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It is a pity that the Minutes are not yet available so that people could see the discssion about the wording of the original proposal and the amended version, which would enable people to make more sense of it. It was a friendly and helpful discussion but was limited, in that it could only...

If you drive round the outer Hebrides you will find on the causeways between some of the islands a warning which says "Danger, Otters crossing."

It wouldn't be Swansea BSA Conference because Simpson wasn't at that one. If it's one of the others, the gentleman in the front might be Leo Palmer (Bristol University ?) who I think was BSA Chairman in the 1930's. My other thought was possibly one of the early International Caving Congresses...

This is an uncomfortable reminder of a trip into Birkwith Cave back in the 1970s. I don’t know the exact date but Alf Fry was still a member of OCC and at that time we club members all wore wetsuits to go caving if there was any water all, otherwise it was “dry grots”. The Club had a Yorkshire...

If you do an internet search on "Ron Peters Neil Moss" you will find a photo of Ron and a short note about how he won the George Medal for his attempt to rescue Moss. Ron has been an Honorary Member of Orpheus C. C. since 1959 but would never talk to anyone about the Neil Moss rescue and his...

The British Caving Library (BCL) has just bought a book by David Ward entitled ENTOMBED, about the Neil Moss rescue in 1959. Sadly it says absolutely nothing new and has a number of omissions and inaccuracies which make it misleading and, IMHO, not worth buying. On a first 2-minute...

I think it's meant to be Peak Cavern - that's the only show cave in Britain I can think of where there would be a wide space alongside a railng - large enough for people to wander round. There is also the high arched roof drawn - thinking of the enormous entrance.

There is a reference in a very old Orpheus Log Book (circa 1950 I think) of a dig in the Manifold Valley where it was believed a badger might be in residence. The concensus was that one should carry out the dig with a loaded shotgun handy in case the badger took exception to the interruption...

We bought one new in 2022 after our old one caught fire because the lid dropped when it was empty but switched on. We bought an English Electric. 5.2 KG capacity with a safety lock on the lid and it cost us £149 new. That was the largest capacity standard domestic machine we could find and...

I used to do a lot in OFD, which is as complicated as the Easegill system, particularly if you start from Top Entrance. If I took someone down who didn't know the cave I always told them that I'd take them where they wanted to go but I would then expect them to lead me out again. I was...

BCL has a copy - I just checked.

Just to confirm, the British Caving Library (BCL) has received its copy and a very fine piece of work it is too - Kevin Dixon is to be thanked for the immense amount of work he has put into producing this. It is beautifully bound and the contents are amazing so it is well worth having and will...

I find it hard to forgive the way Simpson harvested formations from caves - something which is anathema now! In the 1930's he was doing it on an industrial scale with boxes filled with sawdust to prevent the stals getting broken as he took them out. You can read all about Simpson's doings in...

The late, great, John Gillett told me that he managed to keep caving to an advanced age by taking his walking poles down caves with him. But I'm not sure if he used them to do SRT ...

The link above leads to the 2024 AGM Agenda, not the 2025 Agenda. The correct date for 2025 is 22nd. Feb. The Council Meeting Agenda is correct.

I recall an early issue of the Orpheus Caving Club journal "The Lyre" which cxarefully explained how the scallop marks seen in caves were actually caused by an "Articulated Molybator" and these were its teeth marks. There was also the "Elastic Theory of Cave Deformation" which explained how the...

I always liked Paracetam 'ole - named by the Eldon I think.

Would you count Mary Queen of Scots as an early caver? She visited Poole's Cavern in Derbyshire during time she was being held at Hardwick Hall and actually got to the end of the cave where you will find the Stal. boss named Mary Queen of Scots Pillar. Don't know the exact date but I'm sure...

Further to the above Note that there is a fire door between the entrance corridor and the changing room where the batteries are now charged. However, people do sometimes fasten this door open and it doesn't have a DorGard device fitted because of a small step. It would seem that we should...

Worth noting that, when our club hut was inspected by the Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service as part of us putting in a new automated fire alarm system, one of things we were told to do was to remove the lamp-charging rack from the wall of the entrance corridor as it was considered to be a safety...