• Kendal Mountain Festival - The Risk Sessions followed by feature film 'Diving into Darkness'

    Saturday, November 23rd 7:30pm and 9pm at The Box - Kendal College.

    Climbing psychologist Dr Rebecca Williams talks with veteran cave diver Geoff Yeadon and 8,000m peak climber Tamara Lunger about their attitude to risk, their motivation and how we can learn to manage the dangers faced in adventure sport. Followed later the same evening - feature film 'Diving into Darkness' An awe-inspiring odyssey about cave diving icon Jill Heinerth and her journey of exploration, resilience and self discovery into the planet's deepest depths.

    Click here for ticket links

Hidden Earth 2018

Les W

Active member
After a lot of work I can confirm that this year's Hidden Earth will be at Churchill Academy, Mendip
21st to 23rd September

It has been extremely difficult to find a venue in Northern Britain this year, with more than 25 venues checked and inspected, but we will persevere for next year.

Les Williams
Hidden Earth Event Manager
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
Well done Les and team - I doubt that many cavers fully appreciate your commitment to make it happen.

Don't apologise; Mendips a grand place to be!  (y)
 

Katie

Active member
Bugger!
I had gambled on it being a week later and have scheduled a full day cave rescue training including cave diving and a team supper for that weekend!
Hmmm, will go contact all those involved in organising it and see if rescheduling is a possibility....
 

kay

Well-known member
Well done Les.

If you do find a Northern venue, would it be possible to consider an "extra" Northern HE to make up for missing out this year?
 

Cave_Troll

Active member
Andyj23UK said:
Katie said:
Hmmm, will go contact all those involved in organising it and see if rescheduling is a possibility....

yup - force HE to reschedule :p

I think she was suggesting contacting the organisers of the training ex.
As one of the organisers, i'd rather be at HE
 

Alex

Well-known member
Mendip again!?? Was it not Mendip last year? Surely there must had been somewhere up north, what about the Leak in the Peak or Dales bridge as that was suitable for Euro Spelo? Even somewhere in the middle would have done, such as Northern Wales, has there ever been an HE there?

Oh well like the government thinks, I guess us northerners don't exist.

I will have to decide if it's worth the drive this time. It depends what/if Mad Phil has to say about China.
 

nobrotson

Active member
Alex said:
Mendip again!?? Was it not Mendip last year? Surely there must had been somewhere up north, what about the Leak in the Peak or Dales bridge as that was suitable for Euro Spelo? Even somewhere in the middle would have done, such as Northern Wales, has there ever been an HE there?

Oh well like the government thinks, I guess us northerners don't exist.

I will have to decide if it's worth the drive this time. It depends what/if Mad Phil has to say about China.

You are being quite obtuse. Do you really think the organisers have spent this long working on finding a venue only to get the same as last years again because that was what they wanted? N, this was the only venue that was available and suitable for HE this year. The organisers of this event put a lot of time in every year to make it happen and your comments don't show much respect for their efforts.
 

Benfool

Active member
Alex read this again.

"After a lot of work I can confirm that this year's Hidden Earth will be at Churchill Academy, Mendip
21st to 23rd September

It has been extremely difficult to find a venue in Northern Britain this year, with more than 25 venues checked and inspected, but we will persevere for next year.

Les Williams
Hidden Earth Event Manager"

I'm sure Les has better things to do than try to waste even more time finding a northern venue for this year - its not as if he has other stuff to do? I believe the reason why its not in Leek this year is because the school changed and is no longer suitable.

If you're so appalled at it being back down on Mendip why dont you offer to try to find a northern venue? I'm sure Les would appreciate the help.

B
 

Les W

Active member
Alex said:
Mendip again!?? Was it not Mendip last year?

Indeed it was..

Alex said:
Surely there must had been somewhere up north

Yes, surely there must.
Perhaps you can spend 8 months of your time ringing around prospective venues and visiting them during working hours to confirm suitability, whilst trying to keep your day job running as well, oh, and some time for enjoyment, caving, a life, etc?

Alex said:
, what about the Leak in the Peak

Well, Leek is no longer suitable, following their redevelopment of part of the site...

Alex said:
or Dales bridge as that was suitable for Euro Spelo?

But Eurospeleo was a very different event and the venue was very expensive, the marquees alone cost over ?20k and the total costs were in excess of ?70k.
Oh, and that was with only one lecture theatre...

Alex said:
Even somewhere in the middle would have done, such as Northern Wales, has there ever been an HE there?

I have spent several months chasing around North Wales, and the North West of England and no suitable venue was found. Either they aren't interested or there are prior bookings or the site is just not suitable...

Alex said:
Oh well like the government thinks, I guess us northerners don't exist.

Well, if I thought Northerners didn't exist then I wouldn't have just spent a vast amount of my time, and money, trying to sort a suitable venue there...

Alex said:
I will have to decide if it's worth the drive this time. It depends what/if Mad Phil has to say about China.

You decide what you want. I can't help you there, but if Mad Phil is your only reason for considering whether to come then why bother to come at all...
The event runs all weekend, has three lecture theatres running through out with a whole host of other stuff going on as well.
All run by volunteers, for the benefit of cavers.
A lot of people give up a lot of time to put on this event...
But if you only want to hear what Mad Phil has to say about China then why not just chat to him in the pub, only cost you a pint and will save the drive
 

alastairgott

Well-known member
*Wonders what Alex would think if they found a venue in Southport. It is the north, but an hour and a half at least from any caves.

I can see it from the perspective of cavers who want to go for a quick caving trip as well.

When it was at Burnley, some slinked off to go caving in the dales.
In leek, some snook off for a session in the Peak.
In Somerset, some commute from the comfort of the Wessex.

Dalesbridge only coped with Eurospeleo due to a herculean effort of everybody helping out. And thankfully the weather turned out ok from Saturday through Thursday.

At the end of September, the weather is a bit more temperamental and the ground is soggier. Probably a lot of consideration there.
 

pwhole

Well-known member
I can't really see the point of 'going to' Hidden Earth, only then to go caving nearby instead, especially when many of us go caving every weekend anyway. Personally the last thing I want to do at a conference is...erm...miss the conference. It's a long way for me too unless I set off walking in a few days, but you never know. Well done to Les and the team for finding anywhere suitable - your efforts are much appreciated.
 

Mark Wright

Well-known member
Well done Les for once again giving up a considerable amount of your time and wages and securing this years Hidden Earth in Mendip.

Churchill is an excellent venue and I will certainly be driving down from the North to run the SRT races again.

Mark

 

Alex

Well-known member
I think the tongue and cheek bit did not come across as I thought it would with the government comment.

I apologise for not realising such a long time was spent, it just seems so unbelievable there is no place in the whole of Northern England and it always seems that it's down South almost every year. I appretiate the amount of work you have put in, I guess if you are spending 8 months you are an unsung hero there. Here's me thinking you just spend a few hours on an evening ringing round lol.

I guessed Mendip was just picked again for ease. It just felt like we are being ignored up here.

The Mad Phil comment was if he needed help with the lecture (as I was on that expo)

Southport? Hmm not completely against it I guess.

Another idea which I assume from the above you have checked then is North East you got the North york moors stuff such as Excalibur pot.
 

Badlad

Administrator
Staff member
When I first attended Hidden Earth, although I think it was called the BCRA Conference then, it was at UMIST in Manchester and it remained there for many years.  It's been at Churchill three out of the last four years if memory serves me correct with only the Eurospeleo event breaking up the run.  So there is a precedent for it to remain in the same location for many years.

I think in an ideal world we'd all like to see it move around the country or the regions and that is clearly the aim of Les and the team.  I do worry, and from what Les says it appears to be true, that there just aren't the venues to run Hidden Earth like it has been in the past.  Is it time for a change of format?  To think outside the box and review what sort of national event can be delivered given the resources available.  Should we consider a larger budget? A different time of year? Do we need camping on site, to run our own bar, a sit down dinner and three lecture theatres?  What about less lectures and more field trips, some caving even.  Does it have to be a single national event, what about a series of smaller events around the regions, Cavefest meets Eurospeleo perhaps, or tie it in with other larger outdoor events.  How about getting regional councils more involved and identifying the event with them.  There are always lots of options and ideas rather than the same old same old.  Happy to work on more ideas if you think it would help and good luck for this year.
 
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