There is, or was, a Dublin based club, the Cave Discussion Group named primarily to tease the cave divers

If only there was something like that over here and we wouldn't have all those cat skeletons in trees all around the place. As an aside there is a terrace of houses behind our house and one day I saw a cat strolling along their roofs. I assumed it had climbed out of one of the attic windows and...

Indeed. And Just realised I must have read it in the same book which I still have. I'm pretty sure I bought it new, but not at the three and six price printed on the cover as I was a bit young to be caving in the pre decimal era

At the risk of a digression I used to have a "tell" when I was nervous about my poker hand. It worked in my favour as my companions assumed it was when I was bluffing, but in fact I did it when I had a monster hand and was worried everyone would fold ! I managed to stop myself doing it by they...

That seems eminently reasonable, despite my possibly slightly pooey response to the OP. "Anything medical you need to tell me?" is a sensible question, as opposed to a (hostile sounding?) questionaire

That reminds me of Spike Milligan's account of his first time meeting fellow Goon Harry Secombe. During the War Spike's cannon hadn't been secured properly and rolled down an embankment past where Secombe's unit had stopped for a fag break. Spike asks "anyone seen my gun?". Quick as a flash...

I've never heard of any such thing and think it would be a bit of a cheek frankly. The whole ethos of caving has been on of self reliance by and large, with the onus on individuals to assess whether their up to a trip taking account ability/fitness and their own health. OK the " leader"(most...

To be fair I have been there since as well

I think I was on that trip ! If I remember rightly, you'd managed to pressgang Derek to help with your photos on the way out so you two got out ages after the rest of us. I wouldn't have minded if Derek hadn't been my lift back to Hertfordshire It was still a great trip to be fair. Cripes...

Or a stretcher with a big bloke in it Thankfully I didn't do that bit, but the bits I did do were hard enoufh

I've seen more badgers in my own garden in Bristol than I ever have in my whole life. We live in the city not out in the 'burbs, maybe 200 yards from "the Triangle" for anyone who knows Bristol, and up some steps from the A4. Could have reached out and touched him on one occasion as he was...

Shouldn't that be Draenen?

I seem to remember something along these lines was organised for a few MPs who'd been calling for a clamp-down on caving after a high profile rescue some years back. It seems they had a good trip, listened and learnt, and being better informed sensibly dropped their proposal. Presumably...

Another video on changing the gas tin on a bluet stove by the light of a carbide lamp, perhaps including the advice on carefully screwing up the new tin so it seals rather than just jamming onto the spike. (For the record it was not me !)

We saw a sign in St James's Park in London saying "Please do not feed the pelican", which made us laugh then a few minutes later there's an actual pelican wandering round. We'd assumed the sign was a prank, but it seems not

I can highly recommend the "Tower tour" of Salisbury cathedral. You get to peep out the little door to see the tiny little steps up the last bit outside the spire to change the light. Whilst it's high and precarious I'd be OK to do it if clipped in. I'd not want to do it just relying on the...

I'd use pop rivets.

Back in the day, my various caving "how to" books from the library talk about each caver having a "waist length" of number whatever hawser laid climbing rope. This would be wound round the waist and kept in place with a crab. It doubled as a belay belt (before belay belts were a thing) and also...

Prokofiev series in Ogof Ffynnon Ddu: so called because the original discovers were Peter Cardy and Gerry Wolf. (Peter and the Wolf)

Mr Ponzi's original scheme was based on an arbitrage opportunity around international postal rates, though that wasn't the dodgy bit that made him famous