Border Caving Group at CSS Cottage

[The Old Ruminator]

A screen grab from Brian Prewer. Eric Catherine in his usual seat at Fairy Cave Quarry.

[The Old Ruminator]

Another later view. Amazing how open it all looks. Now the cottage is a ruin shaded by trees. I still take a little care of it removing a microwave that was dumped there recently. The abandoned three piece suite I dragged to a corner. Its mouldering away quietly. A bit like me I suppose. After the windows collapsed I brought home a couple of the ancient ham stone lintels to set in the garden.

[The Old Ruminator]

BCG kept their side neat and tidy as there were originally two cottages there. We amalgamated the assets and knocked through the thick wall to join the cottages together. I suppose poor old Eric is long gone but a few of us left from the mid 60's still visit the caves.

[domestosbend]

Stopped off there recently and had a pss against the back wall for old times sake

[dolomite Pete]

I used to go caving with the Border Caving group back in the 70's and remember doing Shatter with Eric Catherine. I tried to find the old cottage when I went climbing in Fairy Cave Quarry recently, but just couldn't remember where it was? Can anyone help?

[mikem]

It was by the small parking area that is locked, just down from the quarry gate. Nothing to see now.

Another image on MCRA: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mendipcaveregistryarchive/6730100509

[rhychydwr1]

It was by the small parking area that is locked, just down from the quarry gate. Nothing to see now.

Another image on MCRA: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mendipcaveregistryarchive/6730100509

Aaaah, those were the days.

[dolomite Pete]

Thanks for the info, and for posting the photos; great memories!

[The Old Ruminator]

It was by the small parking area that is locked, just down from the quarry gate. Nothing to see now.

Another image on MCRA: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mendipcaveregistryarchive/6730100509

I wonder whose car that is in this image. A frog eye Sprite ? There are CSS logos on both doors now so it looks to be after the two clubs amalgamated. I had to laugh at the Freem's Fairy Cave Quarry film as it shows me larking about in the road by the cottage and scampering around the quarry in the 1970,s. A cine film taken by Pete Rose.

[mikem]

The Doc also has this one from the 1980s:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mendipcaveregistryarchive/6730096971/in/album-72157627645114948/