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Northern Caving - CNCC Newsletter 16 out now
We’re proud to announce publication of our 16th newsletter, covering our work and other northern caving news from June to December this year.
These last six months has seen great proactivity from our volunteers, meaning we have matched the record-breaking 16-pages of the previous issue.
The Old Eldon Hostel
- Thread starter Wolfo
- Start date
"and accessed by an iron ladder."
I remember staying there one night when someone got pissed (just fancy that) and threw up all down the ladder, much to the consternation of those of us waiting at the bottom to go up; 'Never mind', said someone on the platform, 'I'll wash it off' ? and proceeded to do so by peeing down it.
I remember staying there one night when someone got pissed (just fancy that) and threw up all down the ladder, much to the consternation of those of us waiting at the bottom to go up; 'Never mind', said someone on the platform, 'I'll wash it off' ? and proceeded to do so by peeing down it.
Graigwen
Well-known member
A fine account of a night in the Eldon hut in 1967 is given by Mike Harris in "Born in a Perilous Pub" available online at https://www.abercavers.co.uk/thrutch/015/#h-04 - see the chapter headed "1967?69: The Sixties"
"The worst night I have ever spent either above or below ground or even at sea in a small boat, was on one club trip to Derbyshire. We spent one wintry night in the Eldon Club hut behind Woolworth's in Buxton. You know how old foam cushions go after a couple of weeks on a rubbish tip?after the odd dowsing with sump oil, sprout peelings and cat litter? Well such furnishings would have had many years of useful service still left when used as bedding on one of the two bunks that ran the length of the hut. But these were no ordinary bunks, for each provided multiple sleeping accommodation for members and non members, friends and passing individuals that arrived throughout the night. Some quite advanced thinking went into the cooking and heating facilities. Camping gas stoves were used for cooking and this was supplemented with a solid fuel stove which also provided waste heat for the central heating boiler. This was fitted with a header tank, fabricated from a 5 gallon oil can and mounted above the top bunk.
A feature was that the system would get hottest during the early hours of the morning and jet boiling water over the sleeping bodies below. I forget what we paid for this accommodation but I have a feeling that these facilities are no longer available. "
It was just about the coldest I have ever been at night. I slept on top of a trestle table and others were envious. This followed on from arriving at the pub ten minutes before it closed after a trip down P8 in flood that ended up with three lights working in a party of eleven, mainly novices.
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"The worst night I have ever spent either above or below ground or even at sea in a small boat, was on one club trip to Derbyshire. We spent one wintry night in the Eldon Club hut behind Woolworth's in Buxton. You know how old foam cushions go after a couple of weeks on a rubbish tip?after the odd dowsing with sump oil, sprout peelings and cat litter? Well such furnishings would have had many years of useful service still left when used as bedding on one of the two bunks that ran the length of the hut. But these were no ordinary bunks, for each provided multiple sleeping accommodation for members and non members, friends and passing individuals that arrived throughout the night. Some quite advanced thinking went into the cooking and heating facilities. Camping gas stoves were used for cooking and this was supplemented with a solid fuel stove which also provided waste heat for the central heating boiler. This was fitted with a header tank, fabricated from a 5 gallon oil can and mounted above the top bunk.
A feature was that the system would get hottest during the early hours of the morning and jet boiling water over the sleeping bodies below. I forget what we paid for this accommodation but I have a feeling that these facilities are no longer available. "
It was just about the coldest I have ever been at night. I slept on top of a trestle table and others were envious. This followed on from arriving at the pub ten minutes before it closed after a trip down P8 in flood that ended up with three lights working in a party of eleven, mainly novices.
.
Yes the hostel was near a cafe where members could find School girls, and next to a late night 2/3 in the morning gambling den where we only went for the beer when you had the taste for one more. Torchy was one of the snuff group. The hostel was not near Woolworths but behind the O2 shop on the other side of the road, yes the ladder was a railway signal ladder that could be pulled up when the police or others came. The bang could then be hidden in the pot bellied stove, and the school girls handed back. you could do that in the 60's.
Mark Wright
Well-known member
I'm not quite old enough to remember the Eldon Hostel, though I've heard quite a lot about it.
Has anyone got any photographs they can post?
Mark
Has anyone got any photographs they can post?
Mark
tony from suffolk
Well-known member
A group of us stayed there, just the one night...IIRC, you could look out from the bunks down onto the cooking area. In the morning there was a bloke boiling up a bucket of tripe, which smelled bloody awful, and he proceeded to scoff it for breakfast.
I've stayed sthum since the news of Torchys passing, he was a great guy and I could recall many tales, memories and adventures etc that Torchys was part of.
I had the pleasure of living in the hostel for a good many years, in fact the others that resided there with myself were the last inhabitants. We were moved on - evicted if you like when the springs shopping centre was to be built on spring Gardens buxton.
Torchys was hostel warden and he would arrive at the hostel at around 16.30 on a Friday to collect the hut fees(50 p a night) he would every week find no-one there, everyone would have decamped to the pub, when he caught up with us promises to pay next week would be made.
I think I only ever payed my dues 3 times five years.
Torchys was as I said a great guy, an entrapanuer a dealer in things procured by himself.
Often he would turn up with meat in the cut of chops, stewing steak, bacon and black pudding after doing a deal with a buxton butcher, oatcakes at times also arrived as hostel warden he was lenient, as a benefactor he was a star.
Tales from within the hostel would fill a book, maybe I should write one.
T pot
I had the pleasure of living in the hostel for a good many years, in fact the others that resided there with myself were the last inhabitants. We were moved on - evicted if you like when the springs shopping centre was to be built on spring Gardens buxton.
Torchys was hostel warden and he would arrive at the hostel at around 16.30 on a Friday to collect the hut fees(50 p a night) he would every week find no-one there, everyone would have decamped to the pub, when he caught up with us promises to pay next week would be made.
I think I only ever payed my dues 3 times five years.
Torchys was as I said a great guy, an entrapanuer a dealer in things procured by himself.
Often he would turn up with meat in the cut of chops, stewing steak, bacon and black pudding after doing a deal with a buxton butcher, oatcakes at times also arrived as hostel warden he was lenient, as a benefactor he was a star.
Tales from within the hostel would fill a book, maybe I should write one.
T pot
Go for it T, there are so many stories need recording - I had a few from Dave Williams, and I still recall his comment that "an Eldon party was reckoned a flop if the police didn't turn up at some point"
I think the most successful Eldon Stomp was where we had 2 police cars, an ambulance and a dog van turn up! The good old days!
I think the most successful Eldon Stomp was where we had 2 police cars, an ambulance and a dog van turn up! The good old days!
The Rocket
there were a couple of Eldon blokes in the BAOR (ask your Dad) and there seemed to be a competition about who could smuggle the most outrageous thing into the country upon their return.
Anyway, one day a large, military-looking rocket turned up in the hostel. This thing was about 5 feet high, fortunately with no nosecone or warhead, about 9 inches diameter with 4 large plywood fins. Legend has it that it was a French ground to air missile but who knows, it might have been a mock-up. Me and Jeff Morgan (and possibly Bob Toogood) took it to the Stags one snowy night and put it on a table with a candle on top for Mick Durdey's birthday but the ungrateful git didn't want it, so we took it back.
I suggested we bury it nose-down in the police station lawn but that never got anywhere. After a while, we got bored with it and chopped the plywood fins off for the fire, then chucked the body into an industrial bin behind the shops.
Fun times!
there were a couple of Eldon blokes in the BAOR (ask your Dad) and there seemed to be a competition about who could smuggle the most outrageous thing into the country upon their return.
Anyway, one day a large, military-looking rocket turned up in the hostel. This thing was about 5 feet high, fortunately with no nosecone or warhead, about 9 inches diameter with 4 large plywood fins. Legend has it that it was a French ground to air missile but who knows, it might have been a mock-up. Me and Jeff Morgan (and possibly Bob Toogood) took it to the Stags one snowy night and put it on a table with a candle on top for Mick Durdey's birthday but the ungrateful git didn't want it, so we took it back.
I suggested we bury it nose-down in the police station lawn but that never got anywhere. After a while, we got bored with it and chopped the plywood fins off for the fire, then chucked the body into an industrial bin behind the shops.
Fun times!