Andy Sparrow
Active member
Clearly a great deal of time, effort and money has been put into the production of the new BCA newsletter. I'd like to say well done, what a fine publication, good work everybody. I'd like to but I can't. What I'm actually thinking is what a total waste of time and resources. I've seen plenty of dull caving publications but this plumbs new depths. What are we offered? A series of articles that are mind numbingly dull. I tried to wade though the editorial, did my best with 2019 AGM, made a valiant attempt to engage with Students, Young People and the Future of Caving, but had by that point I had lost the will to live. And when it comes to young people - is this publication going to enthrall them? Even dye hard old timers with an interest in caving issues will struggle to wade through it.
If you want to produce a publication that will be read and inspire cavers make it useful. Useful means articles about caves and classic trips. It means rigging topos, it means surveys. It means equipment and techniques. Most cavers don't give a crap about the BCA AGM or how a load of students spent a weekend getting pissed. They want to go caving and they want information that helps them go caving. I realise that any caving magazine depends upon contributions but just possibly if you ask people to write about what excites and inspires them you might get some articles that people will actually want to read, and which will encourage them to get underground.
If you want to produce a publication that will be read and inspire cavers make it useful. Useful means articles about caves and classic trips. It means rigging topos, it means surveys. It means equipment and techniques. Most cavers don't give a crap about the BCA AGM or how a load of students spent a weekend getting pissed. They want to go caving and they want information that helps them go caving. I realise that any caving magazine depends upon contributions but just possibly if you ask people to write about what excites and inspires them you might get some articles that people will actually want to read, and which will encourage them to get underground.