A tribute to Mel Davies

Alkapton

Member
Mel Davies was an important member of Cwmbran Caving Club for many years.  He was passionate about cave archaeology and made many discovories.

I have just been given a photo copy of  a Cwmbran Journal written by Mel... No present club member was aware this journal existed.  It is as relivent today as the day it was created and is a howto for discovering unexplored cave in the Castlemartin area of Pembrokeshire.

Mel wrote many articles for many different club journals concerning cave archaeology in general and the Castlemartin area in particular.  I am aware of articles in Red Dragon and South Wales CC Journals as well as Cwmbran Journals.

I am now sat preparing our lost journal for republication.  I want to turn it into atribute to Mel and try to include as many articles Mel wrote about the caves in Castlemartin and cave archaeology as possible.  In due course I'll be asking permision from  eg SWCC for permision to include certain articles.

Please help.  If you know other places I should look or of any relivent articles by Mel please give me a reference.  The result is going to be essential reading for anyone interested in this subject matter and a fitting tribute to  a great caver.
 

gus horsley

New member
I knew Mel.  He gave me a lot of help when we were fighting to prevent the quarrying of Ogof Pant-y-Llyn by identifying many of the archaeological remains.  I also remember participating in a bat survey with him and Tom McOwat on Gower and the pair of them getting into a bit of a territorial dispute which was very funny.  He was a very colourful character who provided not only insight but also much entertainment at Cambrian CC meetings.

Unfortunately I can't help with any articles but I know he wrote quite a few in the Cambrian CC journals in the late 70's and 80's.
 

graham

New member
I know a palaeontologist who was extremely pissed off when Mel left him stranded on the Gower with no transport in the pissing rain.
 

rhychydwr1

Active member
There is a book....

Well a series of books actually called Current Titles in Speleology.  Is there a set in the Cambrian CC Library?  This will list all Mel's articles.
 

Allan

Member
He was also a member of the British Nylon Spinners Caving Club, who were active in South Wales.  There are some of their Newsletters in the SWCC Library.
 

RobinGriffiths

Well-known member
There's an article in an early Descent (30ish maybe) about some work on the Great Orme. I think he was also a member of the North Wales CC, so there may well be stuff in their journals.
 

NigR

New member
graham said:
I know a palaeontologist who was extremely pissed off when Mel left him stranded on the Gower with no transport in the pissing rain.

Mel was a pretty good judge of character and certainly did not suffer fools gladly so perhaps there was a reason for this? In any case, it's pretty damned hard to get "stranded" anywhere on the Gower for any length of time as there's a regular bus service back to Swansea from virtually everywhere!

Alkapton, I've got a full set of Cwmbran Journals (purchased with thanks from a certain Mr. Oldham several years ago) so if you are missing any issues just give me a shout and I can check anything out for you.
 

graham

New member
NigR said:
Mel was a pretty good judge of character and certainly did not suffer fools gladly so perhaps there was a reason for this?

The person concerned is one of the nicest blokes you could care to meet & certainly no fool.
 

Alkapton

Member
I thank all who have replied. I think I have what I need for something that is specific to Castlemartin area.  But you got me thinking about doing something else.  Wben I have some time I will figure if I capable of writing some sort of biography... he deserves it.  I learn more about him and am in awe.
 

robjones

New member
Allan said:
He was also a member of the British Nylon Spinners Caving Club, who were active in South Wales.  There are some of their Newsletters in the SWCC Library.

The wonderfully named British Nylon Spinners Sports & Social Club Speological Sub-Section. BNSSSCSSS must have won the prize for the caving club acrolym with the greatest number of S's.
 

robjones

New member
M.Davies "Recent advances in cave archaeology in southwest Walers", pp.79-91 in T.D.Ford (ed.) "Limestones and caves of Wales", Cambridge, 1989; also M.Davies "Cave archaeology in North Wales", pp.92-101 in the same publication, list a substantial number of Mel's papers in their lists of references: 22 sole author and 13 joint author papers in the first, and 49 sole author and 2 joint author papers in the second.

 

Alkapton

Member
robjones said:
M.Davies "Recent advances in cave archaeology in southwest Walers", pp.79-91 in T.D.Ford (ed.) "Limestones and caves of Wales", Cambridge, 1989; also M.Davies "Cave archaeology in North Wales", pp.92-101 in the same publication, list a substantial number of Mel's papers in their lists of references: 22 sole author and 13 joint author papers in the first, and 49 sole author and 2 joint author papers in the second.
The man was a God, or a bat...  Possibly part mole.  I know at least one person who is mostly human but has mole and squid dna also.  i never knew Mel an i wish id met him.
 
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