Fawlty Tower, The Trenches, Liam's Way and Colostomy Crawl Photographs Wanted

[Scud]

This is probably a long shot but as anybody got any pictures they have taken in the connection between Peak Cavern and Speedwell Mine, even if they have been taken on a modern phone.

I want them to accompany an article that I am currently putting together.

 

[Pitlamp]

Sadly, when we first climbed Egnaro Aven and got into Colostomy Crawl (Chris Rhodes, Brian Hague and self) it was three quarters filled with thixotropc silt (hence the name). So disgusting was it that we never even contemplated risking a camera in there. Wish we had, because it's unrecognisable now, compared with when first found.
Such is hindsight . . . .

 

[William_Emmo]

Here’s some photos from December

 

[bograt]

Great pics William, I see its cleaned up a lot since we opened it up !!

 

[pwhole]

Nice work - apart from a couple we took during the sound recording of the mud a few years ago at the Fawlty Tower end, these are the only photos I've ever seen of any of it

 

[Stoney Boy]

I'm sure there is a picture of Ben the day he broke through.

 

[Rob]

There's the one I took of Katie for the 2007 SUSS calendar, but I may have to check before sharing that here!

 

[Scud]

I read last night in an old BSA Bulletin, and it states thatJohn Randles took some at the end of the trenches,, the choke which was the limit at the time. This was the early sixties. I haven’t come across them in the TSG library. Is John Randles still alive, does anybody know?

 

[Scud]

I'm sure there is a picture of Ben the day he broke through.

Do we know where that picture is?

 

[pwhole]

I read last night in an old BSA Bulletin, and it states thatJohn Randles took some at the end of the trenches,, the choke which was the limit at the time. This was the early sixties. I haven’t come across them in the TSG library. Is John Randles still alive, does anybody know?

I doubt he is, as he was a mate of Jim R and Peter Tottle, so likely that age group - I think he drew a survey of Oxlow in about 1956, but I guess he could have been twelve or something when he did it

 

[Scud]

I doubt he is, as he was a mate of Jim R and Peter Tottle, so likely that age group - I think he drew a survey of Oxlow in about 1956, but I guess he could have been twelve or something when he did it

If he is no longer with us. Do we know what happened to his records. BCA library maybe?

 

[pwhole]

Sorry, it was Rowter Hole, 1953. In TDF's Castleton Caves book. So even less likely he's still around.

 

[Pitlamp]

I remember meeting John Randles at the Chapel; we had a right good natter. But that was quite a long time ago.

Isn't there a collection of BSA material in the BCL? Might be worth emailing Mary Wilde.

 

[Pitlamp]

Ed Mason would probably be worth asking about John Randles.

 

[Rob]

There's the one I took of Katie for the 2007 SUSS calendar, but I may have to check before sharing that here!

Found it! Dare you to put that in your article!

 

[pwhole]

I thought it might be that one. Luckily the sleazebag editor of The Derbyshire Caver will publish just about anything

 

[pwhole]

There's no photos by John Randles listed in the Glebe Cottage index, just surveys and plans, some done with Les Salmon. I suspect the BSA archive would be the best place to look next.

 

[bograt]

It is very unlikely there are any photo's pre breakthrough, it was before digital and it was not a place you wanted to expose photo gear to, which is why it was not include in my photo project of Peak Cavern.

 

[pwhole]

What's always intrigued me here is which way the sediment got in to fill up most of the passage. Presumably the passage at the top of Egnaro Aven was already partially open when it was found? I have no idea if extreme floods could reach the aven top to wash it out though. Can you remember how far it went before it became a crawl/dig? But if it's the only route off the top of the aven, did the sediment get washed up the aven from the streamway? Seems unlikely.

 

[Pitlamp]

It was Brian Hague and I who first reached the top of Egnaro Aven. We only found one way on, Colostomy Crawl. It was crawling flat out from the start. Initially on "bouncy" mud, then the only way forward was to force oneself along, extruding the silt to either side. The trouble is it flowed back in again behind me and I reached a point where I became quite concerned about getting back out. Part of this concern was fuelled by Brian being much more (ahem) "well fed" than me, so I knew he'd not be able to get to me to help.

From memory I got about 30 m along it that day. Then we went back and I got about 10 m further. But it was a long while back so, if you really want the detail, it's all well described in the CDG litereature. It wasn't really feasible to dig any further from the Speedwell end as it was body tight with nowhere to stack stuff dug out.

It was completely unrecognisable years later when I was next there, when we did the first Titan to Peak through trip. I'd never any need to go through it before then because it was always easier to nip through Treasury Sump instead, with just a mini bottle. Mind you, that can also provide "entertainment" when it's well gravelled up!