Yes, we know it's 2020 now, but the merchandise design is great, so it needs another airing, and if you missed your centenary clothing/merchandise offer but would like some more, let us know and we'll see what can be arranged. We know a couple of people who would like stuff, but it seems to be an order of more than four to start with, then the more we order, the cheaper it gets.
It's been another busy month for the club, and we'll report on some of that here, but we're also mega busy too (Mia's been caving a lot in Mendip and Linda is up to her eyes in risk assessments and staircases, see latter!), but we've done our best to get something to you on time. No political rants this time, we're feeling chilled and mellow. Actually, that's probably a lie, but bear with us....
By the way, everyone is clearly rubbish at Monty Python references. (Nathan, how did you miss this one?) There were a couple of guesses at last month's random prize but no one got the money shot. The woodpile title "A Woody Tale (not a Tinny Tale) came from Series Four of Monty Python's Flying Circus. It's an absolute classic! Graham was miffed as he was disallowed from entering because Linda knew he knew the answer. Keep an eye out for this month's Random Prize. Trust us, they are worth winning! Would we lie to you? Nope, don't answer that one...
Something of an Irish theme emerged this time, but if you're just here for Museum news (of course you are!!), scroll to the bottom first, we've worked damned hard on this, so do take a look! And, as ever, recognition and adulation for the first person to reach the bottom after reading all of this tome.
So if you have anything for future newsletters, please let us know. We're always at home to more content, and it saves us having to nag. We're really good at that when we have time. But again, please please don't be offended if we can't use everything every time, it's always a judgement call as to what fits best. We're trying to keep track of everything, but if you think your bit has waited too long, prod one of us and we'll check the system hasn't gone wrong somewhere. Yes, I know, cavers who have a system, it'll no doubt only end in tears.
Back issues of this newsletter can be found here.
It's been another busy month for the club, and we'll report on some of that here, but we're also mega busy too (Mia's been caving a lot in Mendip and Linda is up to her eyes in risk assessments and staircases, see latter!), but we've done our best to get something to you on time. No political rants this time, we're feeling chilled and mellow. Actually, that's probably a lie, but bear with us....
By the way, everyone is clearly rubbish at Monty Python references. (Nathan, how did you miss this one?) There were a couple of guesses at last month's random prize but no one got the money shot. The woodpile title "A Woody Tale (not a Tinny Tale) came from Series Four of Monty Python's Flying Circus. It's an absolute classic! Graham was miffed as he was disallowed from entering because Linda knew he knew the answer. Keep an eye out for this month's Random Prize. Trust us, they are worth winning! Would we lie to you? Nope, don't answer that one...
Something of an Irish theme emerged this time, but if you're just here for Museum news (of course you are!!), scroll to the bottom first, we've worked damned hard on this, so do take a look! And, as ever, recognition and adulation for the first person to reach the bottom after reading all of this tome.
So if you have anything for future newsletters, please let us know. We're always at home to more content, and it saves us having to nag. We're really good at that when we have time. But again, please please don't be offended if we can't use everything every time, it's always a judgement call as to what fits best. We're trying to keep track of everything, but if you think your bit has waited too long, prod one of us and we'll check the system hasn't gone wrong somewhere. Yes, I know, cavers who have a system, it'll no doubt only end in tears.
Back issues of this newsletter can be found here.
Linda and Mia
AGM AND ANNUAL DINNER - SATURDAY 14th MARCH 2020
No, it won't look anything like this.
If you haven't signed up for the dinner, we're sorry, but the deadline has passed and Jenny has given menu choices to The Square, so that's done and dusted. But if you missed out, there will be a chance to socialise in a pub beforehand and almost certainly an after party somewhere, there always is, and someone will send a message sometime the week before, so watch any emails/mailchimp messages, etc etc. And if you have any thoughts about where to hold future dinners, please let someone know. The aim is to be as inclusive as possible, which is why there is a very hefty subsidy for students and recent graduates. This is usually paid for out of the Oliver Lloyd Memorial Fund as we do have several donors who have specified they would like their donations spent on this if we can. So thanks to everyone who donates to that. Yes, we will be asking for more money at some point, but we need to run our sticky mitts through last year's successful fund-raising before we embark on Phase Two of Meeting Our Self-Imposed Targets. OK, fund raising plug now over, so onto the details...
Er, actually, details are still a bit vague. Sorry, we'll explain...
We're hoping to have The Stables usable again by then, but that really is a long story, see later. But let's pretend for a moment that we might actually achieve the seemingly impossible, and if we do it'll be the same as we advertised last time, with some added details, so read on....
AGM
This is mandatory, no excuses!! It won't take long but we do have to deliver some reports and elect a committee. (Then at the committee meeting a week or so afterwards we deal with all the bits not mandated by the constitutional, like social secs, museum curator, librarian etc etc. So even if you're name isn't against a committee position, that's not because you've been snubbed, it just means you get dragged in a week later to do something else.
Start time: 10.30am
Location: The Stables, behind 21 Woodland Road. Find the entrance to 21, follow the internal access road round to the right, under the glass bridge, following the Prayer Room signs. You'll see a big covered bike shed to the left when you find the Prayer Rooms, we're the building on the left. We don't have a sign saying Library and Museum on the door for security reasons. Yes, thefts from museums are a Big Thing).
Duration: AGM first. There will be a sweepstake for length, if we get around to it. Entry £1 per head, guess the length of talkie bits. Free UBSS pen for all entrants. We can't say fairer than that, can we? Followed by a talk. It will be on something relating to caving. Cut us some slack, we've all been busy. If we fail to find a speaker we will busk it by means of interpretative dance, in six languages.
The Talk: Haydon with be Talking About Something. Come on, guys, if that doesn't draw you in, what will? Naked chair squeezing? OK, we don't rule it out, but don't hold us to it.
The Possible Snags: Yep, it's still the same possible snag. We currently have a museum to move back in place by then but it should, if all goes according to plan, work. See later for more news. Bear with us on this, it's complicated.
The Random Prize: Yes, there will be one for something. Trust us on this. We promised last time, and it's easier to amend a cut and paste than to write from scratch.
THE DINNER
For those who are coming, follow any instructions that get sent out in the next two weeks. We talked about a dress code at the Hut in January and the end result was that we think it's nice to dress up once in a while, to prove we can do glam as well as mud. BUT if you haven't got dressy or don't feel comfortable, it's fine to come in what you feel happy in. No one will judge you. (And yes, we are serious about that. Inclusivity matters). If you'd like to check anything with Mia or Linda, then just ask. We don't bite. Unless you ask us to. At one stage, all the younger males had a habit of turning up in dresses. They looked good. The restaurants used to be mildly puzzled, but no one ever complained. Apart from the Incident with the Daffodil Throwing. More on that later...
And afterwards, we'd like feedback on what you thought re venue, meal etc. We're not precious about where it's held BUT past experience has taught us that it's hard to find places that will take large groups at reasonable prices, so we do need to think almost a year ahead otherwise it gets stressful. This is a job for the incoming committee to think about after assessing what worked and didn't work this year, but we do need that feedback.
No, it won't look anything like this.
If you haven't signed up for the dinner, we're sorry, but the deadline has passed and Jenny has given menu choices to The Square, so that's done and dusted. But if you missed out, there will be a chance to socialise in a pub beforehand and almost certainly an after party somewhere, there always is, and someone will send a message sometime the week before, so watch any emails/mailchimp messages, etc etc. And if you have any thoughts about where to hold future dinners, please let someone know. The aim is to be as inclusive as possible, which is why there is a very hefty subsidy for students and recent graduates. This is usually paid for out of the Oliver Lloyd Memorial Fund as we do have several donors who have specified they would like their donations spent on this if we can. So thanks to everyone who donates to that. Yes, we will be asking for more money at some point, but we need to run our sticky mitts through last year's successful fund-raising before we embark on Phase Two of Meeting Our Self-Imposed Targets. OK, fund raising plug now over, so onto the details...
Er, actually, details are still a bit vague. Sorry, we'll explain...
We're hoping to have The Stables usable again by then, but that really is a long story, see later. But let's pretend for a moment that we might actually achieve the seemingly impossible, and if we do it'll be the same as we advertised last time, with some added details, so read on....
AGM
This is mandatory, no excuses!! It won't take long but we do have to deliver some reports and elect a committee. (Then at the committee meeting a week or so afterwards we deal with all the bits not mandated by the constitutional, like social secs, museum curator, librarian etc etc. So even if you're name isn't against a committee position, that's not because you've been snubbed, it just means you get dragged in a week later to do something else.
Start time: 10.30am
Location: The Stables, behind 21 Woodland Road. Find the entrance to 21, follow the internal access road round to the right, under the glass bridge, following the Prayer Room signs. You'll see a big covered bike shed to the left when you find the Prayer Rooms, we're the building on the left. We don't have a sign saying Library and Museum on the door for security reasons. Yes, thefts from museums are a Big Thing).
Duration: AGM first. There will be a sweepstake for length, if we get around to it. Entry £1 per head, guess the length of talkie bits. Free UBSS pen for all entrants. We can't say fairer than that, can we? Followed by a talk. It will be on something relating to caving. Cut us some slack, we've all been busy. If we fail to find a speaker we will busk it by means of interpretative dance, in six languages.
The Talk: Haydon with be Talking About Something. Come on, guys, if that doesn't draw you in, what will? Naked chair squeezing? OK, we don't rule it out, but don't hold us to it.
The Possible Snags: Yep, it's still the same possible snag. We currently have a museum to move back in place by then but it should, if all goes according to plan, work. See later for more news. Bear with us on this, it's complicated.
The Random Prize: Yes, there will be one for something. Trust us on this. We promised last time, and it's easier to amend a cut and paste than to write from scratch.
THE DINNER
For those who are coming, follow any instructions that get sent out in the next two weeks. We talked about a dress code at the Hut in January and the end result was that we think it's nice to dress up once in a while, to prove we can do glam as well as mud. BUT if you haven't got dressy or don't feel comfortable, it's fine to come in what you feel happy in. No one will judge you. (And yes, we are serious about that. Inclusivity matters). If you'd like to check anything with Mia or Linda, then just ask. We don't bite. Unless you ask us to. At one stage, all the younger males had a habit of turning up in dresses. They looked good. The restaurants used to be mildly puzzled, but no one ever complained. Apart from the Incident with the Daffodil Throwing. More on that later...
And afterwards, we'd like feedback on what you thought re venue, meal etc. We're not precious about where it's held BUT past experience has taught us that it's hard to find places that will take large groups at reasonable prices, so we do need to think almost a year ahead otherwise it gets stressful. This is a job for the incoming committee to think about after assessing what worked and didn't work this year, but we do need that feedback.
MIDWEEK SWILDON’S TRIP REPORT
The eagle-eyed among you all will spot that this probably isn't a photo of Swildon's. That's because a) we didn't have an underground shot from the trip and b) because Linda has squirrelled away a lot of really nice photos that people have sent us for the newsletter, and this is one by and from Mark Tringham. There will be A Prize for anyone who can identify the location. PS Mark, can you remind me where this was taken?
On the first Wednesday of the month, Merryn, Imogen, Henry, Sam and I ventured to Swildon’s for a faff-tacular evening.
After cooking up some Bolognese in the UBSS hut, we drove over to the barn on Priddy Green to get changed and discovered that we were missing an oversuit. I think we can all agree that pointing fingers is unfair, and all I have to say on this is that as the new tackle warden all I can do is try my best – I am but a simple fresher, after all.
Sam, our hero, volunteered to sit out so that the rest of us could still go caving, so Henry drove him back to the hut to begin his slow descent into solitary madness. Meanwhile, Merryn, Imogen and I were left alone to wreak havoc underground. We took our time dawdling towards the ladder pitch which we hadn’t even reached by the time Henry joined us, even though he drove the long way towards Cheddar. It took him 10 minutes to catch us up once he entered the cave. This is another piece of information that I don’t see the need to dwell on.
The passages of Swildon’s were blessed with our enthusiastic chorus that covered a full variety of acapella versions of caving songs, a round of ‘I like the flowers’, some Queen and even a dabble in opera singing. Spectacularly, I managed to fall in both pools; Imogen thought it was on purpose, Merryn was concerned, Henry simply laughed, and I was wet. We didn’t get to sump 1 in the end, but it was time to turn around when Imogen warned us that she was going to get grumpy. She made lots of interesting noises as she dragged herself out of the cave, flopping over rocks and forgetting completely how to use her limbs. Because of her noises, I became stuck mid-climb as I was laughing too much at her to move.
Alas, all survived, and we made a pit stop to the shop on the way back to buy Sam some sympathy beer (let’s ignore the fact that we used his money for this) and some much-needed snacks. Merryn headed back to Bristol very early the next morning on Henry’s bike (which was not adjusted to her height). She took many wrong turns and missed her 9am lecture but in her very Merryn way didn’t even care because the route was very sunny and pretty.
“It’s a blessed day!” – Merryn Matthews; Thurs 5th Feb 2020.
The eagle-eyed among you all will spot that this probably isn't a photo of Swildon's. That's because a) we didn't have an underground shot from the trip and b) because Linda has squirrelled away a lot of really nice photos that people have sent us for the newsletter, and this is one by and from Mark Tringham. There will be A Prize for anyone who can identify the location. PS Mark, can you remind me where this was taken?
On the first Wednesday of the month, Merryn, Imogen, Henry, Sam and I ventured to Swildon’s for a faff-tacular evening.
After cooking up some Bolognese in the UBSS hut, we drove over to the barn on Priddy Green to get changed and discovered that we were missing an oversuit. I think we can all agree that pointing fingers is unfair, and all I have to say on this is that as the new tackle warden all I can do is try my best – I am but a simple fresher, after all.
Sam, our hero, volunteered to sit out so that the rest of us could still go caving, so Henry drove him back to the hut to begin his slow descent into solitary madness. Meanwhile, Merryn, Imogen and I were left alone to wreak havoc underground. We took our time dawdling towards the ladder pitch which we hadn’t even reached by the time Henry joined us, even though he drove the long way towards Cheddar. It took him 10 minutes to catch us up once he entered the cave. This is another piece of information that I don’t see the need to dwell on.
The passages of Swildon’s were blessed with our enthusiastic chorus that covered a full variety of acapella versions of caving songs, a round of ‘I like the flowers’, some Queen and even a dabble in opera singing. Spectacularly, I managed to fall in both pools; Imogen thought it was on purpose, Merryn was concerned, Henry simply laughed, and I was wet. We didn’t get to sump 1 in the end, but it was time to turn around when Imogen warned us that she was going to get grumpy. She made lots of interesting noises as she dragged herself out of the cave, flopping over rocks and forgetting completely how to use her limbs. Because of her noises, I became stuck mid-climb as I was laughing too much at her to move.
Alas, all survived, and we made a pit stop to the shop on the way back to buy Sam some sympathy beer (let’s ignore the fact that we used his money for this) and some much-needed snacks. Merryn headed back to Bristol very early the next morning on Henry’s bike (which was not adjusted to her height). She took many wrong turns and missed her 9am lecture but in her very Merryn way didn’t even care because the route was very sunny and pretty.
“It’s a blessed day!” – Merryn Matthews; Thurs 5th Feb 2020.
Mia
UPDATE ON UBSS IRELAND TRIP 2020
Rory Colville in Coolagh River Cave. Photo by Eleanor Conole.
Planning for the next Irish trip is under way. If you're on Facebook, there's a poll up for dates. Take a look if you can and fill that in asap if you're interested. If you're not in thrall to Mr Zuckerberg, email Ash and have a chat. The caves are mostly wet and horizontal, but there's plenty of sporting stuff, too, so there will be something for everyone, and Ash promises faithfully not to make everyone survey very tight wet caves for the entire time. Work on the new book Caves of Everywhere in the South That We Haven't Already Done is already well under way despite Graham saying he'd never do another one again. See below. That resolve lasted at least five minutes and one pint of Guinness. There's the prospect of some really good caves in Kerry as well, including Crag Cave beyond the show cave.
Rory Colville in Coolagh River Cave. Photo by Eleanor Conole.
Planning for the next Irish trip is under way. If you're on Facebook, there's a poll up for dates. Take a look if you can and fill that in asap if you're interested. If you're not in thrall to Mr Zuckerberg, email Ash and have a chat. The caves are mostly wet and horizontal, but there's plenty of sporting stuff, too, so there will be something for everyone, and Ash promises faithfully not to make everyone survey very tight wet caves for the entire time. Work on the new book Caves of Everywhere in the South That We Haven't Already Done is already well under way despite Graham saying he'd never do another one again. See below. That resolve lasted at least five minutes and one pint of Guinness. There's the prospect of some really good caves in Kerry as well, including Crag Cave beyond the show cave.
MENDIP WEEKEND
Is Roman giving a sermon or trying to warm up? You'll have to forgive your editors if not all pictures and captions are in the right places. Mia wrote most of her part on a train yesterday and Linda accidentally got up at 5am to finish her bits. Yes, having your phone by the bedside with an alarm set can be a mixed blessing, especially when someone (not UBSS) WhatsApps at an anti-social hour.
On the weekend of the 21st February, UBSS stormed the beloved hut for a classic Mendip weekend.
The generator’s absence was no problem for us as we were equipped with DJ Fresh’s fully charged wireless speaker, and together we had the new experience of Eminem by candlelight. Henry and Merryn, victims to the unforgiving whims of coronavirus, took a nap in the married quarters with an alarm set for 11:30pm to wake up for his birthday.
We all enjoyed shop-bought birthday cake (we were too ill to make one) and fizzy French wine, followed by a rigorous physics experiment which involved making the cork pop out by heating the bottle in the fire. It was truly captivating.
Some intimate moments were shared when trying to squeeze our way through chairs. By intimate moments, I mean Simon doing lots of thrusting at helpless freshers. Editor's Note, the Risk Assessment for this activity states: In case of accident, break chair. Axes should not be used for this purpose. If in doubt, consult someone else before taking any action.
The next day, the majority had a nice trip in GB, while the birthday boy took Sam and I on an adventure to the Swan as an alternative to his original plan of doing 20 caves for his 20th birthday. Later on though, Sam and Henry did a trip in Swildon’s, running through it as fast as they possibly could.
Henry in Goatchurch after the latest round of budget cuts to the tackle store. Expect a request for more funding very soon. If you think we need more kit, speak to Mia.
That evening, more beer and tunes were enjoyed until it was decided that we’d all do Goatchurch with only a single flame to light our way. This experience enabled us to get in touch with our primitive side, as displayed by Simon who fed beer from his own mouth into Henry’s. Henry was faced with the challenge of keeping our torch alight, using a mug of melted wax which kept cooling down. We were repeatedly plunged into darkness each time the flame went out, though the stragglers at the back probably wouldn’t have noticed a difference.
Thanks to Geoff Fuller for this shot from the 1950s, to prove that this sort of thing is a normal part of caving. OK, no tea towels were harmed in the 1950s but the principle is the same.
Drama heightened as we started to climb our way out, scrambling over the slippery rock rubbed raw by the tread of many scouts. It was at this moment when the tea towel held around the mug really started burning up, and was strewn across the rock in two flaming pieces, which we then had to somehow climb around. The trip reached its climax when Roman exited the cave and upon doing so knocked the mug which was precariously placed just at the entrance back underground. DISCLAIMER: all mug shards and singed rags were recovered.
Left to right: Simon, Esther, Imogen, Merryn, Ash, and Roman. Roman is the only one in focus because he is the prettiest.
On Sunday, all but two ventured to the Plume of Feathers for a cheeky pint. Simon and I took on Bath/Rods, doing a route through the Hanging Rock Garden and the Murlis Loop. This was an extremely awkward trip. To begin with, our rope was slightly too short to comfortably abseil down, but Simon quickly resolved the issue with his speleological genius. After reaching the main passage, we took off to a very squashy and angular climb, where an inconveniently positioned rock had to be straddled and slithered over at the top.
Imogen looking clean.
Next, we tried to decipher the route by jigsawing the soaked pieces of Si's printout together and then we took on the squeezes. Indeed, it was a peculiar experience to be in a squeeze simultaneous to trying not to fall into a deep drop, attached to a traverse line by a crab. We emerged extremely muddy and triumphant, overall having done a rather relaxed trip, even though it was tight.
Is Roman giving a sermon or trying to warm up? You'll have to forgive your editors if not all pictures and captions are in the right places. Mia wrote most of her part on a train yesterday and Linda accidentally got up at 5am to finish her bits. Yes, having your phone by the bedside with an alarm set can be a mixed blessing, especially when someone (not UBSS) WhatsApps at an anti-social hour.
On the weekend of the 21st February, UBSS stormed the beloved hut for a classic Mendip weekend.
The generator’s absence was no problem for us as we were equipped with DJ Fresh’s fully charged wireless speaker, and together we had the new experience of Eminem by candlelight. Henry and Merryn, victims to the unforgiving whims of coronavirus, took a nap in the married quarters with an alarm set for 11:30pm to wake up for his birthday.
We all enjoyed shop-bought birthday cake (we were too ill to make one) and fizzy French wine, followed by a rigorous physics experiment which involved making the cork pop out by heating the bottle in the fire. It was truly captivating.
Some intimate moments were shared when trying to squeeze our way through chairs. By intimate moments, I mean Simon doing lots of thrusting at helpless freshers. Editor's Note, the Risk Assessment for this activity states: In case of accident, break chair. Axes should not be used for this purpose. If in doubt, consult someone else before taking any action.
The next day, the majority had a nice trip in GB, while the birthday boy took Sam and I on an adventure to the Swan as an alternative to his original plan of doing 20 caves for his 20th birthday. Later on though, Sam and Henry did a trip in Swildon’s, running through it as fast as they possibly could.
Henry in Goatchurch after the latest round of budget cuts to the tackle store. Expect a request for more funding very soon. If you think we need more kit, speak to Mia.
That evening, more beer and tunes were enjoyed until it was decided that we’d all do Goatchurch with only a single flame to light our way. This experience enabled us to get in touch with our primitive side, as displayed by Simon who fed beer from his own mouth into Henry’s. Henry was faced with the challenge of keeping our torch alight, using a mug of melted wax which kept cooling down. We were repeatedly plunged into darkness each time the flame went out, though the stragglers at the back probably wouldn’t have noticed a difference.
Thanks to Geoff Fuller for this shot from the 1950s, to prove that this sort of thing is a normal part of caving. OK, no tea towels were harmed in the 1950s but the principle is the same.
Drama heightened as we started to climb our way out, scrambling over the slippery rock rubbed raw by the tread of many scouts. It was at this moment when the tea towel held around the mug really started burning up, and was strewn across the rock in two flaming pieces, which we then had to somehow climb around. The trip reached its climax when Roman exited the cave and upon doing so knocked the mug which was precariously placed just at the entrance back underground. DISCLAIMER: all mug shards and singed rags were recovered.
Left to right: Simon, Esther, Imogen, Merryn, Ash, and Roman. Roman is the only one in focus because he is the prettiest.
On Sunday, all but two ventured to the Plume of Feathers for a cheeky pint. Simon and I took on Bath/Rods, doing a route through the Hanging Rock Garden and the Murlis Loop. This was an extremely awkward trip. To begin with, our rope was slightly too short to comfortably abseil down, but Simon quickly resolved the issue with his speleological genius. After reaching the main passage, we took off to a very squashy and angular climb, where an inconveniently positioned rock had to be straddled and slithered over at the top.
Imogen looking clean.
Next, we tried to decipher the route by jigsawing the soaked pieces of Si's printout together and then we took on the squeezes. Indeed, it was a peculiar experience to be in a squeeze simultaneous to trying not to fall into a deep drop, attached to a traverse line by a crab. We emerged extremely muddy and triumphant, overall having done a rather relaxed trip, even though it was tight.
Mia
SUNDAY TRIP TO OFD
Stalagmite: The Trident. Stalactite: Mia. You will note that Mia is the one in red. This is a practice piece for the UBSS shadow puppet show. Sam might direct this. Or he might not.
Haydon took Merryn and I on a Sunday trip to OFD top.
Storm Denis was nowhere in sight, except for in the BBC weather warnings that my concerned mum was sending to me on the whole journey there (and lots of rain, but this wasn’t particularly remarkable given that we were in Wales). We cooked up some bacon sandwiches in the SWCC (pro tip: chutney works well in bacon sandwiches) and met a very nice and wet dog called Mavis. Then, we promptly got underground for a casual little bimble, checkpointing Big Chamber Near the Entrance, the Alligator, Gnome Passage, the Corkscrew, Salubrious Streamway, Trident, and the Judge.
Mavis. As many UBSS members will know, dogs are important at SWCC (apart from when they're banned, but that's another story). Who remembers Bouncer? And Joppo's Springer spaniels? In fact there might well be a random prize for anyone who can tell us why Bouncer was called Bouncer and why his owner ended up being called Toby. Yes, Graham, you can enter this one. But not until 15 minutes after the newsletter goes live.
It was a good trip for Merryn and I, keeping in mind that we will inevitably be leading the next generation of freshers through routes much like this one. After pointing out each area of interest on our way in and giving us some tips, Haydon decided that Merryn and I would lead the way out.
Haydon was, as necessary, an arsehole, refusing to give any guidance to enhance our learning experience. Fortunately, we did in fact exit the cave, and even nabbed ourselves some second-hand caving gear in Cardiff on the way back!
Stalagmite: The Trident. Stalactite: Mia. You will note that Mia is the one in red. This is a practice piece for the UBSS shadow puppet show. Sam might direct this. Or he might not.
Haydon took Merryn and I on a Sunday trip to OFD top.
Storm Denis was nowhere in sight, except for in the BBC weather warnings that my concerned mum was sending to me on the whole journey there (and lots of rain, but this wasn’t particularly remarkable given that we were in Wales). We cooked up some bacon sandwiches in the SWCC (pro tip: chutney works well in bacon sandwiches) and met a very nice and wet dog called Mavis. Then, we promptly got underground for a casual little bimble, checkpointing Big Chamber Near the Entrance, the Alligator, Gnome Passage, the Corkscrew, Salubrious Streamway, Trident, and the Judge.
Mavis. As many UBSS members will know, dogs are important at SWCC (apart from when they're banned, but that's another story). Who remembers Bouncer? And Joppo's Springer spaniels? In fact there might well be a random prize for anyone who can tell us why Bouncer was called Bouncer and why his owner ended up being called Toby. Yes, Graham, you can enter this one. But not until 15 minutes after the newsletter goes live.
It was a good trip for Merryn and I, keeping in mind that we will inevitably be leading the next generation of freshers through routes much like this one. After pointing out each area of interest on our way in and giving us some tips, Haydon decided that Merryn and I would lead the way out.
Haydon was, as necessary, an arsehole, refusing to give any guidance to enhance our learning experience. Fortunately, we did in fact exit the cave, and even nabbed ourselves some second-hand caving gear in Cardiff on the way back!
DIGGING IN PIERRE'S POT
Yep still happening, but prising reports out of people is hard, so we made this one up in the hope of setting a good example. And photos would be good, too.
Recently some of our cavers have been doing a dig in Pierre’s – namely, Elaine, Simon, Henry and Ash (I think). The information to report on at the moment is that it has been very muddy and claustrophobic. I believe the gang are in need of more cavers to help haul - keen freshers, please get in touch with anyone above!
We’ll keep digging!
Yep still happening, but prising reports out of people is hard, so we made this one up in the hope of setting a good example. And photos would be good, too.
Recently some of our cavers have been doing a dig in Pierre’s – namely, Elaine, Simon, Henry and Ash (I think). The information to report on at the moment is that it has been very muddy and claustrophobic. I believe the gang are in need of more cavers to help haul - keen freshers, please get in touch with anyone above!
We’ll keep digging!
BOOK LAUNCH - PARTY TIME!
This is the volume that covers the Bristol area, as the poster says, so really relevant to us as a club! Think of all the holes in Bristol to crawl down. You'll never feel the need to go to Yorkshire again.
OK, we lied, but there's still a hell of a lot of open holes in and around Bristol that you can do without getting arrested. If you do get arrested, don't call Linda. She didn't do criminal law and all she can advise is to keep saying 'No Comment' which doesn't always go down with the boys in blue. A charming smile and the words "Caving ladders, Officer." are your best defence when asked what's in the bag. (Yes, that's a real quote. Mick Seavers, 2am on morning in Southmead 1977/78? after pirating Pen Park Hole when access was under a concrete slab. Graham, Charlie and Mick were on the trip. Charlie hid in the bushes when they all got challenged by the police. Mick opened the bag to show muddy ladders and Graham tried to look innocent.) That counts as one of our 100 Memories!
If you want to go, Graham and I have three car spaces available, so drop me an email.
This is the volume that covers the Bristol area, as the poster says, so really relevant to us as a club! Think of all the holes in Bristol to crawl down. You'll never feel the need to go to Yorkshire again.
OK, we lied, but there's still a hell of a lot of open holes in and around Bristol that you can do without getting arrested. If you do get arrested, don't call Linda. She didn't do criminal law and all she can advise is to keep saying 'No Comment' which doesn't always go down with the boys in blue. A charming smile and the words "Caving ladders, Officer." are your best defence when asked what's in the bag. (Yes, that's a real quote. Mick Seavers, 2am on morning in Southmead 1977/78? after pirating Pen Park Hole when access was under a concrete slab. Graham, Charlie and Mick were on the trip. Charlie hid in the bushes when they all got challenged by the police. Mick opened the bag to show muddy ladders and Graham tried to look innocent.) That counts as one of our 100 Memories!
If you want to go, Graham and I have three car spaces available, so drop me an email.
Linda
FEBRUARY SOCIAL
Caving's not just about caving. Films play a part, even films that aren't about caving, but don't get us started on The Descent. Really don't, not if you value your sanity.
A movie and drinking games social saw a massive turnout at Henry’s house, which comprised of Henry and myself, later blessed by the presence Sam and Imogen who were so kind to show their faces an hour late. Many minutes passed as we pained over film choices, eventually settling for the Horrible Histories Movie, which was an experience, to say the least. See below for reviews:
"It was dirty, it should be rated 18+." – Henry Morgan
“Greatest piece of film ever made; Lee Mack should get an Oscar. Also the Celt girl and Roman bloke defo shagged. Rated F for flirty banter.” – Samuel Bowers
“More British actors in one place than the BAFTAs. Lee Mack should not get an Oscar. Alexander Armstrong from Pointless should.” – Imogen Clement-Jones
Upon finishing that spectacle, the group was feeling sufficiently hyped for a trip to the Sainsbury’s Local. I dozed on the sofa while the others painted the town red (or rather, orange), stocking up on ingredients for homemade mojitos and a fat box of Lemsip. Although I was suffering massively of an illness which has been diagnosed by many fellow cavers as coronavirus, I couldn’t resist the minty fresh taste of a mojito, and enjoyed a top class combo of the warm, synthetic Lemsippy flavour that we all love and the magical healing powers of rum. I cannot give much more of an account on this social since I spent the rest of it asleep on the sofa.
She's got the UBSS illness.
Caving's not just about caving. Films play a part, even films that aren't about caving, but don't get us started on The Descent. Really don't, not if you value your sanity.
A movie and drinking games social saw a massive turnout at Henry’s house, which comprised of Henry and myself, later blessed by the presence Sam and Imogen who were so kind to show their faces an hour late. Many minutes passed as we pained over film choices, eventually settling for the Horrible Histories Movie, which was an experience, to say the least. See below for reviews:
"It was dirty, it should be rated 18+." – Henry Morgan
“Greatest piece of film ever made; Lee Mack should get an Oscar. Also the Celt girl and Roman bloke defo shagged. Rated F for flirty banter.” – Samuel Bowers
“More British actors in one place than the BAFTAs. Lee Mack should not get an Oscar. Alexander Armstrong from Pointless should.” – Imogen Clement-Jones
Upon finishing that spectacle, the group was feeling sufficiently hyped for a trip to the Sainsbury’s Local. I dozed on the sofa while the others painted the town red (or rather, orange), stocking up on ingredients for homemade mojitos and a fat box of Lemsip. Although I was suffering massively of an illness which has been diagnosed by many fellow cavers as coronavirus, I couldn’t resist the minty fresh taste of a mojito, and enjoyed a top class combo of the warm, synthetic Lemsippy flavour that we all love and the magical healing powers of rum. I cannot give much more of an account on this social since I spent the rest of it asleep on the sofa.
She's got the UBSS illness.
Mia
27 27: FUNDRAISER FOR MIND!
Posing in my new t-shirt and trainers (a couple of wines in).
So many of us suffer from mental health issues, and both your editors believe passionately in openness on the subject. People have been conditioned to hide this for too long, Caving does help. We know this, others know it, so let's share the secret and speak out where we can. Mia is fund-raising for Mind this March, so over to her...
This March I am taking part in Mind’s ‘27 27’ challenge, which is to run 27 miles in 27 days for better mental health and in solidarity of the 27% of students who report a mental health problem whilst at university. I am a university student, I have and sometimes still do experience problems with my own mental health, and I hate running – this couldn’t be more appropriate!
Since the £300 goal was surpassed on the day that I set up my JustGiving page, I have decided to double it to £600.
Support your favourite fresher – share and donate! Let’s open up the conversation about mental health!
Posing in my new t-shirt and trainers (a couple of wines in).
So many of us suffer from mental health issues, and both your editors believe passionately in openness on the subject. People have been conditioned to hide this for too long, Caving does help. We know this, others know it, so let's share the secret and speak out where we can. Mia is fund-raising for Mind this March, so over to her...
This March I am taking part in Mind’s ‘27 27’ challenge, which is to run 27 miles in 27 days for better mental health and in solidarity of the 27% of students who report a mental health problem whilst at university. I am a university student, I have and sometimes still do experience problems with my own mental health, and I hate running – this couldn’t be more appropriate!
Since the £300 goal was surpassed on the day that I set up my JustGiving page, I have decided to double it to £600.
Support your favourite fresher – share and donate! Let’s open up the conversation about mental health!
QUOTES OF THE MONTH-ISH
Nope, sorry, despite strenuous lobbying efforts, the notable farts column remains vetoed, but we are still bringing quotes to the newsletter. As ever, decipher the meanings for yourselves.
“Do I have to climb that? Why can’t I just walk out the cave?” – Imogen
“Oh bother, I am stuffed with fluff…” – Sam
[Cackling] - Henry
"It's just crap." - Linda
"Not a Scooby, but I’ve read to the bottom again!" - Sharon
100 MEMORIES - COOLAGH RIVER SONG, 1970
Rory Colville in the Coolagh River, Photo by Eleanor Conole.
The UBSS has a long tradition of singing and song writing, and this issue seems a very apt place to use one of the memories Steve Trudgill has sent in, recalling another society tradition of Surveying Stuff, and as Ash has the bit between his teeth to finish the re-survey of the Coolagh River Cave, this song will fit right in. So over to Steve...
The combination of cave exploration and science was, I found, especially compelling, particularly in terms of hydrology and water tracing. The red lines on the map in the Caves of North West Clare book showing proven connections of flow which were established using dyes and spores. Trat was very exercised that we could not find where the waters of the Coolagh River went. Then one summer...
[Tune: Immortal, invisible, God only wise,] [Note: Trat’s favourite expostulations were ‘Remarkable!’ and ‘Incredible!’ and he pronounced ‘off’ as ‘orf’; he also got exasperated when headstrong people got things wrong after he had already warned them: “I told them, but they just would not listen!” he would exclaim]
Coolagh River, 1970
Remarkable! Incredible!
And only Trat knows
Where all the cave water
In County Clare goes.
It flows into the limestone
When it comes orf the shale.
But tracing the Coolagh
Until this year did fail.
Amazing! Fantastic!
What a great year for science.
Two spelios went searching
The coast in defiance.
Oh Yes! We have looked
All where it might have risen.
But they went orf westward
And Just Would Not Listen.
Remarkable! Incredible!
And Tratman had guessed
That the water from Polldonough
Would go orf south west.
But they found a resurgence
All down the sea
Of brown peaty water
Where it Ought Not To Be.
Amazing! Fantastic!
The lesson is clear
That water in limestone
Can flow anywhere.
So we don’t know if down-dip
Is the way of a river
But we do know that Guinness
Down our throats will slither.
Rory Colville in the Coolagh River, Photo by Eleanor Conole.
The UBSS has a long tradition of singing and song writing, and this issue seems a very apt place to use one of the memories Steve Trudgill has sent in, recalling another society tradition of Surveying Stuff, and as Ash has the bit between his teeth to finish the re-survey of the Coolagh River Cave, this song will fit right in. So over to Steve...
The combination of cave exploration and science was, I found, especially compelling, particularly in terms of hydrology and water tracing. The red lines on the map in the Caves of North West Clare book showing proven connections of flow which were established using dyes and spores. Trat was very exercised that we could not find where the waters of the Coolagh River went. Then one summer...
[Tune: Immortal, invisible, God only wise,] [Note: Trat’s favourite expostulations were ‘Remarkable!’ and ‘Incredible!’ and he pronounced ‘off’ as ‘orf’; he also got exasperated when headstrong people got things wrong after he had already warned them: “I told them, but they just would not listen!” he would exclaim]
Coolagh River, 1970
Remarkable! Incredible!
And only Trat knows
Where all the cave water
In County Clare goes.
It flows into the limestone
When it comes orf the shale.
But tracing the Coolagh
Until this year did fail.
Amazing! Fantastic!
What a great year for science.
Two spelios went searching
The coast in defiance.
Oh Yes! We have looked
All where it might have risen.
But they went orf westward
And Just Would Not Listen.
Remarkable! Incredible!
And Tratman had guessed
That the water from Polldonough
Would go orf south west.
But they found a resurgence
All down the sea
Of brown peaty water
Where it Ought Not To Be.
Amazing! Fantastic!
The lesson is clear
That water in limestone
Can flow anywhere.
So we don’t know if down-dip
Is the way of a river
But we do know that Guinness
Down our throats will slither.
Steve Trudgill
THE CAVES OF SOUTH-WEST (SOUTHERN? NOT NORTH, ANYWAY) IRELAND
This is the cover of the book that started it all for Irish cave guidebooks. When the last one and the upcoming one sit side by side on a shelf, they'll take up a hell of a lot more space.
Subtitled Back on the Book Merry-Go-Round again, by Graham, David Drew, Mike Simms, Tony Boycott, Linda, Ash, Jacob and Uncle Tom Cobbley and All. We will think of a better title at some point (probably), but that usually takes more emails than writing the entire damn book. Over to Graham to explain...
Having said that I’d never edit another book, after Caves of Mid-West Ireland, it seems that I am!
Shortly after the launch of that book, I heard that the team behind Caves of Fermanagh and Cavan first edition 1974, second 1997, were working on an updated version that would also cover a much wider area including Counties Sligo and Leitrim and various small outliers.
This made me think that a third book essentially covering the more southern counties would mean that at last the entirety of Jack Coleman’s 1965 Caves of Ireland could be updated. Jack’s book, still much sought after by Irish cavers interested in out of the way areas, ran to a slim 88 pages but to replace it will take three full volumes, a testimony to the rate of exploration in Ireland over the past half century, including a great deal of work by this Society.
The new book is planned to cover the counties of Cork, Kerry, Tipperary, Limerick, Waterford and Kilkenny and draws on a lot of work by a lot of people, much of which has been published by the Spelaeological Union of Ireland (SUI) in its excellent journal Irish Speleology. Consequently we will be co-operating with many Irish cavers and I am delighted to say that everyone concerned has been really enthusiastic about the project, as have the SUI with whom this will be a joint project.
I will be editing the book, which means that my job is to take all the previous work, collate and edit it into a single whole and then turn it over to Linda and Tony to render it into comprehensible English. Ash and some of our collaborators will be responsible for necessary fieldwork and, as with the previous volume, Dave Drew and Mike Simms will cover the necessary sciences of water and rocks.
We don’t yet know how long it will take to complete the project; this depends on how much further checking is required, but I can say that initial progress has been good.
This is the cover of the book that started it all for Irish cave guidebooks. When the last one and the upcoming one sit side by side on a shelf, they'll take up a hell of a lot more space.
Subtitled Back on the Book Merry-Go-Round again, by Graham, David Drew, Mike Simms, Tony Boycott, Linda, Ash, Jacob and Uncle Tom Cobbley and All. We will think of a better title at some point (probably), but that usually takes more emails than writing the entire damn book. Over to Graham to explain...
Having said that I’d never edit another book, after Caves of Mid-West Ireland, it seems that I am!
Shortly after the launch of that book, I heard that the team behind Caves of Fermanagh and Cavan first edition 1974, second 1997, were working on an updated version that would also cover a much wider area including Counties Sligo and Leitrim and various small outliers.
This made me think that a third book essentially covering the more southern counties would mean that at last the entirety of Jack Coleman’s 1965 Caves of Ireland could be updated. Jack’s book, still much sought after by Irish cavers interested in out of the way areas, ran to a slim 88 pages but to replace it will take three full volumes, a testimony to the rate of exploration in Ireland over the past half century, including a great deal of work by this Society.
The new book is planned to cover the counties of Cork, Kerry, Tipperary, Limerick, Waterford and Kilkenny and draws on a lot of work by a lot of people, much of which has been published by the Spelaeological Union of Ireland (SUI) in its excellent journal Irish Speleology. Consequently we will be co-operating with many Irish cavers and I am delighted to say that everyone concerned has been really enthusiastic about the project, as have the SUI with whom this will be a joint project.
I will be editing the book, which means that my job is to take all the previous work, collate and edit it into a single whole and then turn it over to Linda and Tony to render it into comprehensible English. Ash and some of our collaborators will be responsible for necessary fieldwork and, as with the previous volume, Dave Drew and Mike Simms will cover the necessary sciences of water and rocks.
We don’t yet know how long it will take to complete the project; this depends on how much further checking is required, but I can say that initial progress has been good.
Graham Mullan
MUSEUM UPDATE - NEW STAIRCASE ETC
Fun and games is still going on in the museum, as Linda explains...
The old staircase has gone. As it was concreted into the floor, I'm told it had to be removed with extreme prejudice, so luckily I don't have to accession it to the museum. It served us well for 25 years, but it was bloody awkward when trying to carry boxes up and down, so I don't lament its passing.
Naturally, all plans fell apart on first contact with the enemy (no, not Estates, they've been great) and I started getting phone calls in France, because yay! The emergency procedure notes that we posted on every available surface worked, and Allan got a call from Estates to say there was a problem with the geological cabinet going back into place. I tried to stay sane at the possible loss of one-fifth of the display collection. Many phone calls and emails ensued. Tony was dispatched to measure things. Stu Bellamy, our wonderful Site Safety Advisor, also measured things and we all came up with A Plan, which we think will work. On Tuesday 10am, we'll discover whether it'll really work when The Team (me, Tony, Natham Allan and Helen, or as many as we can gather) turn up, with Estates to start shoving cabinets into place. Many thanks to Gary Spillane from Estates who took numerous frantic phone calls and messages in good part.
With permission from Estates, we can do our own decoration, so we've decided to stain the staircase (with woodstain, not wine, but we don't rule that out, either). We think that'll look nice. Tony has filled all the cracks and Nathan hopes to assemble a painting team to give the walls some TLC. The verdict is that they'll be white, not pink, so if anyone has a use for pink paint, let Mia know (this is the surplus from The Worm at CHECC).
I won't lie, the whole thing has been massively stressful as it all started three days before the Symposium and has carried on ever since BUT the good things are a) shiny new staircase b) a great relationship with Estates who have been brilliant throughout c) a new relationship with our Site Safety Advisers who have worked with us throughout on this with humour and ultimate pragmatism d) a proper Risk Assessment for the use of the rooms, as required by the uni. This is going through committee now to make sure we all have a dog in this race and that this gets done properly.Thanks to everyone who has commented so far. e) a re-kindled relationship with the School of Geographical Science, which has been a massive source of cavers in the past and we hope that'll be the same in the future. (There have already been two joint underground adventures, but that's embargoed for scientific reasons, a write up will follow at some point, we hope!)
The Stables will look great at the end of it, and I'm really looking forward to seeing it in the flesh tomorrow. We might even be able to hold the AGM in the rooms on the 14th, but thanks to David Richards we have a fall back in Geography if needed. We hope.
Thanks to everyone who has helped, offered help and generally taken an interest!
Fun and games is still going on in the museum, as Linda explains...
The old staircase has gone. As it was concreted into the floor, I'm told it had to be removed with extreme prejudice, so luckily I don't have to accession it to the museum. It served us well for 25 years, but it was bloody awkward when trying to carry boxes up and down, so I don't lament its passing.
Naturally, all plans fell apart on first contact with the enemy (no, not Estates, they've been great) and I started getting phone calls in France, because yay! The emergency procedure notes that we posted on every available surface worked, and Allan got a call from Estates to say there was a problem with the geological cabinet going back into place. I tried to stay sane at the possible loss of one-fifth of the display collection. Many phone calls and emails ensued. Tony was dispatched to measure things. Stu Bellamy, our wonderful Site Safety Advisor, also measured things and we all came up with A Plan, which we think will work. On Tuesday 10am, we'll discover whether it'll really work when The Team (me, Tony, Natham Allan and Helen, or as many as we can gather) turn up, with Estates to start shoving cabinets into place. Many thanks to Gary Spillane from Estates who took numerous frantic phone calls and messages in good part.
With permission from Estates, we can do our own decoration, so we've decided to stain the staircase (with woodstain, not wine, but we don't rule that out, either). We think that'll look nice. Tony has filled all the cracks and Nathan hopes to assemble a painting team to give the walls some TLC. The verdict is that they'll be white, not pink, so if anyone has a use for pink paint, let Mia know (this is the surplus from The Worm at CHECC).
I won't lie, the whole thing has been massively stressful as it all started three days before the Symposium and has carried on ever since BUT the good things are a) shiny new staircase b) a great relationship with Estates who have been brilliant throughout c) a new relationship with our Site Safety Advisers who have worked with us throughout on this with humour and ultimate pragmatism d) a proper Risk Assessment for the use of the rooms, as required by the uni. This is going through committee now to make sure we all have a dog in this race and that this gets done properly.Thanks to everyone who has commented so far. e) a re-kindled relationship with the School of Geographical Science, which has been a massive source of cavers in the past and we hope that'll be the same in the future. (There have already been two joint underground adventures, but that's embargoed for scientific reasons, a write up will follow at some point, we hope!)
The Stables will look great at the end of it, and I'm really looking forward to seeing it in the flesh tomorrow. We might even be able to hold the AGM in the rooms on the 14th, but thanks to David Richards we have a fall back in Geography if needed. We hope.
Thanks to everyone who has helped, offered help and generally taken an interest!
Linda, Museum Curator
UBSS MUSEUM GUEST BLOG - ZooMS sampling of Picken's Hole material
Picken's Hole archaeological dig, early 1960s.
Fiona Holloran, as part of a Team from University College London led by Dr Rhiannon Stevens, has been involved in the ZooMS sampling of all our Picken's Hole bone scrap from Unit 3. Rhiannon did a brilliant talk on this at the centenary symposium. Arthur ApSimon would have been so delighted by the state in which a huge suitcase full of scrap came back, all individually bagged and labelled, and so proving that the museum ethos of Trat, Desmond Donovan, Chris Hawkes and Arthur instilled in the society of 'throw nothing away' is now proving so important. Fiona takes up the tale from her perspective in a guest blog...
A study of Palaeolithic human occupation in Britain must overcome obstacles of complicated site preservation, early excavation methods, and the treatment of assemblages which leaves context recording questionable and finds often mislaid and/or dispersed. Picken’s Hole is one exception in that the late middle Palaeolithic site was discovered in the early 1960’s and excavated by E. Tratman between 1961 and 1966 with considerable attention to documentation (ApSimon et al. 2018; Tratman 1964). A series of papers published last year report on the archaeology and palaeontology of the site demonstrating a well constrained context for OIS3, including the presence of Mousterian lithics (ApSimon et al. 2018; ApSimon & Smart 2018; Mullan 2018; Scott 2018; Wragg Sykes 2018). The interpretation supported by ApSimon et al. (2018) is that the site represents a very brief Neanderthal visit of a few hours or days. However brief, Picken’s Hole demonstrates a late middle Palaeolithic human presence in the landscape with a well-documented context. The significance of this is that the Picken’s Hole faunal assemblage is well placed to contribute environmental data to our understanding of human use of the landscape at this time.
My PhD project will conduct a landscape reconstruction of southwest Britain using published and novel data. At Picken’s Hole I will use Kate Scott’s (2018) published faunal identification data alongside a novel biomolecular technique known as ZooMS to identify morphologically unidentifiable skeletal faunal remains. This project will increase the available faunal data for this late middle Palaeolithic site and allow investigation of the impact of fragmentation on species representation at British Palaeolithic cave sites, with the ultimate goal of building a more detailed analysis of species representation and implications for the fluctuating environment of the late middle Palaeolithic in Britain. It is hoped that I will also conduct stable isotope analysis to further investigate environmental factors of the local landscape. The Picken’s Hole data will be compared with two other Palaeolithic cave sites in southwest Britain to explore human presence through time and across a changing landscape. These results will primarily comprise a component of my PhD thesis, be presented at conference, and published in the Proceedings of the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society.
References
ApSimon, A., Mullan, G.J., and Smart, P.L. 2018. Introduction to the 1960's Excavations at Picken's Hole. Proceedings of the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society. 27(3), 239-244.
ApSimon, A. and Smart, P. 2018. The stratigraphy of the deposits in Picken’s Hole. Proceedings of the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society. 27(3), 245-259.
Mullan, G.J. 2018. Radiometric dating of samples from Picken's Hole. Proceedings of the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society. 27(3), 261-265.
Scott, K. 2018. The large vertebrates from Picken's Hole, Somerset. Proceedings of the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society. 27(3), 267-313.
Tratman, E. (1964). Picken's Hole, Crook Peak, Somerset: A Pleistocene Site. Proceedings of the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society. 10(2).
Wragg Sykes, R. 2018. Picken's Hole, Crook Peak, Somerset: A description of the lithic collection and its probable late middle Palaeolithic context. Proceedings of the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society. 27(3), 315-338.
THE END
Picken's Hole archaeological dig, early 1960s.
Fiona Holloran, as part of a Team from University College London led by Dr Rhiannon Stevens, has been involved in the ZooMS sampling of all our Picken's Hole bone scrap from Unit 3. Rhiannon did a brilliant talk on this at the centenary symposium. Arthur ApSimon would have been so delighted by the state in which a huge suitcase full of scrap came back, all individually bagged and labelled, and so proving that the museum ethos of Trat, Desmond Donovan, Chris Hawkes and Arthur instilled in the society of 'throw nothing away' is now proving so important. Fiona takes up the tale from her perspective in a guest blog...
A study of Palaeolithic human occupation in Britain must overcome obstacles of complicated site preservation, early excavation methods, and the treatment of assemblages which leaves context recording questionable and finds often mislaid and/or dispersed. Picken’s Hole is one exception in that the late middle Palaeolithic site was discovered in the early 1960’s and excavated by E. Tratman between 1961 and 1966 with considerable attention to documentation (ApSimon et al. 2018; Tratman 1964). A series of papers published last year report on the archaeology and palaeontology of the site demonstrating a well constrained context for OIS3, including the presence of Mousterian lithics (ApSimon et al. 2018; ApSimon & Smart 2018; Mullan 2018; Scott 2018; Wragg Sykes 2018). The interpretation supported by ApSimon et al. (2018) is that the site represents a very brief Neanderthal visit of a few hours or days. However brief, Picken’s Hole demonstrates a late middle Palaeolithic human presence in the landscape with a well-documented context. The significance of this is that the Picken’s Hole faunal assemblage is well placed to contribute environmental data to our understanding of human use of the landscape at this time.
My PhD project will conduct a landscape reconstruction of southwest Britain using published and novel data. At Picken’s Hole I will use Kate Scott’s (2018) published faunal identification data alongside a novel biomolecular technique known as ZooMS to identify morphologically unidentifiable skeletal faunal remains. This project will increase the available faunal data for this late middle Palaeolithic site and allow investigation of the impact of fragmentation on species representation at British Palaeolithic cave sites, with the ultimate goal of building a more detailed analysis of species representation and implications for the fluctuating environment of the late middle Palaeolithic in Britain. It is hoped that I will also conduct stable isotope analysis to further investigate environmental factors of the local landscape. The Picken’s Hole data will be compared with two other Palaeolithic cave sites in southwest Britain to explore human presence through time and across a changing landscape. These results will primarily comprise a component of my PhD thesis, be presented at conference, and published in the Proceedings of the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society.
Fiona Holloran
References
ApSimon, A., Mullan, G.J., and Smart, P.L. 2018. Introduction to the 1960's Excavations at Picken's Hole. Proceedings of the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society. 27(3), 239-244.
ApSimon, A. and Smart, P. 2018. The stratigraphy of the deposits in Picken’s Hole. Proceedings of the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society. 27(3), 245-259.
Mullan, G.J. 2018. Radiometric dating of samples from Picken's Hole. Proceedings of the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society. 27(3), 261-265.
Scott, K. 2018. The large vertebrates from Picken's Hole, Somerset. Proceedings of the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society. 27(3), 267-313.
Tratman, E. (1964). Picken's Hole, Crook Peak, Somerset: A Pleistocene Site. Proceedings of the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society. 10(2).
Wragg Sykes, R. 2018. Picken's Hole, Crook Peak, Somerset: A description of the lithic collection and its probable late middle Palaeolithic context. Proceedings of the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society. 27(3), 315-338.
THE END