Whozit, Wezzit, Wenzit, TSG Photos

[alastairgott]

Some of these photo's will almost certainly be from Derbyshire, but I have no idea who's in them, when they are from or where they are.


Prompted by a thread asking for a photo of Buster Wright, I dug these out. They were given to me when I took on the role of Treasurer of TSG a few years ago in an envelope marked TSG.


At a pure guess, i'd say late 80's or early 90's but i'm no expert.


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[Pitlamp]

FWIW, here's a few ideas. I suspect they may be earlier than your date suggestion; those giant "cornflake bowl" carbide lamp reflectors went out of use a very long time ago (they were a thing in the later 70s, mainly).

1. Suicide Cave?
4. Possibly Steve Breedon?
5. Rowter?
6. Rowter?
7. Water Icicle?
8. Water Icicle?
13. Moorfurlong?
15. ????? (spooky!)
20. GG.
21. Moorfurlong?
22. Bar Pot?
23. Bar Pot.
24. Possibly Steve Breedon (if around very late 70s / first half of 80s)

[Pitlamp]

If pictures 4 & 24 are more recent than I've assumed, Scud might have an alternative suggestion for the person in them.

[alastairgott]

19 is a bit spooky too

[Mark Wright]

I'd say 5 and 6 are definitely Rowter Hole. 10 is P8.

I'm not convinced Steve Breedon is on any of them.

What cornflake bowl reflectors? They all look like the standard reflectors to me.

Mark

[Pitlamp]

e.g. No 18?

[Mark Wright]

e.g. No 18?

I see what you mean now but I'm not convinced that isn't just a big white blob on the photograph.

I had one of those large reflectors but it was only 4" diameter. If that is a reflector its a lot bigger than that.

Mind you, my eyesight isn't what it used to be.

Mark

[Pitlamp]

The "cornflake bowl" reflectors were 6 inch diameter. Anyone caving with them would be accompanied by the most weird noises as they donged along the passage walls. There were two other disadvantages; the reflector was so big it extended beyond the base of the lamp, so the lamp couldn't be put down on a flat surface without risk of it falling over / going out. Perhaps the biggest disadvantage (over the 4 inch reflector) was that you couldn't light the lamp using the flint with the palm of your hand after cupping the gas, in the standard way with the 4 inch and 2.5 inch reflectors.

I bet younger cavers who've only really known LED lamps are wondering what the heck I'm on about here!    )

The cornflake bowl reflectors did greatly improve the light output from a tiny Premier though.

[Mark Wright]

I can't say as I ever saw anyone with a 6" reflector.

For anyone who is wondering what Pitlamp and I are on about, have a look at this video i've just found on the web.



Mark 

[Alex]

Image 20 could be Hunt pot?

[Fulk]

No Alex, GG (as already suggested by Pitlamp).

[Pitlamp]

Thanks Mark - that was a really useful video clip. The opening words convinced me this bloke really knows what he's talking about!   

[Badlad]

Aye 'appen, and you try telling the kids of today you had to light caves like that - and they won't believe you 

[pwhole]

15 is awesome. I don't know where it is, but I'd like to try whatever the photographer was on 

It's a pity most look as though steeped in tea - they may be able to be re-balanced, though they might be too far gone. I'll have a go at one.

[Fulk]

15 is awesome. I don't know where it is, but I'd like to try whatever the photographer was on

Double (or, maybe, triple exposure), normally accidental when you forgot to wind on the film, something that doesn't happen with digital imaging (unless your camera has a special button for it). It was sometimes used deliberately to create ghostly images

[pwhole]

Oh, I'm familiar with the technique alright - I used to use it myself. Large-format was a dream for that kind of stuff. But that one must be accidental - but the composition is uncanny. Love it.

[Brains]

FWIW, here's a few ideas. I suspect they may be earlier than your date suggestion; those giant "cornflake bowl" carbide lamp reflectors went out of use a very long time ago (they were a thing in the later 70s, mainly).

1. Suicide Cave?
4. Possibly Steve Breedon?
5. Rowter?
6. Rowter?
7. Water Icicle?
8. Water Icicle?
13. Moorfurlong?
15. ????? (spooky!)
20. GG.
21. Moorfurlong?
22. Bar Pot?
23. Bar Pot.
24. Possibly Steve Breedon (if around very late 70s / first half of 80s)

FWIW, my "guesses"
1
2 Jug Holes before the new adit works
3
4
5
6
7 WICC
8 WICC
9
10 P8?
11
12
13 Knotlow climbing shafts - Pearl Chamber???
14 WICC?
15
16 Peak Cavern
17
18 Eldon Hole
19
20 GG
21 ?Same clothing as 22 ???
22 Bar Pot?
23 Bar Pot?
24

[pwhole]

I had a go at cleaning up 17, but there's not a lot of usable colour left once the orange staining is removed! I had a feeling this might be the eastern limit of the upper chamber in (the 'original') Rowter Hole, but there's a climb up a muddy miner's staircase on the left up there and I can't see it, so not sure.

[bograt]

Tend to agree that 24 looks like Steve Breedon in the late 70's, early 80's but I am confused that he is using carbide whilst wearing a wetsuit, at that time I was one of this crew (I introduced Steve to TSG) and Oldhams where usually acquired before wetsuits ? (A few of TSG worked down a mine at the time so Oldhams were readily available  )

[alastairgott]

The “steeped in tea” look might not have been helped by my phone camera and the led desklight I use which sits on the warm/tea side of the colour spectrum rather than the cold/Wkd side of the spectrum.

[A_Northerner]

5 & 6 are almost certainly Rowter.

#12 looks a lot like the far side of the Giants Windpipe, where the "Do Not Dive This Sump It Is In Excess Of 30 Feet" sign is. Rope is going up to Boss Aven I believe.

[2xw]

11 looks like P8 just after the canal immediately post mud hall on the way to the downstream sumps

[pwhole]

Is 9 West Chamber in Oxlow? It looks big enough.

[Pitlamp]

4 and 24 also look a bit like the late Dale Martin but they'd have to be more recent photos than we've been assuming above. (Scud might be able to help here?)