Ogof Dydd Byraf, North Wales. Many thanks to Mark Tringham for the photo.
Has
another month really gone by since our last newsletter? Doesn't time
fly! Another month in lockdown, but we haven't quite exhausted the joys
of local caving, as Merryn and Zac can testify. We now have some dates
to look forward to, which will hopefully signpost a road to a return to
caving, below for more details, and our AGM is almost upon upon
us.
We're sorry to bring news of the death of UBSS member Johnny Squires. Johnny was in his 80s, and moved to New Zealand some years ago with his wife, Rita. He went to Ireland in 1955, 1956 and 1962 and was involved in the survey of Doolin Cave. He also went with the society to the Pyrenees. We hope to have a tribute to Johnny in a future edition of the newsletter.
The Tuesday evening quiz and pub nights have continued, with Jamboard making more appearances, allowing members to continue to channel their inner 13-year-old boys by trying to incorporate a cock and balls into just about any drawing. Keep an eye on Facebook for details but if you're not on there and would like to come along, let us know and we'll get the links for the Zoom calls sent over to you.
Everyone is going through difficult times and if any member - new or old - is struggling with anything and wants a listening ear, remember that UBSS is a supportive community that is always here to help. So drop us a line if you'd ever like to chat!
Back issues of the newsletter can be found here.
We're sorry to bring news of the death of UBSS member Johnny Squires. Johnny was in his 80s, and moved to New Zealand some years ago with his wife, Rita. He went to Ireland in 1955, 1956 and 1962 and was involved in the survey of Doolin Cave. He also went with the society to the Pyrenees. We hope to have a tribute to Johnny in a future edition of the newsletter.
The Tuesday evening quiz and pub nights have continued, with Jamboard making more appearances, allowing members to continue to channel their inner 13-year-old boys by trying to incorporate a cock and balls into just about any drawing. Keep an eye on Facebook for details but if you're not on there and would like to come along, let us know and we'll get the links for the Zoom calls sent over to you.
Everyone is going through difficult times and if any member - new or old - is struggling with anything and wants a listening ear, remember that UBSS is a supportive community that is always here to help. So drop us a line if you'd ever like to chat!
Back issues of the newsletter can be found here.
Linda and Mia
REMINDER - ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND TALK - SATURDAY 12th MARCH
Rick Stanton, who'll be talking after the AGM about his journey from student caver to international superhero. Photo by Linda Wilson at Hidden Earth on Mendip.
The AGM will open at 7pm and will start at 7.15pm to allow for the usual faff of people turning up late. The talk will start at 8.15pm and will be followed by virtual drinks and chat in breakout rooms set up as 'tables'. You'll be able to wander from table to table as you would be able to to do at an in-person dinner, but bring your own drinks and snacks. And please feel free to dress up if you want!
The talk after the AGM will be given by Rick Stanton of Thai Cave Rescue Fame. Rick will be talking about his journey from student caver to international superstar when the world was gripped for days by the story of 12 children and their football coach trapped by flood waters in a cave in Thailand.
Rick will be giving the talk from quarantine in a hotel in Australia, as he is flying out this week for a couple of months for the filming of the Hollywood movie based on the rescue. Casting for the film is still under wraps, but the person playing Rick is definitely a Big Name, who's had to shave his hair off, for authenticity!
The Zoom link will be sent by a separate mailing a couple of days before the 12th, so keep an eye on your spam filters.
As we mentioned last time, in the event of total techno failure between us and Down Under, the committee will re-enact the Thai rescue by means of interpretative song and dance.
Rick Stanton, who'll be talking after the AGM about his journey from student caver to international superhero. Photo by Linda Wilson at Hidden Earth on Mendip.
The AGM will open at 7pm and will start at 7.15pm to allow for the usual faff of people turning up late. The talk will start at 8.15pm and will be followed by virtual drinks and chat in breakout rooms set up as 'tables'. You'll be able to wander from table to table as you would be able to to do at an in-person dinner, but bring your own drinks and snacks. And please feel free to dress up if you want!
The talk after the AGM will be given by Rick Stanton of Thai Cave Rescue Fame. Rick will be talking about his journey from student caver to international superstar when the world was gripped for days by the story of 12 children and their football coach trapped by flood waters in a cave in Thailand.
Rick will be giving the talk from quarantine in a hotel in Australia, as he is flying out this week for a couple of months for the filming of the Hollywood movie based on the rescue. Casting for the film is still under wraps, but the person playing Rick is definitely a Big Name, who's had to shave his hair off, for authenticity!
The Zoom link will be sent by a separate mailing a couple of days before the 12th, so keep an eye on your spam filters.
As we mentioned last time, in the event of total techno failure between us and Down Under, the committee will re-enact the Thai rescue by means of interpretative song and dance.
AGM NOTICES
Those who've been paying attention, which is most people judging by the excellent attendance at our EGM in November, will be aware that under our new constitution, we need to elect our voting non-student members for the AGM and the remainder of the year. All students automatically have a vote, whereas the AGM has the responsibility of electing the voting non-students. Are you following this? Nope? Oh well, it'll get easier with practice! Most things do. So read on ...
Elections
As we haven't been flooded with nominations (ie we haven't had any at all!) the logical way of doing this is to elect these members from those non-students who turn up for the AGM. If there are 16 or fewer members in this category present, then they'll all automatically have the vote. If there are more, then we'll need an election, and if we can work out how to do it, we'll have polls running on Zoom, but if not, there'll be the usual show of hands.
As the non-students on committee (the Hon Prezz, the Hon Treasurer, and the two non-student reps) do have to be voting members, we have to voting places reserves for them.) One Vice-Prezz should also be a voting member. For a longer explanation of all this, please refer back to the last newsletter.
So far, our Prezz has indicated a willingness to stand again, as has our Hon Treasurer. At the time of going to press, other positions, both students and non-students are subject to the Usual Faff. If you are interested in standing for committee in any capacity, please contact our Student Prezz, Merryn Matthews.
New Members
We have two nominations for membership to vote on at the AGM.
Jan Walker is being nominated as an outside member, proposed by Tony Boycott and seconded by Linda Wilson. As required by the constitution, this nomination has also been approved by the committee. Jan's first caving trip was a few years ago down Pen Park Hole. She emerged muddy, bruised but hooked on the sport. Since then she became an individual member of BCA and has caved regularly with the club. She is a massage therapist who is well used to fixing broken cavers, so she's a very handy person to have around, as several members can testify!
Nick Fletcher is being nominated as an alumni member, proposed by Linda Wilson, seconded by Graham Mullan. Nick recently contacted the society after seeing the feature in the university's Nonesuch magazine (see below). He graduated in 1995 (Drama). A fellow Alpine Club member recently got him addicted to caving and he is now a member of the Craven Pothole Club but would also like to rekindle his connection with Bristol.
Any Other Business
If you have any items you would like to add to the agenda, please email these asap to the Student Prezz.
Those who've been paying attention, which is most people judging by the excellent attendance at our EGM in November, will be aware that under our new constitution, we need to elect our voting non-student members for the AGM and the remainder of the year. All students automatically have a vote, whereas the AGM has the responsibility of electing the voting non-students. Are you following this? Nope? Oh well, it'll get easier with practice! Most things do. So read on ...
Elections
As we haven't been flooded with nominations (ie we haven't had any at all!) the logical way of doing this is to elect these members from those non-students who turn up for the AGM. If there are 16 or fewer members in this category present, then they'll all automatically have the vote. If there are more, then we'll need an election, and if we can work out how to do it, we'll have polls running on Zoom, but if not, there'll be the usual show of hands.
As the non-students on committee (the Hon Prezz, the Hon Treasurer, and the two non-student reps) do have to be voting members, we have to voting places reserves for them.) One Vice-Prezz should also be a voting member. For a longer explanation of all this, please refer back to the last newsletter.
So far, our Prezz has indicated a willingness to stand again, as has our Hon Treasurer. At the time of going to press, other positions, both students and non-students are subject to the Usual Faff. If you are interested in standing for committee in any capacity, please contact our Student Prezz, Merryn Matthews.
New Members
We have two nominations for membership to vote on at the AGM.
Jan Walker is being nominated as an outside member, proposed by Tony Boycott and seconded by Linda Wilson. As required by the constitution, this nomination has also been approved by the committee. Jan's first caving trip was a few years ago down Pen Park Hole. She emerged muddy, bruised but hooked on the sport. Since then she became an individual member of BCA and has caved regularly with the club. She is a massage therapist who is well used to fixing broken cavers, so she's a very handy person to have around, as several members can testify!
Nick Fletcher is being nominated as an alumni member, proposed by Linda Wilson, seconded by Graham Mullan. Nick recently contacted the society after seeing the feature in the university's Nonesuch magazine (see below). He graduated in 1995 (Drama). A fellow Alpine Club member recently got him addicted to caving and he is now a member of the Craven Pothole Club but would also like to rekindle his connection with Bristol.
Any Other Business
If you have any items you would like to add to the agenda, please email these asap to the Student Prezz.
CAVE HUNTING IN LEIGH WOODS
Zac outside Nightingale Valley Cave.
Yes, even after several months of Lockdown, there are still some caves in the Bristol region that haven't found their way into the newsletter, as Merryn Matthews reports.
Me and Zac went searching for Nightingale Valley Cave in a desperation to satisfy our lockdown longing for caving. We found it from the valley footpath by a sketchy muddy scramble towards North Road. It is an awesome lookout point to the gorge - a great spot for a brew or a bivvy.
After reaching the cave, we realised that we were only a few metres below North Road! The easiest way to reach this cave is over/under the fence opposite Stokeleigh House. However, me and Zac felt like pretending we were in the wilderness and decided to bum slide and stumble back down the fun way, both receiving bashes in the face from trees.
We proceeded to spend the rest of the walk eyeing up fly-tipped junk to see if it could be useful in setting up an UBSS proto-community in the cave. Many bricks, a brazier and a tyre were all deemed very useful for reasons I can no longer remember.
Zac outside Tube Cave. We didn't crop the shot as we thought you'd like the pretty trees, rocks and moss.
We also visited the Leigh Woods quarries via walking along the old trainline and tunnel – very cool and worth a visit. No success in finding Quarry 2 Cobwebs Cave (although it doesn’t sound appealing anyway) but possibly found Tube Cave in Quarry 1 (just a floor level spring/stream).
Trying to find all the caves in Somerset Underground is a recommended pastime for anyone bored of their standard lockdown walks.
Zac outside Nightingale Valley Cave.
Yes, even after several months of Lockdown, there are still some caves in the Bristol region that haven't found their way into the newsletter, as Merryn Matthews reports.
Me and Zac went searching for Nightingale Valley Cave in a desperation to satisfy our lockdown longing for caving. We found it from the valley footpath by a sketchy muddy scramble towards North Road. It is an awesome lookout point to the gorge - a great spot for a brew or a bivvy.
After reaching the cave, we realised that we were only a few metres below North Road! The easiest way to reach this cave is over/under the fence opposite Stokeleigh House. However, me and Zac felt like pretending we were in the wilderness and decided to bum slide and stumble back down the fun way, both receiving bashes in the face from trees.
We proceeded to spend the rest of the walk eyeing up fly-tipped junk to see if it could be useful in setting up an UBSS proto-community in the cave. Many bricks, a brazier and a tyre were all deemed very useful for reasons I can no longer remember.
Zac outside Tube Cave. We didn't crop the shot as we thought you'd like the pretty trees, rocks and moss.
We also visited the Leigh Woods quarries via walking along the old trainline and tunnel – very cool and worth a visit. No success in finding Quarry 2 Cobwebs Cave (although it doesn’t sound appealing anyway) but possibly found Tube Cave in Quarry 1 (just a floor level spring/stream).
Trying to find all the caves in Somerset Underground is a recommended pastime for anyone bored of their standard lockdown walks.
Merryn Matthews
A RETURN TO CAVING?
Jan Walker in Shatter cave, Mendip. Photo by Linda Wilson.
The government's recent 'roadmap' for a route out of lockdown runs to 68 pages and isn't exactly light reading, but what does it mean for us as cavers? The answer is, we aren't really sure, and neither is anyone else.
The following dates are mentioned and have relevance to us as cavers.
Jan Walker in Shatter cave, Mendip. Photo by Linda Wilson.
The government's recent 'roadmap' for a route out of lockdown runs to 68 pages and isn't exactly light reading, but what does it mean for us as cavers? The answer is, we aren't really sure, and neither is anyone else.
The following dates are mentioned and have relevance to us as cavers.
29th March: This is when the "rule of six" outdoors returns but it comes with a caveat to minimise travel. So far there seems to be no definition of what this means. I think we can be fairly certain that for those of us in Bristol, a Pen Park Hole trip is fine (providing the leader is also minimising travel and is happy to take the trip). Mendip might also be OK, but Wales, Yorkshire etc almost certainly won't be as that wouldn’t be minimising travel. But in the absence of a definition, it’s guesswork. What we can say, though, is that there are well-attested reports of the police in places like Cheddar being active in checking number plates to find out how far people have travelled and handing out fixed penalty fines if they don't like the answers given. This is also happening at various well known parking areas in the Dales where the police have been seen to be particularly active. Driving from Bristol to the Dales is unlikely to see seen as minimising travel for exercise. Also, please bear in mind the need to maintain good relationships with all landowners as we rely on their goodwill for access. Please don't do anything that would bring the club and the caving community as a whole into disrepute.
12th April (Step2): This allows use of self contained accommodation i.e. possibly club huts on a single household basis, plus the "rule of 6" outdoors but with the caveat still to minimise travel.
17th May (step 3) Restrictions will allow up to 2 groups of 6 or two households to meet indoors and stay overnight potentially allowing more use of club huts. Additionally, there appear to be no travel restrictions and with up to 30 people meeting outdoors, something at the hut, eg maintenance etc should be fine for a group.
21st June (step 4) looks like the earliest date when international travel might be possible.
BUT if Covid infection rates don’t continue to decrease this could all go straight out of the window.
If you are able to cave, remember that the wearing of masks and gloves
is a sensible precaution and please ensure you sanitise any locks, gates
and keys you touch.
This note has been based on discussions taking place within BCA, but in
the absence of any definition of what minimizing travel means, BCA
aren't yet in a position to issue any general guidance.
Linda Wilson
CHECC ONLINE YOGA
You've heard of goat yoga, right? No, OK, we've now cured that omission in your recreational knowledge. You can thank us later.
If you're missing your regular goat yoga sessions during lockdown, you can try CHECC yoga for cavers instead. The goat thing was just a gratuitous way of getting your attention, actually. Don't mind us, we just like goats.
With the help of the British Caving Association (BCA), the Council of Higher Education Caving Clubs (CHECC) are offering free online yoga lessons, specifically aimed at cavers.
To sign up, click this link and fill in the form. The sessions will also go on YouTube so you can practise again or catch up with ones you've missed. So to make sure you're in shape when caving resumes, either sign up for a live session or follow on YouTube!
You've heard of goat yoga, right? No, OK, we've now cured that omission in your recreational knowledge. You can thank us later.
If you're missing your regular goat yoga sessions during lockdown, you can try CHECC yoga for cavers instead. The goat thing was just a gratuitous way of getting your attention, actually. Don't mind us, we just like goats.
With the help of the British Caving Association (BCA), the Council of Higher Education Caving Clubs (CHECC) are offering free online yoga lessons, specifically aimed at cavers.
To sign up, click this link and fill in the form. The sessions will also go on YouTube so you can practise again or catch up with ones you've missed. So to make sure you're in shape when caving resumes, either sign up for a live session or follow on YouTube!
PHOTO CORNER
As spring is almost upon us, we thought you might like to see an alternative use for a UBSS mug in case your veg box includes unexpected daffodils!
Thanks to Sharon Wheeler (and the Blessed FT Bear) for providing this photo!
As spring is almost upon us, we thought you might like to see an alternative use for a UBSS mug in case your veg box includes unexpected daffodils!
Thanks to Sharon Wheeler (and the Blessed FT Bear) for providing this photo!
MEDIA SPOTLIGHT
The chalk at Broadstairs in Kent with a fault and a small cave. Photo by Andy Farrant.
The great media excitement for March was the unexpected discovery of a long article in the Guardian newspaper featuring UBSS member Andy Farrant and his close relationship with chalk, and no we don't mean the sort of stuff used on pavements by the neighbourhood kids!
Those who know Andy will know that he likes chalk. And by 'likes chalk' we mean really really likes chalk. And perhaps most surprisingly, Andy is bloody good at making chalk interesting even to people like me who've never really thought about it before in the context of caving. A couple of years ago, I heard him give a talk at a BCRA Cave Science Symposium in Bristol which I really enjoyed, and at the end of it, I could understand why Andy titled his talk: The Chalk – The UK’s Most Important Karst Region of All.
Chalk at the Seven Sisters in Kent. This photo is taken from Birling Gap looking west to Seaford Head. Photo by Andy Farrant. Spot the cave…
Andy says that on the day the above photo was taken he found about 20 of these wretched balloons He usually finds several each day in the field and comments that he now finds more balloons than fossils these days!
It's fair to say, without being too sizeist, that caves in chalk are mostly pretty small, but hell, it's lockdown, so if it's a hole in the ground, most of us are interested!
The article is online here and it's a really interesting long read. So take a look, and find out more about the importance of chalk!
The chalk at Broadstairs in Kent with a fault and a small cave. Photo by Andy Farrant.
The great media excitement for March was the unexpected discovery of a long article in the Guardian newspaper featuring UBSS member Andy Farrant and his close relationship with chalk, and no we don't mean the sort of stuff used on pavements by the neighbourhood kids!
Those who know Andy will know that he likes chalk. And by 'likes chalk' we mean really really likes chalk. And perhaps most surprisingly, Andy is bloody good at making chalk interesting even to people like me who've never really thought about it before in the context of caving. A couple of years ago, I heard him give a talk at a BCRA Cave Science Symposium in Bristol which I really enjoyed, and at the end of it, I could understand why Andy titled his talk: The Chalk – The UK’s Most Important Karst Region of All.
Chalk at the Seven Sisters in Kent. This photo is taken from Birling Gap looking west to Seaford Head. Photo by Andy Farrant. Spot the cave…
Andy says that on the day the above photo was taken he found about 20 of these wretched balloons He usually finds several each day in the field and comments that he now finds more balloons than fossils these days!
It's fair to say, without being too sizeist, that caves in chalk are mostly pretty small, but hell, it's lockdown, so if it's a hole in the ground, most of us are interested!
The article is online here and it's a really interesting long read. So take a look, and find out more about the importance of chalk!
Andy was
clearly a hit with the reporter, who describes him as follows: " Field
leader Andrew Farrant, tall and thin, with steel-rimmed glasses, was
drinking a cup of tea. He had a sort of leather holster attached to his
trousers, from which swung a geological hammer with a surprisingly
wicked-looking long, pointed end." However, in the interests of
accuracy, Andy would like it to be known that he drinks coffee, not tea.
Linda Wilson
UBSS IN NONESUCH
No, you're not meant to be able to read it here, as there's a link to the alumni online blog below!
Alumni members should by now have received their copy of Nonesuch, the university's alumni magazine. If you've just chucked it straight into recycling, mistaking it for a thinly disguised attempt to part you from your hard-earned dosh, then you'd better retrieve it, fast, as there's a feature on UBSS at the back!
This all came about as a result of my shameless publicity push after The Caves of Mid-West Ireland won the prestigious Tratman Award. Linda and Graham were contacted by the team responsible for Nonesuch and last November. they were interviewed about the society and its history.
You can read the same article on the online blog here.
It's worth scrolling down to the comments at the bottom, as quite a few people have reminisced about their time in Bristol and their memories of the club, including an octogenarian who met her husband at the Hut in 1959 and bonded over a shared love of squeezes and cold water!
No, you're not meant to be able to read it here, as there's a link to the alumni online blog below!
Alumni members should by now have received their copy of Nonesuch, the university's alumni magazine. If you've just chucked it straight into recycling, mistaking it for a thinly disguised attempt to part you from your hard-earned dosh, then you'd better retrieve it, fast, as there's a feature on UBSS at the back!
This all came about as a result of my shameless publicity push after The Caves of Mid-West Ireland won the prestigious Tratman Award. Linda and Graham were contacted by the team responsible for Nonesuch and last November. they were interviewed about the society and its history.
You can read the same article on the online blog here.
It's worth scrolling down to the comments at the bottom, as quite a few people have reminisced about their time in Bristol and their memories of the club, including an octogenarian who met her husband at the Hut in 1959 and bonded over a shared love of squeezes and cold water!
MOVIE NIGHT - THE DIG
Watch a trailer for The Dig here.
Rumours that Linda wanted to watch The Dig because she fancies Ralph Fiennes have been categorically denied, although everyone knows she has a tendency to lie like a cheap carpet. Moving swiftly on, Graham had an entirely more cerebral interest in the film, as he kindly explains.
Those of you blessed with a Netflix subscription may well have watched The Dig, the recent film based on the tale of the excavation of the Sutton Hoo ship burial.
It’s not a bad film – though the action sequences and CGI aren’t a patch on Avengers: Endgame – but it does play a little fast and loose with the character of the various archaeologists involved. And what most people won’t know is that there is a connection between the film and the UBSS.
The background of Basil Brown (played by Ralph Fiennes) the excavator hired by Mrs Pretty to open the barrows is a little underplayed. Although he was not university trained and did, indeed, work for Ipswich Museum on a contractual basis, he was a rather more widely read and accomplished individual than the film shows. He didn’t just own a telescope, but was a member of the British Astronomical Society whose book “Astronomical Atlases, Maps and Charts: An Historical and General Guide” published in 1932 was still being reprinted as late as 1968. He taught himself Latin and could speak French fluently. He was well up to the task and it really is down to him that the ghost of the burial ship was found.
Picture details: Basil Brown (front) and Lt. Cmdr. JKD Hutchison excavating the 7th century burial ship at Sutton Hoo in 1939. Screen capture of image from home movie. Permission for unlimited use granted by son William Phillips. grandson Jeremy Gilbert.
But where Society interest comes in is with the character of CW Phillips who, as the film correctly shows, took over the dig at the instigation of the Ministry of Works (yes, that really was a thing) when the site's international importance was realised. The film gets Phillips' character reasonably well, as far as I can tell, but where it has him played by the 66-year-old Ken Stott (who also played Balin in The Hobbit) Phillips was actually only 38 when the Sutton Hoo dig took place.
In his 1987 autobiography, Phillips, who had studied history at Cambridge, credits much of his own training in archaeology to John Davies, one of the earliest members of the Society and probably its finest archaeologist in its first decade. They met in the mid-1920s but sadly Davies died in 1930.
Quite how Phillips became involved with the Society is unclear, he joined as an outside member in 1923 and remained an active participant throughout the 1920s. He assisted Davies with work at Bury Hill Camp and by the late 1920s he had taken charge of the dig in Merlin’s Cave in the Wye Valley. He also took part in the Society’s first visit to Ireland, digging in Co. Waterford in 1928 and he worked with Herbert Taylor on the Priddy Long Barrow, an excavation described by Desmond Donovan as “something of a disaster” as the report was seemingly lost for 43 years and not published until 1972!
The king's helmet from Sutton Hoo;.© The Trustees of the British Museum.
The film makers also play rather naughtily with the characters of Stuart and Peggy Piggott. Peggy was not inexperienced and only hired as she was light enough not to damage the dig (wrongly suggesting she was lightweight in all senses!). She was, in fact, already an experienced and respected field archaeologist. Stuart was not the much older and more experienced of the pair, there was only two years difference in age between them, and she did not have an affair with Mrs Pretty’s cousin, and the character of Rory Lomax in the film is wholly fictional. Although the Piggotts did divorce, that was not until 1956.
The film provides a couple of hours of pleasant, sepia toned entertainment. It's well acted, with convincing performances by Fiennes, as well from Carey Mulligan (Edith Pretty), Lily James (Peggy Piggott), and Archie Brown, playing Edith Pretty's young son Robert, managed not to fall into the standard cute-but-irritating-kid trap, with a powerful rant about how powerless he felt in the face of his mother's heart condition. Although why the past has to be shown in muted sepia tones remains a mystery!
Watch a trailer for The Dig here.
Rumours that Linda wanted to watch The Dig because she fancies Ralph Fiennes have been categorically denied, although everyone knows she has a tendency to lie like a cheap carpet. Moving swiftly on, Graham had an entirely more cerebral interest in the film, as he kindly explains.
Those of you blessed with a Netflix subscription may well have watched The Dig, the recent film based on the tale of the excavation of the Sutton Hoo ship burial.
It’s not a bad film – though the action sequences and CGI aren’t a patch on Avengers: Endgame – but it does play a little fast and loose with the character of the various archaeologists involved. And what most people won’t know is that there is a connection between the film and the UBSS.
The background of Basil Brown (played by Ralph Fiennes) the excavator hired by Mrs Pretty to open the barrows is a little underplayed. Although he was not university trained and did, indeed, work for Ipswich Museum on a contractual basis, he was a rather more widely read and accomplished individual than the film shows. He didn’t just own a telescope, but was a member of the British Astronomical Society whose book “Astronomical Atlases, Maps and Charts: An Historical and General Guide” published in 1932 was still being reprinted as late as 1968. He taught himself Latin and could speak French fluently. He was well up to the task and it really is down to him that the ghost of the burial ship was found.
Picture details: Basil Brown (front) and Lt. Cmdr. JKD Hutchison excavating the 7th century burial ship at Sutton Hoo in 1939. Screen capture of image from home movie. Permission for unlimited use granted by son William Phillips. grandson Jeremy Gilbert.
But where Society interest comes in is with the character of CW Phillips who, as the film correctly shows, took over the dig at the instigation of the Ministry of Works (yes, that really was a thing) when the site's international importance was realised. The film gets Phillips' character reasonably well, as far as I can tell, but where it has him played by the 66-year-old Ken Stott (who also played Balin in The Hobbit) Phillips was actually only 38 when the Sutton Hoo dig took place.
In his 1987 autobiography, Phillips, who had studied history at Cambridge, credits much of his own training in archaeology to John Davies, one of the earliest members of the Society and probably its finest archaeologist in its first decade. They met in the mid-1920s but sadly Davies died in 1930.
Quite how Phillips became involved with the Society is unclear, he joined as an outside member in 1923 and remained an active participant throughout the 1920s. He assisted Davies with work at Bury Hill Camp and by the late 1920s he had taken charge of the dig in Merlin’s Cave in the Wye Valley. He also took part in the Society’s first visit to Ireland, digging in Co. Waterford in 1928 and he worked with Herbert Taylor on the Priddy Long Barrow, an excavation described by Desmond Donovan as “something of a disaster” as the report was seemingly lost for 43 years and not published until 1972!
The king's helmet from Sutton Hoo;.© The Trustees of the British Museum.
The film makers also play rather naughtily with the characters of Stuart and Peggy Piggott. Peggy was not inexperienced and only hired as she was light enough not to damage the dig (wrongly suggesting she was lightweight in all senses!). She was, in fact, already an experienced and respected field archaeologist. Stuart was not the much older and more experienced of the pair, there was only two years difference in age between them, and she did not have an affair with Mrs Pretty’s cousin, and the character of Rory Lomax in the film is wholly fictional. Although the Piggotts did divorce, that was not until 1956.
The film provides a couple of hours of pleasant, sepia toned entertainment. It's well acted, with convincing performances by Fiennes, as well from Carey Mulligan (Edith Pretty), Lily James (Peggy Piggott), and Archie Brown, playing Edith Pretty's young son Robert, managed not to fall into the standard cute-but-irritating-kid trap, with a powerful rant about how powerless he felt in the face of his mother's heart condition. Although why the past has to be shown in muted sepia tones remains a mystery!
Graham Mullan
FILMING FISHMONGER'S
A look inside the editing suite. Mark Horton and David Hardwick on film. Photo by Nathan Cubitt.
No, we've not decided to start up a UBSS cookery programme, although given Haydon's love affair with monosodiumglutamate, that might not be a bad idea. Instead, Linda Wilson and Nathan Cubitt made their way over to the Forest of Dean for some filming with Professor Mark Horton. Linda takes up the tale ...
For my sins (my many sins!), I'm currently helping to organise an online alumni weekend taking place on 19th and 20th March. See separate piece below. Both David Richards (that's Professor David Richards now, by the way!) and I are on the steering committee for the event, so consider yourselves duly nagged to sign up for a few events, particularly the one I'm going to talk about here.
I thought it would be nice to have a contribution from the UBSS museum, and wondered what we could use as shameless click bait. Fishmonger's Swallet immediately came to mind, as there is strong evidence for cannibalism here, unusual for a site dating to the late Iron Age/early Roman period. Fishmonger's Swallet, dug into 25 years ago by members of the Hades Caving Club, quickly revealed a large amount of human and animal bone and was the subject of a Time Team dig and subsequent TV programme. Later examination of the human material revealed some indicators strongly associated with cannibalism, including the splitting of a femur for the extraction of marrow. Since then, Fishmonger's has become something of a media darling.
Behind the scenes in Nathan's bat cave. Photo by Nathan again.
The material came to UBSS, as reported in an earlier newsletter (no, I can't remember which one, we still need to index them), at the bequest of the landowner, Mrs Hawkins and, as our last major acquisition, it seemed a fitting subject for a short presentation at the Spring Showcase, then I got delusions of grandeur and asked Mark Horton if he'd be willing to take part (the answer was yes, as Mark hasn't yet learned how to block my phone number) and then I roped in UBSS/Hades member David Hardwick who was part of the original digging team and has been involved with the site ever since. He hasn't learned to block my number either.
Then the delusions of grandeur got worse and I asked student museum curator and freelance film maker/editor and all round miracle worker Nathan Cubitt if he fancied turning this into a short film. He said yes as well, so the project got the green light. Luckily for us, the filming industry has been able to operate during lockdown, as it isn't something that you can do from home, although in Mark's case that's exactly what happened, when we ended up unable to film in the Stables due to a university wide instruction to keep all site visits to an absolute minimum. Mark kindly offered his 'great hall' as a filming venue, as it's been used by numerous film companies over covid.
Mark blithely gave me his address as Drake's House and a postcode and expected me to work it out from there. Naturally, the postcode led somewhere else entirely, but luckily I've known Mark a very long time and made sure I checked his (non)description (down an unnamed lane and it's the pink house on the left at the bottom) out on Google earth beforehand. Even so, it still wasn't that easy to find!
Yep, this is what Nathan does when he's not studenting!
After humping a huge amount of gear out of the back of Nathan's car and into our filming venue for the day, we shifted some furniture around and then all promptly buggered off and left him to do the hard work of setting up his lights and camera kit. After a break for prodigious amounts of pizza (thanks, Helen, you're a saint!), we set up the material on a long table with David looking down at it, thoughtfully. Enter Mark, stage right, who promptly dropped into TV mode and proceeded to ad lib a conversation with David about the site and the bones, with both of them doing retakes almost word perfect each time. I've worked with numerous film companies over the years and, no word of a lie, I've never seen filming and presenting done with such little faff and so few re-takes.
Nathan is now hard at work on the post-production side of things, as you can see from the photos.
Please join us at the Spring Showcase at 3pm on 20th March to see the film. There will also be a live Q&A with Mark and David, joined by PhD candidate Adelle Bricking who will be working on some aspects of the site for her thesis on Iron Age mortuary practices. Do come along to watch, heckle, ask questions etc! You can find full details of the event below.
A look inside the editing suite. Mark Horton and David Hardwick on film. Photo by Nathan Cubitt.
No, we've not decided to start up a UBSS cookery programme, although given Haydon's love affair with monosodiumglutamate, that might not be a bad idea. Instead, Linda Wilson and Nathan Cubitt made their way over to the Forest of Dean for some filming with Professor Mark Horton. Linda takes up the tale ...
For my sins (my many sins!), I'm currently helping to organise an online alumni weekend taking place on 19th and 20th March. See separate piece below. Both David Richards (that's Professor David Richards now, by the way!) and I are on the steering committee for the event, so consider yourselves duly nagged to sign up for a few events, particularly the one I'm going to talk about here.
I thought it would be nice to have a contribution from the UBSS museum, and wondered what we could use as shameless click bait. Fishmonger's Swallet immediately came to mind, as there is strong evidence for cannibalism here, unusual for a site dating to the late Iron Age/early Roman period. Fishmonger's Swallet, dug into 25 years ago by members of the Hades Caving Club, quickly revealed a large amount of human and animal bone and was the subject of a Time Team dig and subsequent TV programme. Later examination of the human material revealed some indicators strongly associated with cannibalism, including the splitting of a femur for the extraction of marrow. Since then, Fishmonger's has become something of a media darling.
Behind the scenes in Nathan's bat cave. Photo by Nathan again.
The material came to UBSS, as reported in an earlier newsletter (no, I can't remember which one, we still need to index them), at the bequest of the landowner, Mrs Hawkins and, as our last major acquisition, it seemed a fitting subject for a short presentation at the Spring Showcase, then I got delusions of grandeur and asked Mark Horton if he'd be willing to take part (the answer was yes, as Mark hasn't yet learned how to block my phone number) and then I roped in UBSS/Hades member David Hardwick who was part of the original digging team and has been involved with the site ever since. He hasn't learned to block my number either.
Then the delusions of grandeur got worse and I asked student museum curator and freelance film maker/editor and all round miracle worker Nathan Cubitt if he fancied turning this into a short film. He said yes as well, so the project got the green light. Luckily for us, the filming industry has been able to operate during lockdown, as it isn't something that you can do from home, although in Mark's case that's exactly what happened, when we ended up unable to film in the Stables due to a university wide instruction to keep all site visits to an absolute minimum. Mark kindly offered his 'great hall' as a filming venue, as it's been used by numerous film companies over covid.
Mark blithely gave me his address as Drake's House and a postcode and expected me to work it out from there. Naturally, the postcode led somewhere else entirely, but luckily I've known Mark a very long time and made sure I checked his (non)description (down an unnamed lane and it's the pink house on the left at the bottom) out on Google earth beforehand. Even so, it still wasn't that easy to find!
Yep, this is what Nathan does when he's not studenting!
After humping a huge amount of gear out of the back of Nathan's car and into our filming venue for the day, we shifted some furniture around and then all promptly buggered off and left him to do the hard work of setting up his lights and camera kit. After a break for prodigious amounts of pizza (thanks, Helen, you're a saint!), we set up the material on a long table with David looking down at it, thoughtfully. Enter Mark, stage right, who promptly dropped into TV mode and proceeded to ad lib a conversation with David about the site and the bones, with both of them doing retakes almost word perfect each time. I've worked with numerous film companies over the years and, no word of a lie, I've never seen filming and presenting done with such little faff and so few re-takes.
Nathan is now hard at work on the post-production side of things, as you can see from the photos.
Please join us at the Spring Showcase at 3pm on 20th March to see the film. There will also be a live Q&A with Mark and David, joined by PhD candidate Adelle Bricking who will be working on some aspects of the site for her thesis on Iron Age mortuary practices. Do come along to watch, heckle, ask questions etc! You can find full details of the event below.
Linda Wilson
THE SPRING SHOWCASE 19th/20th March 2021
The Bristol Alumni Network, in collaboration with Bristol Students' proudly
present the Spring Showcase 2020, a digital weekend put together by
alumni for alumni, which aims to bring together alumni, students and
staff.
Taking
place from Friday 19th to Saturday 20th March 2021, this series of
digital events will include tours and talks, discussion panels, a photo
competition, a celebration of 100 years of Geography at the University
and a version of University Challenge. And yes, UBSS is entering a team,
captained by the Prezz, who will be flanked by student members Sam
Bowers, Imogen Clements and Zac Woodford! Once we know when the heats
are taking place, we'll circulate the link to eveyone, as we'll want as
much support there as possible on the day, so we can take the piss
afterwards if they loose, and cheer like mad if they win! Or do both.
Both sounds good.
The
events will begin on Friday 19 March at 7 pm (GMT), when a panel,
featuring Dr Mark Allinson, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Learning and
Teaching), will be discussing how the University of Bristol has been
supporting our students in these exceptional times. At the same time,
there will be a celebration of 100 years of Geography at Bristol, which
is a great way for all our former geographers to reconnect and we know
from Andy Flack's work how many geography students also became cavers.
The society still has strong links with geography, so please do come
along to their events and others!
On Saturday at 30m, we'll be showing the Fishmonger's Swallet film and having a live Q&A, so please support that as well!
All events are free to attend, but booking is needed so we can let you have the Zoom links for the ones you're attending. Apologies in advance for the fact that you have to sign up separately for each event. Eventbrite doesn't have a shopping cart option in these circumstances for multiple events, so bear with us on that aspect of the booking process.
Do help us to spread the word about the event using your own networks as we're very dependent on all these informal connections to continue to get word out about the event.
You can find the Eventbrite booking page here.
On Saturday at 30m, we'll be showing the Fishmonger's Swallet film and having a live Q&A, so please support that as well!
All events are free to attend, but booking is needed so we can let you have the Zoom links for the ones you're attending. Apologies in advance for the fact that you have to sign up separately for each event. Eventbrite doesn't have a shopping cart option in these circumstances for multiple events, so bear with us on that aspect of the booking process.
Do help us to spread the word about the event using your own networks as we're very dependent on all these informal connections to continue to get word out about the event.
You can find the Eventbrite booking page here.
Linda Wilson and David Richards
on behalf of the Spring Showcase Team
on behalf of the Spring Showcase Team
THE UBSS VALENTINE'S DAY QUIZ
Thanks yet again to the efforts of Social Sec Megan Malpas, Tuesday night was once again enlivened with tricky questions and en even trickier art challenge, this time to create the best romantic setting.
You can judge the results for yourselves! Naturally one team was a sore loser when their artistic talent was dissed and victory was handed to the other team, as until then the contest had been a tie-break!
Thanks yet again to the efforts of Social Sec Megan Malpas, Tuesday night was once again enlivened with tricky questions and en even trickier art challenge, this time to create the best romantic setting.
You can judge the results for yourselves! Naturally one team was a sore loser when their artistic talent was dissed and victory was handed to the other team, as until then the contest had been a tie-break!
GREAT GEAR GIVEAWAY!
Petzl stop spare handle. Crap photo, but it was either that or a random picture of an aardvark.
Dick Willis is kindly giving away various items of surplus kit, so if you'd like to nab any of the following items, please contact Dick.
- Silica gel tins x2 (small tins with perforated screw tops containing silica gel). Battered but handy. You can heat these in a fire to drive off the water, let them cool and then keep them in with electronics or camera gear. Homemade and used often.
- Red Pertex sleepping bag liner
- Karrimor compressible stuff sac
- A space blanket. Good for keeping in the helmet.
- 4 tupperware boxes, good for keeping things dry underground (20x15x9, 13x13x9, 15x10x8, 14x14x6 cms)
- 1 medium and 1 small BDH transparent containers
- Snug Pac stuff sac
- Karrimor zip bag c28x16x13cms
- Mosquito/sandfly net. Very light.
- Petzl Stop spare handle
Just in case you really did want a picture of a random aardvark ...
Petzl stop spare handle. Crap photo, but it was either that or a random picture of an aardvark.
Dick Willis is kindly giving away various items of surplus kit, so if you'd like to nab any of the following items, please contact Dick.
- Silica gel tins x2 (small tins with perforated screw tops containing silica gel). Battered but handy. You can heat these in a fire to drive off the water, let them cool and then keep them in with electronics or camera gear. Homemade and used often.
- Red Pertex sleepping bag liner
- Karrimor compressible stuff sac
- A space blanket. Good for keeping in the helmet.
- 4 tupperware boxes, good for keeping things dry underground (20x15x9, 13x13x9, 15x10x8, 14x14x6 cms)
- 1 medium and 1 small BDH transparent containers
- Snug Pac stuff sac
- Karrimor zip bag c28x16x13cms
- Mosquito/sandfly net. Very light.
- Petzl Stop spare handle
Just in case you really did want a picture of a random aardvark ...
DON'T FORGET THE FABULOUS UBSS BUFFS!
Those who know him wouldn't necessarily use the words Professor Mark Horton and buff in the same sentence, but thank you to Mark for kindly modelling one of our buffs in mammoth ochre at our recent filming shoot. Who could resist one after seeing this?
These have been selling like hot cakes, but we still have a few left, mainly mammoth ochre and grey, but there is one black one left, so get in quick if you want that one!
Each buff costs £5.50 (plus postage). Postage for one/two buffs is £1.29 rising to £1.83 for three. And if you buy three, we're throwing in a free UBSS keyring torch.
Buy now while stocks last! Please give a second choice if you're after black, in case we run out. If you'd like to place an order, click this link!
Those who know him wouldn't necessarily use the words Professor Mark Horton and buff in the same sentence, but thank you to Mark for kindly modelling one of our buffs in mammoth ochre at our recent filming shoot. Who could resist one after seeing this?
These have been selling like hot cakes, but we still have a few left, mainly mammoth ochre and grey, but there is one black one left, so get in quick if you want that one!
Each buff costs £5.50 (plus postage). Postage for one/two buffs is £1.29 rising to £1.83 for three. And if you buy three, we're throwing in a free UBSS keyring torch.
Buy now while stocks last! Please give a second choice if you're after black, in case we run out. If you'd like to place an order, click this link!
We had a new entrant in the Great I Read To The End Competition last month, with Helen Frawley diving in like a ferret down a rabbit hole! Her prize of a UBSS keyring torch will be in the post as soon as she remembers to tell us what colour of buff she wants to buy! So onwards to last month's entrants ...
- Good breakfast reading :) (Helen Frawley) [Editors: We do like praise! It makes us happy!]
- I read to the end….. Thank you for doing such a fun newsletter. I am enjoying them! (Eve Gilmore) [Editors: More praise!! Basks in the warm glow of approval.]
- Very excited that I won but I have already purchased a UBSS buff and I do only have one neck... [Editors: We have kindly provided an alternative and will hand over soon]
- I did (Jacob Podesta) [Editors: We believe him. He's an honest sort, and draws great insects!]
- Great stories, and delightfully frightening drawings! (Jan Walker)
- Good news letter? (Zac Woodford) {Editors: Hmm, not sure what to make of the question mark ... Is he casting nasturtiums on our literary efforts?]
- I did it, albeit slowing this month. (Chris Howes)
- Read to the end again, I always do. (Dick Willis)
And then there was the correction and addendum, which also gained a massive readership! You're such an obedient bunch!:
- Thanks for the correction - I did wonder! (Kit Eaton) [Editors: He got the prize!]
- LOL great correction! (Jan Walker)
- HA! Yes! (Zac Woodford)
- I did and I do and I’ll have a strop if I don’t get a prize! Splendid newsletter, and I’m still tittering at the Hon Moneybags in the correction email! (Sharon Wheeler) [Editors: Sadly, no prize for Sharon and FT Bear this time, but she does throw Epic Strops, so we'll be sure to video it for posterity.]
PS: Our Mystery Model last time was the very lovely Dick Willis.
Now, who read to the end this time? Late entries accepted! For those new to the game, there will be a splendid prize for the first person to read to the end and tell us that you did!
THE END