JRat's logbooks available online

[shanks]

Hi All,

Before Tony Jarratt left us he kindly gave the MCRA permission to photograph and make freely available the contents of all 15 volumes of his personal caving log books, dating from 1964 to 2008 and detailing in meticulous detail all of the caving and digging trips he has been involved in. They make for a fascinating and often entertaining read.

Alan Gray has painstakingly photographed every page and insert within these books for the archive, and these images are now being made available to the general caving community via the MCRA website.

The first two volumes are available online now at http://www.mcra.org.uk/logbooks/ in the form of a picture gallery. The remaining volumes will be uploaded shortly.

The website allows comments to be added to the pictures; please feel free to add your personal notes and observations on the entries, especially if you were there at the time!

Enjoy,

Matt Voysey,
Mendip Cave Registry and Archive.

 

[SamT]

:bow:

That awesome, absolutely awesome.

cheers Jrat, gives me something to peruse on my night shifts.

good effort those involved in scanning/digitising/uploading etc etc 

 

[Rob]

Fantastic, a very worth while project. There will be cave found from this information alone! Thanks to everyone involved.   

One point is that with some sort of indexing system, the information would become amazingly more userfriendly. Obviously this would involve a lot of time, but if some sort of publicly open table could be started, people could plod along with it whenever they feel like it. maybe through the wiki?

Just a simple cave name list with all the pages with which an entry occurs on would be great. i.e.

Duce Hole      Vol2 P134, P140
etc...   

 

[mrodoc]

This has been discussed. I have just dipped into it and found that Jrat started caving at the same time as I did - but has done rather more . However I have kept a log book from then and find it useful for reference although after 40 years or so I could do with an index. I think the Wiki idea is brilliant and could be applied to other books and publications that are not indexed. Dive magazines are bad at this and it makes keeping old ones pretty useless if one wants to conduct a search. I think I will post something on the diving forum about this!

 

[SamT]

I dipped in at random and my god - the first page I hit had bagshawe cavern on.

not only that - but references the upstream sumps which is where our dig and extensions are (see the Peak district round up at HE on sunday).

Page 92 - vol 1.
Im practically speechless.

 

[axbridgecaver]

Fantastic, a very worth while project. There will be cave found from this information alone! Thanks to everyone involved.   

One point is that with some sort of indexing system, the information would become amazingly more userfriendly. Obviously this would involve a lot of time, but if some sort of publicly open table could be started, people could plod along with it whenever they feel like it. maybe through the wiki?

Just a simple cave name list with all the pages with which an entry occurs on would be great. i.e.

Duce Hole      Vol2 P134, P140
etc...   

I have created and complete a database for volume 1 but this took about 20 hours. I'm still thinking about if I can afford the time to complete the other 14. Perhaps a few more positive posts will encourage me!!!

 

[SamT]

hey rob - check out p107 - hollandtwine discoveries - 1971 (you may already know about these)

 

[Slug]

Oh WOW, Vol 1 page 182, the price of the dinner tickets, 25 and 30 bob, ( that's  ? 1:25 and ?1:50 to You Young Pup's  ), a tidy sum though in them days.

 

[Mark]

Absolutely brilliant, What a man, The Jrat memorial lecture should be packed this weekend.

 

[MWH]

Really excellent. All the stuff in North Wales takes me back.

 

[Peter Burgess]

I have created and complete a database for volume 1 but this took about 20 hours. I'm still thinking about if I can afford the time to complete the other 14. Perhaps a few more positive posts will encourage me!!!

Axbridgecaver: Surely this is in hand? Have you not responded to Bob? He told me over the weekend that he has been trying to discuss this with you. I am sitting here, keyboard ready to go! I have also mentioned other ideas. Please contact either of us!

 

[Mrs Trellis]

Well done to everyone concerned. Those names and discoveries bring back many memories!

For Hollandtwine it sounds as though Harold Lord's notebooks may reveal the location of the top of the climbing shaft.

I'm also glad he enjoyed many P.U.'s at the Three Stags. 

On a personal note - in the entry on the "Derbyshire" trip to PSM the name of Wayne "Ricky" Rickett appears. If anyone knows his current whereabouts will they please PM me - nothing sinister - I just want to get in touch.

 

[Glenn]

Check out Vol 1 page 136 - Giants rescue, continues on page 137......

Cheers,

Glenn

 

[damian]

Check out Vol 1 page 136 - Giants rescue, continues on page 137......

Cheers,

Glenn

Brilliant. One of those where I am glad I wasn't there!

 

[Bob Mehew]

Axbridgecaver asked if I would help fill the database and I have sought Pete's help in the first instance.  But it would make the project go faster if we could get some more people involved.  If any one is interested in helping would they PM me (or EMail via rope at british-caving.org.uk)?

many thanks in anticipation.

 

[Mark]

Fantastic, a very worth while project. There will be cave found from this information alone! Thanks to everyone involved.   

One point is that with some sort of indexing system, the information would become amazingly more userfriendly. Obviously this would involve a lot of time, but if some sort of publicly open table could be started, people could plod along with it whenever they feel like it. maybe through the wiki?

Just a simple cave name list with all the pages with which an entry occurs on would be great. i.e.

Duce Hole      Vol2 P134, P140
etc...   

Just look at the last dozen or so pages of each volume its all there, thanks Jrat

 

[j4nny]

Absolutely brilliant, What a man, The Jrat memorial lecture should be packed this weekend.

i attended the lecture and was delighted to find out more about a very special man.

 

[seamoose]

On a personal note - in the entry on the "Derbyshire" trip to PSM the name of Wayne "Ricky" Rickett appears. If anyone knows his current whereabouts will they please PM me - nothing sinister - I just want to get in touch.

I've got Wayne Ricketts details at home somewhere - will PM you later

Jase

 

[ChrisJC]

It makes me laugh how there is a good sprinkling of comments along the lines of 'got pissed at the Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel' or 'bloody good pissup' etc.

Chris.
hr

 

[Peter Burgess]

I don't know about you, but I had the impression that JRat was very much at Hidden Earth this year. I hope he is there for many years to come!