpg


Look forward to seeing you there!

 

sinker

New member
PeteHall said:
2021 J Rat Digging Award

From 19:30 Saturday 20th November at The Hunters Lodge Inn

51420305637_71c429824e_c.jpg


Look forward to seeing you there!



Fair play that is brilliant!!  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

 

PeteHall

Moderator
Badlad said:
Whose the artist?

Gonzo.

Have to admit I am a big fan. He manages to capture the atmosphete and emotion of caving far better than any photograph I've seen. You can really feel the desperation and remoteness in some of his work, that a photograph struggles to capture...
 

Badlad

Administrator
Staff member
PeteHall said:
Badlad said:
Whose the artist?

Gonzo.

Have to admit I am a big fan. He manages to capture the atmosphete and emotion of caving far better than any photograph I've seen. You can really feel the desperation and remoteness in some of his work, that a photograph struggles to capture...

I thought it might be him although his style has changed a bit since the earlier works. 
 

PeteHall

Moderator
A reminder that there are just under 2 weeks left to get your submissions in to Martin Grass, for discoveries over 50m in Mendip or Scotland.

Keep on diggin'
 

mrodoc

Well-known member
Good news Mike! Our digs show no signs of going anywhere fast. Mind you if they yield signficant cave it will something to write home about.
 

PeteHall

Moderator
We're digging Wednesday and Thursday this week, but we're some way off the requisite 50m even across both sites. We've probably got 20m, but not surveyed it, so it's still in the bank for next year :LOL:
 

PeteHall

Moderator
The Old Ruminator said:
Mr O, Doc found a metre of new cave two weeks ago  :beer:

Probably got half a metre tonight and prepared a large boulder for hauling out next time. That looks like it will open up a couple more metres of rift that we can see already, then beyond that is presumably the master cave  :)
 

estelle

Member
so if you could buy a print of the poster (without the words on obviously) how many might be interested? we're looking to arrange to have some available to buy at the digging awards night, also could be bought direct from Gonzo if there is enough interest.

At this point, if you have an update on a Mendip or Scottish dig, please drop me a PM - we'll be doing a presentation on the evening of updates in the sort of format of a Mendip/Scottish Roundup. Deadline Tuesday 16th November.

Was in the Hunters tonight and the award is away for engraving and missing from it's regular spot... ;)
 

estelle

Member
Hi All

Please see attached poster from Gonzo. A number of people enquired of the poster background for this year?s J?Rat digging awards ? this will be available to order as a limited-edition print, along with a ropework one as an alternative/pairing option as per the poster. Orders to me before 28th November will be sent to print on 1st December and be with you before Christmas ? you have a postal option or a collection arranged via me for locally on Mendip ? I am happy to take email orders via email as per poster or on the evening of the awards (you can pay cash on the evening if you plan to collect from me). Would make a lovely Christmas present for your loved caver friends as well as look great on your own wall!

The J?rat digging awards will take place on Saturday 20th November from 19:30 in the long room of the Hunters Lodge Inn. We would be grateful if you would do a lateral flow test before coming and if positive or have Covid symptoms please stay away so as to try and protect our caving friends. 

Mark Helmore is kindly working on a presentation for the evening of current dig updates ? with no formal award last year and also no Hidden Earth for 2 years, any updates for digs can include the last 2 years, the absolute deadline for this is Tuesday 16th November ? PM /email Estelle if you have anything (or Mark direct if you already have his contact details).

We look forward to seeing many of you there.

Kind Regards
Estelle Sandford, Martin Grass & Stuart MacManus
 

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The Old Ruminator

Well-known member
And the winner is ----

Stock Hill Mine Cave at 174m. Mike Moxon so impressed by it all he has it tattooed on his face.



Peter Glanvill's exhaustive talk on Quantock digging sites using Mike Wise as a back drop as he could not be there and where would we be without him ?



Sadly my rousing rendition of " For He's a Jolly Good Fellow " remained unaccompanied.

Attendance down by about a third as folk are still cagey about C.19. Odd to see the Hunters with screens across the bar. A good talk of prospects for Gibbet's Brow Dig which ends some 5-10m above St Valentine's Series in Lamb Leer. Gravity graphs suggest that there are further westward extensions to Lamb Leer.
 

PeteHall

Moderator
An excellent evening, without doubt. I thoroughly enjoyed the presentations, especially, I'll admit, mrodocs talk on his various projects on the Quantocks. Perhaps this was a little nostalgia as it's the area I grew up, or perhaps it was just good to hear some more of the back story to all the pictures TOR has been posting on here. Either way, I found it fascinating.


It was also interesting how many digs would appear to be hideously unstable or squalid, yet somehow the diggers are drawn back week after week, year after year, with the unflinching confidence that one day, they might find a metre or two of open cave passage!

We unfortunately suffered a slight technical issue (or perhaps breakdown in communication would by a better description), and our video presentation had not made if to the right laptop, so I gave an slightly unprepared talk on our digs at Bos Swallet and Rickford Rising (which are both about to break into opposite ends of the Burrington Mastercave). Fortunately, the wonders of technology mean that our video presentation is now viewable online. Enjoy  :)

https://youtu.be/j2iUb_OoPaY

Footnote: it has been pointed out, since we recorded this that the first dive was actually by Bob Davies in 1955, using an Oxygen rebreather. Various other unsuccessful
attempts were made at the over the years, but as per our commentary, the main digging push was by Mike Barnes about a decade ago. My apologies for this error, resulting from a rushed online search while away from the relevant paper literature.
 
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