Old exploration in Agen Allwedd

[Joe Duxbury]

Chelsea SS have recently been investigating several high-level passages off Main Passage in Agen Allwedd. They have been visited before, but there are no records of who was involved. In one of them is scratched the date 1961 and some initials, 'RR' and 'RS'.
I have not been able to match these with any CSS members from that time, nor do they seem to have been Hereford CC members. Do any of you have any ideas as to who they were?
It was suggested 'RS' might have been Roger Solari, but he was only 12 in 1961.

 

[mikem]

Russell Sullivan (of British Nylon Spinners?) - certainly active with Mel Davies around then. Apparently SWCC have (had) a copy of their Spring 1960 'Signpost' magazine, with an article about Agen Allwedd that may give some names

 

[Joe Duxbury]

Thanks, Mike. BNS were definitely among the likely suspects. Do you know if Russell is still alive? And if so, do you know how I can contact him? I suppose a pm would be the most discreet way.

 

[mikem]

Afraid I have absolutely no idea & the closest I can link him is: http://www.zen159313.zen.co.uk/rfdcc/resources/newsletters/Newsletter_138.pdf
"Gathering our kit and courage together for a descent into the abyss we received startling news. A couple of prospecting Welsh cavers had come across our messy and dangerous hole and had left a message with Ray’s dad – would we like to explore the new discovery WITH THEM! The cheek of it, it is the English who invade Wales not the other way round. The impudent pair turned out to be Mel Davies of the British Nylon Spinners caving club and his mate Russell Sullivan.
On a convenient Saturday we carefully descended the depths and eventually reached the bottom – and water, there was no way on. However we established good relations with Mel and received an invite for conducted trip into Agen Allwed back on Mel’s patch in South Wales. This was our introduction into a Real Cave, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
This intervention by outsiders convinced us that we had better form ourselves into a caving club. The outcome was that eight of us met in the “Foresters” at Mile End near Coleford one evening in November 1964." RFDCC at Wych Elm Hole

 

[Rhys]

SWCC newsletters suggest there was a Rhidian Roberts of Blackwood, Monmouthshire active at that time (Blackwood not being a million miles from the BNS/ICI plant in Pontypool). Right now, I'm afraid I know nothing about him, but he might be RR. https://www.swcc.org.uk/joomla-swcc/images/Documents/Docs_Arch/Newsletter/Newsletter36.pdf - page 3 .

Mel Davies was in BNSSS and SWCC.

 

[mikem]

First mentioned in RFDCC newsletter Nov 1965: Records Officer - Roger A.Solari, which suggests he was caving before that. Minimum age for membership appears to have been 16, but there is nobody with R surname in only membership list, published Nov 1967
SWCC also had Roger Smith, who was an OFD leader at that time, but didn't live locally. He was involved in 1963 dig with Rhidian though
BNSSS did produce a journal in 1959, which may be another source of names

 

[mikem]

Rhidian David Roberts is listed as a new member in above (April 1961), whilst Roger Smith was living in Cheshire (later Cambridge). They are mentioned together on p.201 of: https://www.swcc.org.uk/joomla-swcc...rch/Newsletter/75_Publication/Volume_2-LQ.pdf

 

[Joe Duxbury]

Thanks again, Mike, and Rhys. Rhidian Roberts and Roger Smith together is very promising. I hope the Spring 1960 'Signpost' magazine can give more information.

 

[mikem]

You'd presumably need access to the swcc logbooks for those two, as the newsletters don't seem to give any details.

Just for elimination, the Wessex made 2 visits during 1961, but membership list for that year shows nobody with those initials, although Dr Ron Read, President of the Jamaican caving club did join them, camping there in November, he seems to have stuck to the main passages though