The first caving shop

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Peter Burgess

New member
Just out of interest, what was the first retail outlet in the UK that was primarily set up to sell caving gear?

Was it Caving Supplies, when it was established in Sutton (I think), or was there an older one?

Imagine trying to go caving today and having to rely 100 percent on stuff you and your mates cobbled together yourself.
 
paul

paul

Moderator
Caving Supplies is the oldest going concern I am aware of, in terms of a caving-specific business.
 
axbridgecaver

axbridgecaver

Member
The first Cavers Shop advert to appear in Descent was for -

Get your copy of The Caves of North West Clare, Ed. E K Tratman, from The Cavers Shop, 17 Freemantle Road, Eastville, Bristol. £5 5s

Descent No. 5 July 1969.

However this advert only appeared in this edition and also No. 6 and there is no indication if they sold "caving gear".
 
graham

graham

New member
axbridgecaver said:
The first Cavers Shop advert to appear in Descent was for -

Get your copy of The Caves of North West Clare, Ed. E K Tratman, from The Cavers Shop, 17 Freemantle Road, Eastville, Bristol. £5 5s

Descent No. 5 July 1969.

However this advert only appeared in this edition and also No. 6 and there is no indication if they sold "caving gear".
Click to expand...

Doubtless the denizen of that address will explain all when he reads this thread. He posts on here quite frequently.
 
rhychydwr1

rhychydwr1

Active member
"Imagine trying to go caving today and having to rely 100 percent on stuff you and your mates cobbled together yourself".

I still do.  Most of my gear is from Aldis or car boot.



The Cavers Shop, 17 Freemantle Road, Eastville, Bristol. BS5 6SY

Yes it was me.  I also sold carbide, carbide lamps, carbide lamp spares, Nife lamps, many of which I reconditioned myself and I still get complains 40 years later.  Remember Ashley Mint Cake?  We made and sold that as well.  No Elf 'nd Afety in those days.
 
A

andymorgan

Guest
Any reason for your question Peter, or are you just very, very bored?
 
P

Peter Burgess

New member
Not very, very bored. Very, very old. And old codgers like to remember when we were lads........

I just thought it might loosen up a few old memories.
 
Pitlamp

Pitlamp

Well-known member
Wasn't Bernie's cafe (alias the Lonsdale Snack bar) before then?  It was largely frequented  by cavers and sold caving gear.
 
paul

paul

Moderator
Pitlamp said:
Wasn't Bernie's cafe (alias the Lonsdale Snack bar) before then?  It was largely frequented  by cavers and sold caving gear.
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I didn't think Bernie's sold gear before the "Ingleton Cafe Wars" in the 80's. At least I don't remember any gear for sale when it was just a cafe...
 
whitelackington

whitelackington

New member
rhychydwr1 said:
"Imagine trying to go caving today and having to rely 100 percent on stuff you and your mates cobbled together yourself".

I still do.  Most of my gear is from Aldis or car boot.



The Cavers Shop, 17 Freemantle Road, Eastville, Bristol. BS5 6SY

Yes it was me.  I also sold carbide, carbide lamps, carbide lamp spares, Nife lamps, many of which I reconditioned myself and I still get complains 40 years later.  Remember Ashley Mint Cake?  We made and sold that as well.  No Elf 'nd Afety in those days.
Click to expand...
Could not quite work out if u meant compliments or complaints?
 
rhychydwr1

rhychydwr1

Active member
whitelackington said:
Could not quite work out if u meant compliments or complaints?
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complaints

I will write out 100 times "I will read my emails again before hitting the reply button"
 
Pitlamp

Pitlamp

Well-known member
Paul - Bernies was certainly selling caving gear in the early 70s - and as far as I'm aware for a long time before that.  There was a glass counter directly in from the front door which housed carbide lamps and the like.  And Alice's breakfasts (i.e. Bernard Robertshaw's wife) were second to none.  The modern counter is in a completely different place.

There is a little bit of film footage shot in Bernies in the 70s on the Keld Head to KMC connection film ("The Underground Eiger") - haven't watched it for a while but it may show the counter with the caving gear displayed; can't remember if it does but there are plenty of folk still about who were active in the 60s and even 50s who could probably remember more.
 
S

susie

New member
I bought my first ammo box from Bernie's in 1967. I also bought some "interesting" abseil devices from there in about 1970 which I have since donated to Gary Storrick's vertical devices collection:

http://storrick.cnchost.com/VerticalDevicesPage/VerticalHome.shtml

And yes - Alice's poached eggs were to die for.
 
SamT

SamT

Moderator
susie said:
I bought my first ammo box from Bernie's in 1967. I also bought some "interesting" abseil devices from there in about 1970 which I have since donated to Gary Storrick's vertical devices collection:

http://storrick.cnchost.com/VerticalDevicesPage/VerticalHome.shtml

And yes - Alice's poached eggs were to die for.
Click to expand...

:eek:

Oh my god - have you seen how many devices that guys got. I was expecting a few rareties and classics - but thats obsessive. I'll have to see what I can dig out of the cupboard.
 
A

Alan Brentnall

Guest
In 1965, when I were a lad (still at school) I had a holiday job at W & R Baines in Bradford - basically, it was a cycle shop, but it also sold caving and climbing equipment - including karabiners, electron ladders, miners' helmets and acetylene lamps. I'm not sure if this counts as a caving shop - but, apart from army surplus, I think this was as good as you got then.

Incidentally, I got the princely sum of £2/10/0 (£2.50) per week - but my bus fare was probably less than 6 old pence (2.5p), and beer was 1/10 (about 9p) per pint, unless you drank in the lounge.

By heck!!

 
paul

paul

Moderator
Pitlamp said:
Paul - Bernies was certainly selling caving gear in the early 70s - and as far as I'm aware for a long time before that.  There was a glass counter directly in from the front door which housed carbide lamps and the like.  And Alice's breakfasts (i.e. Bernard Robertshaw's wife) were second to none.  The modern counter is in a completely different place.
Click to expand...

I didn't realise they sold caving gear before Steve Round's time - but then I mostly went to the Fountains!

 
W

Walrus

Guest
So how many 'proper' caving shops are there in the UK now? I can only find five - although there are some that do a few caving bits, most 'outdoor' shops are jacks-of-all-trades.
 
Z

zomjon

Member
'Jack of all trades' applies to most I can think of. Caving Supplies seems to fit the bill best as a purely caving shop, closely followed by Bat and Bernies (With the sad demise of dragon).
 
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