Opportunities for some positive PR?

[Andy Sparrow]

Those involved are very unlikely to take any notice of Mendip cavers or most of those who post on UK caving.  You're a cheeky git to raise this topic when it hasn't anything to do with you - you've not even had the decency to post on the Yorkshire/dales section.

Yes, probably the last thing you want is some opinionated southern tosser sticking his oar in - but that's the point really - if you don't address the issue and take control of it some southern journalist tosser will sure as hell do it for you. 

Prepare your press release and issue it promptly and you have control - the media comes to you and you are ready.  Fudge it and the news leaks out - the media track down any high profile caver (possibly some Mendip tosser) who gets caught off guard and says whatever comes out of his mouth.

Not telling you what to do, just telling it like it is.

 

[jasonbirder]

You're a cheeky git to raise this topic when it hasn't anything to do with you

It'll be a pretty quiet forum if people here are only encouraged to discuss caves they've actually discovered 

 

[mikem]

?Truth is a demure lady, much too ladylike to knock you on your head and drag you to her cave. She is there, but people must want her, and seek her out.?
William F. Buckley

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"If there hadn't been women we'd still be squatting in a cave eating raw meat, because we made civilization in order to impress our girlfriends."
Orson Welles

 

[crickleymal]

You're a cheeky git to raise this topic when it hasn't anything to do with you

It'll be a pretty quiet forum if people here are only encouraged to discuss caves they've actually discovered 

Ding.

 

[David Rose]

I am a "southern journalist tosser," though I've also done quite a bit of caving. Actually, the Three Counties System could provide the opportunity for both a fascinating, in-depth story, and some very positive PR for caving. So I'm going to suggest it to the editors of the Mail on Sunday's Live magazine, which last summer published my piece with brilliant photos from Robbie Shone about exploring La Texa with OUCC. Watch this space!

 

[Bob Smith]

I am a "southern journalist tosser,

Whoa there, either this is a journo reporting the truth,  or a little bit of self deprecation. (sorry off topic but couldn't resist, I'm sure your not really a tosser David.)

 

[potholer]

A system as large as the 3 Counties expands under the land of many different owners who no doubt have a range of views about caves and cavers.  I am not sure that the possibly negative views of a few of these should compel us to keep the greatest achievement in British Caving to ourselves.

There is another point which can't be ignored.  The media will latch on to the 3 Counties thing when it happens and give it their own spin.

I'm trying to remember the past media splurges about various Casterton/Leck connections, but I'm not having much success.

To be honest, while it might be important to some cavers, and of interest to most, I can only see a system maybe being of interest to the general public if someone made a good TV programme about a through-trip from one end to the other, and even then, interest lasting more than a day or two would likely depend greatly on whether anyone famous was involved.

How far are we away from a system which someone known to the public could (would?) do a traverse of?

 

[David Rose]

You mean a 25-carat  celeb? This does raise interesting possibilities. Cheryl Cole? Fabio Capello? Fiona Bruce?

 

[graham]

Nah, s'gotta be Kylie.

 

[Pitlamp]

David Rose - please can you just take a moment to read my posting of the 26th July again and maybe consider whether your plans to sell your story to the Mail are entirely responsible.

I really don't have anything against the journalists' profession - I have read your book about Spanish expeditions and I think it's great. In fact I would go so far as to say that you have provided excellent PR to cavers many times in the past.

But have you considered all implications of going ahead with this? Try to understand what I was hoping to get across in the aformentioned posting. If you don't understand then please feel welcome to PM me and perhaps we could maybe discuss it further off board. I'm a reasonable person and will happily try and explain the situation to which I alluded in more detail.

Thank you.

 

[Pitlamp]

David - many thanks for your PM; I've sent you a reply; if this doesn't get to you for any reason please can you let me know by PM? Thanks.