DuncJ
Member
In October 2022 Ged Dodd passed away peacefully at home, aged 83.
Those of you who have been to East Kingsdale may well be familiar with the pitch named after him in Spectacle Pot.
A founder member of the Black Rose Pothole Club (having briefly been a member of the Happy Wanderers), he was active from the late 50s into the 70s, during that time Spectacle Pot was extended, some caves in Furness were pushed and the caves of Storrs Common were investigated, including the rediscovery of The Lost Caverns which resulted in the classic “Tale of two chickens” (Descent 37). The tale also appears in the BRPC Explorations Journal 1976-77, which he masterminded. He was also instrumental in the setting up of the Cave Diggers Union and that group made swift work of the KMC roof tube dig.
Roll forward to 2002 and the start of numerous BRPC reunion dinners, he instigated the reopening, again, of The Lost Caverns, via Bean Pot. It was at the first dinner I met him, we then went on to undertake a very large number of digging trips on Storrs Common from 2002 to 2004.
Ged went on to create the Thursday Club, an “oldies” walking group that regularly met in Bernies and undertook many a walk with a Dales/caving related slant, most frequently accompanied by Pete Cumpsty; another founder member of the BRPC, also sadly passed away. More or less every walk was videoed by Ged, one fine example being a visit to Ingleborough Cave with Bob Jarman.
A keen metal detectorist in his 70s, he became incredibly knowledgeable on Russian Flax Bale Seals, finding a large quantity at Bentham and creating The Peacehavens Project. The collection has now ended up back at Lancaster docks at the maritime museum. Lots of videos of this subject, walking and reunions are all on his YouTube channel.
RIP “Jed”
Those of you who have been to East Kingsdale may well be familiar with the pitch named after him in Spectacle Pot.
A founder member of the Black Rose Pothole Club (having briefly been a member of the Happy Wanderers), he was active from the late 50s into the 70s, during that time Spectacle Pot was extended, some caves in Furness were pushed and the caves of Storrs Common were investigated, including the rediscovery of The Lost Caverns which resulted in the classic “Tale of two chickens” (Descent 37). The tale also appears in the BRPC Explorations Journal 1976-77, which he masterminded. He was also instrumental in the setting up of the Cave Diggers Union and that group made swift work of the KMC roof tube dig.
Roll forward to 2002 and the start of numerous BRPC reunion dinners, he instigated the reopening, again, of The Lost Caverns, via Bean Pot. It was at the first dinner I met him, we then went on to undertake a very large number of digging trips on Storrs Common from 2002 to 2004.
Ged went on to create the Thursday Club, an “oldies” walking group that regularly met in Bernies and undertook many a walk with a Dales/caving related slant, most frequently accompanied by Pete Cumpsty; another founder member of the BRPC, also sadly passed away. More or less every walk was videoed by Ged, one fine example being a visit to Ingleborough Cave with Bob Jarman.
A keen metal detectorist in his 70s, he became incredibly knowledgeable on Russian Flax Bale Seals, finding a large quantity at Bentham and creating The Peacehavens Project. The collection has now ended up back at Lancaster docks at the maritime museum. Lots of videos of this subject, walking and reunions are all on his YouTube channel.
RIP “Jed”
