Blast From The Past

To add to that. Is it not incumbent on a photographer to provide memories for others ? To share what they do ? Yes the camaraderie still persists today. We have taken a break from digging for a series of " Jollies ". Reservoir Hole this week. Brian our Tuesday Digger has brought his son with him. He is a climber more than a caver . I love telling folk to keep looking down when entering The Frozen Deep. I then say look up as I illuminate the three great formations. Is it not a wonder to see their faces ? To wander around such a magnificent place. I cried when I got home after first seeing that place. I still sniff a bit now. Now the " newbies " have taken it all over but they will never know how I felt on that first day. I promised Brian that I would make a record of his sons trips. Nothing technically great but something far better . Memories. The Moment. Here is Brian with his son having lunch in TFD this week. Brian is very dyslexic so his single thanks by email meant so much to me. Caving camaraderie does not die. Its part of the greatest trust that you can have with another human being. Its not the "Me" in the team. It is the team. We have lunch. We yarn. We talk of past times. We are more than just friends. More than isolated people in a team. We are Family.

All of this after the meds so time for a nap.

 
The Man Who Discovered NHASA Gallery In Manor Farm.

Oh dear you wont find this in the cave history and to be honest it was all a bit embarrassing.

In 1973 Pete Rose and I were, for some reason , with the NHASA diggers when they got through Alberts Eye beyond Curtain Chamber. Off they went yelling and shouting tearing off down virgin streamway whilst Pete and I followed on behind. We all got to a terminal choke with no way on. The diggers pushed off to the pub to celebrate. I said to Pete lets have a poke around. High up in the roof was a solid choke. You do get a feel for such things. So a short dig and up popped my head into a huge tunnel. Pete took this photo of me just inside . We went half way along but came out to report or findings to the group who returned next day. The same month we found Green Lake Chamber in Withyhill but that was all of our own work. I wonder if any of the original diggers are still about.



The way up into NHASA Gallery in recent times.

 
You might forget how poor students were. We went around garages to get cast off oil covered boiler suits for caving. I have seen Pete drag old kit out of hedges to take home. We asked for the customary half a gallon of petrol in a garage on the way home once and were told to eff off. Here is Pete in his usual rags c 1969.



Tempus Fugit as they say. Pete now gone as have many others. He did well raising twin boys with his lovely wife Sue and owning two chemist shops of his own. We had lots of fun over the years. Silly pranks. I put small stones inside his sports car hub cap. Rattled all the way home. We were probably cruel to our protege Mr O' Doc though in truth he sometimes deserved it. We took Petes dog for a walk once. I left a plastic dog turd on the car seat. He beat the poor dog. Yes. I do feel sorry about that but he did tie Ayesha's washing in knots. He came to pick me up in the open sports car once. My back gate was at the bottom of a hill. He was jumping about in the sports car and hit the accelerator instead of the brake pedal. He shot passed me and though the next door neighbours 6ft fence panel which, undamaged, pivoted up on the top nails and went back down again. Onward down the neighbours garden he went crashing into the house and crushing a pushchair on the way. If she had been hanging out the washing. Poor Pete was in shock but I could do nothing as I was laughing so much.
Ahh well the ramblings of an old man --
Must be time for a cup of tea ---
 
You might forget how poor students were.
Click to expand...
I find it interesting that you say that, TOR; I guess that your experience must have been different to mine

My recollection of being a student in the 1960s is that one had a decent grant, unlike now when students finish their course up to their eyeballs in debt. I normally got some sort of ‘holiday job’ in the summer, and on the whole although I wasn’t exactly rolling in it, neither was I anywhere near the breadline; and just for the record, I come from an ordinary working-class background, so my mum and dad couldn’t bank-roll me (although I admit they subbed me in the holidays).

I got a grant of £345 per year, which sounds abysmal; however, I recall, for instance, that beer cost 1s 8d a pint – or, to put it another way, one could get 12 pints for a quid. Consider the price of beer these days, and one might infer that ‘yesterday’s pound’ would be worth 50 or more of today’s; I’ve a vague recollection that fish and chips cost a couple of bob (10p) (or less); the last time I bought F&C (a few days ago) it cost £11–50p, which is ~115 times the 1960s price. So my ‘paltry’ grant of £345 looks much more realistic to live on, with my paying £3 a week for a room in a house in my final year (term-time only, nothing to pay in the holidays) (although not quite 115 x £345 = £39,675!!!).
 
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Well Fulk as I said I was only an adopted student. I take your point but actually I did not see that side of things. I just saw the caving side where it appeared that there was very little cash left to spend on kit and transport. So different today with £700 Scurion lights. It was all done on the cheap. Mr O' Doc's. excellant tome recounting their trip to Iran in a clapped out bus illustrates this quite well. I suppose the bus is still there somewhere in the Iranian mountains now acting as a shepherds hut.
 
I preferred those NiCad lamps to the lead acid ones . You could use the lead acid cases to contain NiCad cells. Trouble with the NiCads apart from the risk of burns was that they rotted the lamp cable interior after a while. You made your own electrolyte up for the NiCads with a bit of Lithium added.
 
My only ever cover image. Yes you would think there would be so many more. I dont do competitions cus I would not win anything. Too way out for the formulaic main stream. Three of us went to Neverland in Upper Flood. Another no cameras trip they said but I sneaked the TG in anyway. Got this one. Took seconds do do it so all more by luck than judgement. Forgot my wet suit socks or a boot change. Had to hop around Neverland in just socks.



Better do a few more as Pegasus likes them.

:p
 
Now here is were I get confused.

In Greek mythology, Pegasus is a male. He is a divine winged stallion born from the Gorgon Medusa.

From what I remember from an HE Pegasus is an extremely attractive young lady. Oh well like I said life has got very confusing.
 
With regard to your reference to nife cells, I have a dim recollection that I wanted to buy one but could not afford the £15 asking price, so I had to stick with my 15-bob 'stinky'; at £15 (if I'm right) that puts the nife cell then up there with the Scurion now.
 
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