Header photo by Zac Woodford
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Welcome
to our second newsletter of the new term! First and foremost, huge
congratulations to new UBSS graduates Imogen Clement, Lucy Dufall,
Merryn Matthews, Elliott McCall, Gabriel Littler and Nathan Cubitt! Our
very own museum mascot Whatley Mammoth even managed to wangle himself an
invitation, but as he's friends on Twitter with both Great George and
Wills Memorial Tower, that shouldn't come as any surprise.
We've had a busy month, with both the traditional Bonfire weekend and
also a UBSS contingent going to a desperately windy CHECC weekend on
Priddy. Training sessions in the Union have started, with Merryn
Matthews as Training Overworm.
The UBSS Scottish sub-group (otherwise known as the Grampian Caving
Group) has two potential new members, with Kat Osei-Mensah and Jakob
Annerdal moving to the snowy north. So, a UBSS caving trip to Scotland
sometime, maybe? The GSG hut in Elphin is very nice!
Some of our eagle-eyed readers might have noticed that in many of
underground photos, cavers are pictured posing without their helmets. In
the best traditions of investigative journalism, and in the hope of
reassuring everyone that we aren't just suffering from a chronic
shortage of helmets (although more never go amiss!) one of your editors
went sniffing around for possible reasons. Several possibilities were
offered by a source who has asked to remain anonymous, and we leave it
to you to judge which explanation(s) might be the most plausible: a) our
models are showing off their epic hairdo b) helmets are considered
unfashionable and ruin an epic hairdo c) the helmet and light is being
used to illuminate the photo d) some of the club lights reflect the
light a bit even when turned off which is distracting and annoying for
exposure. You, the audience, can choose!
With Christmas fast approaching,
we're also getting close to the end of the year, which means the
Society's longest continuous tradition, the New Year's Eve dinner at the
Hut. Since the hassles of Covid, this has been a more low key affair,
but there will still be plenty of turkey and other goodies to consume,
so if you're in Bristol, please do come out to join us in the important
rituals that ensure the sun rises the following day! And if anyone has a
spare pumpkin to bring along to carve and then set on fire, go for it! If you'd like to come, please let Linda know.
You can find all the back issues of the monthly newsletter online. So if you're sitting in a dull lecture, take a look at what the club has been up to recently.
Linda and Zac
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CONGRATULATIONS!
Top left, Elliott McCall; top right Nathan
Cubbit with Whatley Mammoth; centre Gabriel Littler with a sabre-toothed
friend; centre right Merryn Matthews; lower left Imogen Clement; lower
centre Whatley Mammoth, lower right Lucy Dufall. Thanks to everyone for
sending in their photos and thanks to Graham Mullan for the graphic.
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COME DANGLE WITH US!
Charmaine Sew in the Richmond Building, watched over by Si Hadfield.
Merryn Matthews has taken on the job of Training Overworm! All wriggle before Her Wormship...
Alex Blencowe descending for the first time.
SRT training has finally got underway again
in the SU this week, now that all those irritating graduations are out
the way (mine included!). Contact me if you are interested in coming
along, we will be holding more sessions soon. You too can be suspended
in harness whilst confused people studying in the SU take pictures.
Merryn Matthews
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POST-EXAMS MENDIP WEEKEND
Happy cavers! You, too, can be like them!
Hi All,
Just a quick one to say that we will be hosting a post-exams Mendip Weekend January 21st to 22nd. The sign up form is HERE. Everyone is welcome!
Worm wishes.
Mia
Student Prezz.
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BONFIRE WEEKEND
Bonfire ballet at the Hut. Not so much Swan
Lake as the Dying Duck. Or was that the following day's performance?
Photo by Elaine Oliver.
The traditional bonfire weekend was
held at the Hut and according to Merryn Matthews, the lamb was GOOD.
She says that's all you need to know to appreciate it was a
great weekend, thanks Zac for organising! But she has kindly
provided a few more details ...
I cycled out early to the hut to prepare for the incoming cavers and
lamb, my first time setting up the hut alone. The evening of cosy
fireplace hot chocolate and a book couldn't have contrasted more
with the explosive bonfire antics the next day!
Jacob Podesta and Carly also arrived late that evening to set up the
lamb and wood collection, helped by everyone else as they arrived
in the morning.
Caving in Goatchurch. Photo by Jessica Brock.
Reluctantly, some caving also happened down Goatchurch and Sidcot
(I had to borrow Ash's oversized caving gear and was grumpy about
it). A highlight was our talented freshers showing up Nottingham
Uni in the Sidcot Lobster pot, and having a drumming session at bottom
of the cave.
Dan Hill in horror at the effigy dressed like him. Photo by Zac Woodford.
As it got dark the party cars arrived,
bringing food, fireworks and banging tunes to accompany perfectly
cooked lamb, thanks to Ash for tending it all day. A dangerous
effigy of a politician (I can't remember who, could be anyone with our
government) was burnt, accidentally dressed in Dan's t-shirt.
Lamb preparation. The language was probably more Gordon Ramsay than Delia Smith. Photo by Jessica Brock.
I'm told the Sunday was also fun, but I cycled off early that morning. Yay caving.
Merryn Matthews
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LEGLESS AGAIN
The UBSS entry for the fancy dress competition. Photo by Alex Blencowe. Thanks to Barbara Sim for the title!
CHECC (The Council of Higher
Education Caving Clubs) is a traditional UBSS stamping ground, and this
year was no exception. Charmaine Sew takes up the tale...
A
few of us headed to our home ground in the Mendips for CHECC this year.
Aside from the classic raving, we had lovely talks about various
expeditions — one of which included UBSS’s very own Ireland trip! Mia
had the honour of presenting it to the crowd.
We also dressed up as our own crest for the fancy dress costume.
Camping itself was quite an adventure; with ghastly winds and rain that
couldn’t seem to make up its mind. In Ryan’s words, “I’m going to die”.
Oskar and Marianne were also stranded at Wells for the afternoon and
decided to have a spiritual one with the cathedral before Stanley came
to their rescue.
Zac
Woodford led a trip to Brown's Folly stone mine, Bathford, and obtained
proof that members of Cambridge Uni Caving Club need to increase their
fitness levels.
Some
of us were also lucky enough to land spots in SRT and surveying.
Despite hearing UBSS’s kit being repeatedly called out for being
‘strange’ but nonetheless, we were blessed with great coaching.
Charmaine Sew
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MORE TALES FROM WALES
Flowers on the dinner table. Who says the club isn't civilised? Photo by Zac Woodford.
In our last issue, we had a photo
diary from the South Wales trip, now new cavers Charmaine Sew and Alice
Holland have put pen to paper for us.
Charmaine sets the scene with flaming pumpkins and #caveconversations ...
The winning entry in the Flaming Pumpkin Challenge 2022. From a video by Dan Hill.
Can
you ever have a trip over Halloween weekend without the pumpkins?
Almost a month since the trip and the only thing I can really remember
is carving pumpkins and…setting them on fire…? Was it pumpkin golf? Or
something else? It is what you name it?
We had Ash and Haydon completing a colourful…workbook…? (Is it time to
spice up the variety of entertainment material in the Hut?) We also had a
group bringing a pumpkin into a cave. Now onto the serious caving —
Ryan, Dan and I had an unforgettable afternoon in OFD under the lovely
guidance of Simon and Tom (I hope I remembered names correctly).
Charmaine, Ryan (standing) and Dan in OFD. Photo by Si Hadfield.
We
also had our fair share of thought-provoking cave conversations that I
could not help but record before they slipped from my mind.
Here’s the diary of #caveconversations:
“You know you’re doing something cool but you’ll never look cool.
You’ve always got your wellies and oversuit, you’re wet and muddy. It
keeps you grounded and humbled.”
“We live in an age where we’re comfortable in certainty. You’ll never get that in caves”
“We’re fading out of energy but this is a reminder to keep doing what you’re doing”
“Don’t look down. Don’t overthink it. You’ll eventually get down in sections”
Charmaine Sew
Our new student museum curator
Alice Holland proves that it is possible to prove both YouTube videos
and adrenaline-junkies in outdoor shops wrong ...
It doesn't always rain in Wales. Photo by Si Hadfield.
Last month I joined the South Wales Weekend
for my very first-time caving. I had a great time and it was a very
memorable experience!
On Friday we set off for the Brecon Beacons, had good food at the hut
and were made to feel very welcome by the society. Talking to
experienced members about caving was so interesting, it's a whole world I
didn't know existed, and I had a good laugh watching the caving games.
Ladders are often entertaining. Photo by Zac Woodford.
I was a little bit apprehensive about
caving the next day, partly because my boyfriend had been watching
terrible videos on Youtube ("CAVING GONE WRONG!"), partly because when I
went to get my thermals from an outdoorsy shop the adrenaline-junkies
working there said "Caving? I could never do that." Reassuring!
On Saturday we headed to OFD, with Merryn and Duncan leading my group. I
didn't know what to expect but was still surprised by the sheer size of
the cave system and the diversity. I had a lot of fun climbing over
boulders, wading through water, walking through the larger chambers, and
sliding everywhere (slippy wellies). Being a complete wimp, I had
slightly less fun with the high traversing, but I just about did it.
Very grateful to Duncan and Merryn for their positivity, patience and
Mars Bars!
I was very amused by the names of some of the cave areas and also the
fact that you can walk for 3hrs underground and bump into someone from
Reading or Oxford. Turning off our lights and sitting in the dark
listening to the sounds of the cave was an eery but peaceful experience.
Wot, no one went swimming? Photo by Duncan Hine.
On Sunday a few of us, knackered from the
day before, were taken for a walk to some nearby waterfalls by Duncan
and Mia. The day started off quite rainy but it's a beautiful place and
we all really enjoyed ourselves, it was a nice end to the weekend.
Everyone did a great job in keeping us safe and happy. Thank you so much
UBSS for fun weekend!
Alice Holland
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THE 44th TAG FALL CAVE-IN
Sitton's Cave, Cloudland Canyon, Georgia. Photo by Ash Gregg.
Ash Gregg recently took a trip to the other side of the Pond, and he's written an account of his caving activities.
In mid-October, after spending a few days in San Francisco, a friend and I travelled over to Georgia to attend the 44th TAG
Fall Cave-in. (TAG stands for Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia.) Around 900
people attended this caving event, with lots going on. There were
opportunities to visit different caves, meet new people and generally
enjoy the festival atmosphere. Highlights included a live band, giant
SRT course, epic bonfire, tasty beer and a showing of a VERY SPECIAL
MOVIE WHERE YOU DRESS UP AND THROW RICE AND SING... Timewarp, anyone?
On the 7th October we visited Ulla Cave, Georgia. A walk
through the forest leads to a gated entrance, in which many salamanders
were resting in the shade. A crawl through a boulder choke led our group
into a bedding which dropped down to a large pool, prone to sumping in
winter. After getting a bit damp we emerged in very large passage which
continued past abundant formations for a considerable distance. We
admired the vast quantities of columns before turning around and
exploring some side passages on the way back out.
Pryor Springs, Cave, Tennessee. Photo by Jessica Jernigan.
Later in the day we donned our SRT kits and visited Pryor Springs Cave,
Tennessee. This pull-through trip drops down a series of waterfalls into
some well decorated passage - the Ice-Cream Factory. Once in the main
stream we avoided the beavers living in the resurgence to emerge at the
bottom of the hill.
Salamander in Pryor Springs, Cave, Tennessee. Photo by Jessica Jernigan.
On the 8th October a group of us drove to Gourdneck cave,
Tennessee where we were welcomed by some very friendly farmer's dogs as
we rigged the entrance pitch. We dropped down and soon we were in the
main stream passage, being careful to avoid disturbing a water pipe
going into the far reaches of the cave. We headed upstream, with the
passage getting larger and larger. The stream was splashy but fairly
low, making the various climbs and cascades not too wet. A couple of
awkward climbs were navigated to get higher in the passage and ascend a
couple of waterfalls. Eventually we reached a very large chamber (approx
30m high) with a large waterfall. A fixed rope allowed us to prussick
up and enter a higher bedding which connected to the higher stream above
the waterfall. This enlarged to a well decorated passage which
continued to another large chamber with a waterfall. This time the rope
was nearer the water, and getting off the rope at the top went into a
wet crawl. After this crawl the passage became decorated with lots of
flowstone and muddy crawls around stalagmites. At this point we turned
around to head back out.
Sitton's Cave, Cloudland Canyon, Georgia. Photo by Ash Gregg.
On the 9th October a group
of us headed to Sitton's Cave, Cloudland Canyon, Georgia. Bumped into
fellow UK caver Paul Fairman from the BEC. We entered the large entrance
down a boulder slope in the side of the mountain. A short crawl led
into the larger main fossil passage. This enabled a gentle bimble,
stopping occasionally to admire formations and take photos. This
included some large 'salami' stalactites and dried up crystal pools. The
passage eventually lowered and split leading to a few more formations.
On the way back out we explored a couple of decorated side passages.
 Stephen's Gap, Alabama.
On the 10th October after
the event a group of us went to Stephen's Gap, Alabama. A short walk in
the forest led to a pair of large shakeholes. Once a rope was rigged on
the far side we could rappel down through a slot, admiring the views.
This landed on a rock pedestal, jutting out into the side of the shaft.
From here the other hole connects down a large boulder slope enabling a
prussick-free through trip. Most of us went around for a second lap. At
the very bottom of the cave we found a lizard, a snake-skin, and then
followed the cave passage further, just about reaching a point where
lights were needed (out of view of the large sky-light entrance). A very
pretty cave, which unfortunately several un-prepared hikers have fallen
into leading to previous access issues.
Ash Gregg
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SOMERSET UNDERGROUND
Somerset Underground is a series of three guidebooks edited and
compiled by Rob Taviner and published by the Mendip Cave Registry and
Archive. Volumes 1 and 2 recently won the prestigious Tratman Award run
by the British Cave Research Association (won in 2019 by our own book,
Caves of Mid-West Ireland). Volume 3 is due to be launched on Mendip in
the Hunter's Lodge Inn on 10th December at 7.30pm.
These three meticulously researched books cover the following areas:
VOLUME 1 (Bristol, Broadfield Down, The Bristol Channel & West Somerset)
VOLUME 2 (West Mendip, Burrington & North Mendip)
VOLUME 3 (Central and South Mendip, encompassing the major catchment areas of Cheddar Risings and Wookey Hole)
You can pick up copies at the price of £10 each at the launch.
Alternatively, Graham (as an MCRA registrar) will have some copies
available in Bristol after that date. If you'd like a copy, please contact Graham, and he'll give you details of how to pay. Please don't send money to the UBSS account as the book is published by MCRA, not.
Volume 1 will provide a surprising number of caves you can do without
even leaving the city, and the other two cover the major caving areas of
Mendip. The descriptions aren't as detailed as those in Mendip
Underground, but that is sold out, and there isn't a date yet for the
release of the updated version. Between them, these books cover many
more sites in a much larger area.
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UNDER THE EDGE
Copper staining in Engine Vein. Photo by Linda Wilson.
A recent BCRA symposium weekend
included a field trip to the Alderley Edge copper mines in Cheshire and
gave Linda Wilson an opportunity to revisit some old haunts.
I fell in love with Alderley Edge as an eight-year-old when my older
brother gave me a copy of a children’s book called The Weirdstone of
Brisingamen by Alan Garner, first published in 1960. The front cover on
my copy depicts a bearded character who wouldn’t look particularly out
of place in the Hunter’s on a Friday night and I was quickly drawn into a
world where magic and the everyday world walked hand in hand as Colin
and Susan, sent to stay with Bess and Gowther Mossock on the Alderley
Edge in Cheshire while their parents were abroad, found themselves in
the middle a dangerous struggle with the forces of darkness for
possession of an ancient jewel – the weirdstone – without which the
magic protecting a king and his knights will fail, leaving them unable
to fulfil their destiny to remain in a magical sleep in a cavern under
the Edge until the time of Britain’s greatest need.
You know him from the Hunter's, don't you? Cover image from the edition I read as a child.
Naturally, as soon as I could, I pestered
my long-suffering dad to drive me from Preston to the Edge as often as
possible, so I could explore the places mentioned in the book. If you
haven’t read it, you should. It contains one of the scariest underground
scenes in caving literature, set in the fortunately fictitious part of
the mine known as the Earldelving, where Colin and Susan and the
dwarves, Fenodyree and Durathor, had to enter a section of low flooded
passage lying on their backs, not knowing whether they would reach air
on the other side or not. Strangely, this description did nothing to
dampen my ambition to visit the mines and in my early teens when my dad
let me loose to go feral on the Edge with my best friend while he read
the Sunday paper in the car park, we explored as many holes in the
ground as we could armed with torches and just enough common sense to
survive.
We mainly explored the many holes around Stormy Point (now all gated)
and went quite a long way in one, down a couple of climbs until we
finally stopped at a deep, wet, muddy traverse as returning to the car
completely soaking wet might have been frowned on by even the most
relaxed of parents. We had probably visited probably Doc Mine, and in
1977, a few years after our last visit, a shaft collapse prevented
access to the lower level.
In 1991, I finally got the chance for a proper visit to the mines, in
company with Nigel Dibben of the Derbyshire Caving Club (DCC) who took a
UBSS party consisting of myself, Graham Mullan, Andy Farrant, Steve
Cottle and Chris Bennett. We were given an extended trip in West Mine,
the site of Colin and Susan’s exploits in the Weirdstone, and Andy (who
hadn't read the book) had to put up with me squealing with glee every
time we encountered a part of the mine described by Garner. The first
high pitched noise of delight came when we reached the notorious Plank
Shaft, which has claimed several lives over the years. It can now be
crossed in a slightly safer manner than by using the eponymous plank
that daunted Colin and Susan. But if you look down and see eyes
looking up at you from the darkness, I’d advise making a hasty exit …
"The widest shaft they had yet come upon
lay before them, and stretched across its gaping mouth was a narrow
plank." Plank Shaft, West Mine. Photo taken on the 2022 trip by Linda
Wilson. Unchanged from the 1991 visit, but happily different to the 1960
description quoted from Garner's book.
We were also lent the keys for Wood Mine
and Brynlow Level and left to explore them by ourselves. Andy has
(un)fond memories of our collective efforts to open the lock on Brynlow
on our way out. When we were failing miserably, I devised a back-up plan
whereby we would clear the accumulated leaf debris and mud from under
the door and shove Andy under it. That spurred him on and the lock
finally saw his point of view. Apparently, it’s still the same lock and
still causes the same problems!
One of the first passages encountered in
West Mine after coming in via the new entrance. Olly had to haul me away
with promises of more green further in. I like green!
The decision to hold the British Cave
Research Association’s AGM in Manchester this year provided a welcome
opportunity to return to some of my favourite places, so Graham and I
took the campervan north for a long weekend, and I arranged a trip on
Friday into West Mine with my DCC friend Olly King. The entrance to the
mine has changed from the one I knew in 1991, entering now from National
Trust land a short distance away from the original, which is in private
ownership. Olly and I spent a very happy three hours wombling around
the mine, taking photos and identifying many of the iconic locations
described in the book.
A short, fixed entrance ladder leads quickly into the huge entrance
stope and from there a series of mainly large passages can be followed
to even larger chambers such as Sphinx Chamber and Lion Chamber (which
features in Garner’s book).
"The tunnel opened into a broad gallery;
before them rose an outcrop of rock, and it was the shape of a lion's
head." The Lion Rock, as described in The Weirdstone of
Brisingamen.
Yes, I know it looks a bit like a poodle,
but allow the author some artistic licence! The rope on the right gives
access to the levels above. Fenodyree, pictured on the book cover,
refers to this as being in the Cave of the Svartmoot. In the book,
svarts are nasty, pale goblin critters.
The Lion Rock viewed from the level above, from which Colin, Susan and the dwarves watched the Svartmoot.
The main ores mined at Alderley Edge were
copper and lead, but cobalt, silver and iron were also found there,
along with arsenic, nickel, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, antimony
and even some gold! Malachite (the green hydrous carbonate) and azurite
(blue) have left vivid colouring on the walls in many place and some
darker cobalt can also be seen in places. West Mine was first worked for
copper in 1857.
West Mine contains many different levels.
By 1878, the mine wasdeemed to have been
commercially worked out. Attempts to reopen it between 1911 and 1919
were largely unsuccessful and in the late 1950s/early 1960s, the
entrance was sealed after a series of accidents, some fatal, and the
open cast workings were infilled. Official access was regained to the
mines in 1975 by the DCC who have dealt with access to West Mine and
others on the Edge ever since. The mine is a maze of closed loops, large
passages and shafts, some equipped with ropes and one with a chain,
unsurprisingly known as Chain Shaft. The mine provides a wide variety of
sporting options as well as opening a fascinating window onto the past
and into the rich geology of the Edge.
Descending the Blue Shaft from Engine Vein Mine to Hough Level.
On the Sunday field trip, we had a record
turnout of nearly 20 people, with UBSS represented by myself, Mark
Tringham and Andy Farrant, with Andy and I caving together under the
Edge for the first time in 30 years. I’d long harboured a desire to do
the trip that connects Engine Vein (a huge open cast scar in the
landscape, now overgrown with vegetation but still instantly
recognisable as a relict of mining activity) with Wood Mine via the
mile-long Hough Level, which involves navigating a flooded section in a
canoe or a modified bathtub (if you’re really lucky!). With that as one
of the trips on offer, I immediately attached myself to that party, led
by Jane from DCC, with Nigel and Billy taking another group on
geological tour of Engine Vein Mine and then onto Wood Mine overground,
where we finally met up with them again.
Andy Farrant (kneeling) in Hough Level.
Engine Vein leads down into the Hough Level
via a series of easily negotiated fixed ladders and then there was a
long walk to the flooded bit and much amusement in the unconventional
transport on the water before we emerged in Wood Mine for a look around
the dry passages there. It’s also possible to ascend a ladder from Hough
Level into Brynlow Level, for anyone who doesn’t mind contending with
knee deep mud.
Russell Myers in Wood Mine.
We left Wood Mine eventually via the adit
for the walk back to the National Trust car park and the small DCC
museum. The proximity of the Wizard Café is another big plus.
The remains of the open cast workings at Engine Vein.
Engine Vein was first worked in the Bronze
Age and then again by the Romans. It’s fascinating to speculate whether a
strange carved face opposite one of the Roman levels in the mine is
contemporary with those workings or not.
Carved face, Engine Vein. There has been speculation that the shelf in front of it might have been used to leave offerings.
THE LEGEND OF ALDERLEY
The best known of the legends
associated with Alderley Edge is the story of the wizard and the
sleeping knights, which forms the basis of Garner’s novel.
So the story goes, a farmer from nearby Mobberley was crossing the Edge
on his way to Macclesfield to sell his milk-white mare. Near the spot
known as Thieves Hole, he was stopped by an old man who wanted to buy
the horse. The farmer refused, thinking to drive a better bargain at the
market. The old man claimed he would be unsuccessful there but said he
would meet him at the same spot on his way back. To the farmer’s
annoyance, the prophecy proved to be true and when he encountered the
old man again that night, he agreed to sell him the mare. The old man
led him by a lengthy route to large rock, which parted to reveal a pair
of huge iron gates.
The rock hiding the Iron Gates. It was pissing down when I took this photo, hence the mist on the lens.
The farmer was terrified but allowed
himself to be led through a series of caverns to one which contained
many men, all asleep, each – apart from one – with a milk-white horse
asleep by his side. The farmer’s mare was the last one needed to
complete the company. The old man instructed the farmer to take the
mare’s price from the glittering heaps of treasure in one of the
caverns, telling him that there would come a day when the men and horses
would wake from their enchanted sleep and would engage in a battle on
the plain that would decide the fate of their country, in the time when
‘George son of George shall reign.’ So our current King Charles ends up
with a great-grandson called George, it’s time to really start worrying!
The farmer left the caves with his pockets stuffed with jewels and the
old man and the iron gates were never seen again.
The legend first appeared in print in the Manchester Mail in 1805 and is
typical of the sort of legend claimed to have many local sources and
the wizard is commemorated in a carving of a face, possibly of similar
age, below Castle Rock, accompanied by the words: ‘Drink of this and
take thy fill for the water falls by the wizard’s will.’ The rock
concealing the Iron Gates can be found by following the path west of
Stormy Point. For anyone interested in locating the places referred to
in The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and its sequel The Moon of Gomrath, My
friend James Wright of Triskele Publishing has put together an excellent online map, and much to James’ delight, I’ve arranged for Olly King to take him down West Mine next year.
If anyone is interested in visiting the mines, let me know and I’ll see
what I can arrange. There’s a large campsite in Nether Alderley with
decent facilities only ten minutes’ drive away from the Edge where
Graham and I park edthe van, while unbeknownst to us, Mark Tringham had
also pitched his tent.
The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea ...
The mines would make a great place for a
weekend away and the DCC are really obliging guides. I’m calling first
dibs on the bathtub next time!
Linda Wilson
References:
The Alderley Edge Mines by Chris J Carlton and Nigel J Dibben, revised edition published in 2012 by Nigel Dibben. £12.
The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner [available from the Evil Empire and most bookshops]
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TALENTED!
Entrance to Aveline's Hole, Burrington Combe. Photo by Jan Walker.
The role of UBSS Museum Curator
often involves dealing with media requests, frequently ones relating to
Aveline's Hole on Mendip, the site of the Society's first archaeological
excavation in 1919. Linda Wilson relates the story of the latest such
encounter ...
Way back in August, when the weather was still warm and I had fewer grey
hairs, I got a Facebook message from fellow UBSS member, archaeologist
and rock art specialist George Nash asking me to contact him urgently.
Few things in the museum world are ever urgent, so I immediately
suspected the involvement of the Bane of my Life aka a film company. I
groaned loudly and told George that I don't get out of bed for film
companies without a hefty donation to the museum and if - as I correctly
suspected - Aveline's Hole was involved, there would also need to be a
donation to the Conservators of Burrington Common as a condition of
permission being granted by the landowners, the Wills Estate.
Gratuitous shot of pretties beyond the gate. Photo by Linda Wilson.
By way of background, the Wills family have
owned the land around Burrington for several generations. Sir George
Wills was in many ways responsible for the foundation of the society in
1919 as he wanted the dig at Aveline's to be done under the auspices of
the university. He also gave permission for the Hut to be erected on his
land. He died before my time, but many years ago, I ended up in the
role of UBSS liaison with the Wills family. I never knew Sir George, but
dealt a lot with Sir John Wills, who kindly performed the opening
ceremony for our museum and library in the Stables (behind 21 Woodland
Road) in 1992. When he died, the estate went to his eldest son Sir
David. Whilst the Wills Estate own the land, the Burrington area is also
a registered common, which means that there are certain 'rights of
common' over it exercised by local people, eg grazing rights. These are
managed by the Burrington Conservators, whilst the underground remains
managed by the Estate, and because of our close relationship with the
family for over 100 years (Sir David and Lady Paula were guests of
honour at our centenary dinner at Wookey Hole in 2019), UBSS gives
informal advice regarding the caves, and has a right to explore them,
based on a licence dating back to the 1930s.
Looking up the entrance slope. We got to wear Hi Viz jackets! Photo by Linda Wilson.
So when a filming request comes in, as
commercial activities require consent of the landowner, the first thing I
need to do is find out what the company want to do and start the
process of obtaining all necessary consents. Daft requests aren't
uncommon, including one where the film makers wanted to flood the
interior with smoke to make it more atmospheric. I pointed out that a)
there are bats in the cave and they are protected species and b) there
is a blind bend on a busy road immediately outside the entrance and that
smoke drifting onto the road could well have catastrophic consequences.
So in that instance the answer was NO. They said they couldn't go ahead
without the smoke. I said, their problem, not mine. That one didn't go
any further.
George's request was a lot more sensible. He's working with a company
called Practical Magic on a series that aims to explore questions around
the world's earliest art and the role art might have played in the
development of symbolic thought, graphic communication and numeracy. The
project is funded by the John Templeton Foundation and National
Geographic. He proudly informed me that he's been taken on as one of the
people the film world refers to as the Talent ie the people in front of
the camera. I promptly fell about laughing as the thought of George
being described as The Talent will never not be funny. Before you think
I'm being cruel a) I've known him a long time and b) I've known him a
long time!
Meet the Talent! Photo by Linda Wilson.
Joking
apart, George has had a long association with UBSS, usually being
repeatedly chased for his annual subs. Up until 2017, George taught
prehistory in the Department of Archaeology at Bristol. He is currently
one of the Principal Investigators with the First Art, a European-funded
project looking at sampling pigments and Uranium Thorium dating
techniques within selected caves and rock shelters in the Iberian
Peninsula, looking for the elusive link between rock art and early
modern humans and, possibly, Neanderthals.
Practical wanted access to film the fossil ammonites found with the
human remains in the cave. Sadly that wasn't possible as the Stables are
still closed for building works, but they also wanted to film the
possible Mesolithic engraving in the back part of the cave behind the
gate. I contacted the Wills Estate who agreed in principle subject to
the usual conditions:
- A donation the the conservators
- A donation to UBSS Museum
- A donation to the Parish Council for the use of the toilets in the Combe.
- All activities on site to be supervised by myself (and others if needed)
- Consent to be obtained from Natural England
Various Zoom calls with the company followed the usual course.
Eventually, the donations were agreed and then more Zoom calls and a
bazillion emails ensued. Another thing to clear up early on is whether
the filming release they will inevitably want signing looks sensible
enough to put in front of Sir David. I usually end up hacking them to
pieces with a red pen until we reach something likely to be acceptable.
Never leave that to the end or it might all be a waste of time if an
agreement can't be reached, as the company always needs a release form
so that the footage can be used.
While that was being sorted, I approached my contact at Natural England
regarding obtaining the necessary filming consent from them as the site
is a scheduled Site of Scientific Interest. I completed the draft form,
listing any potential 'threats' and measures to deal with them. In
essence, it all comes down to not damaging the cave or the bats. Once
that was agreed, Sir David signed the form and Natural England kindly
processed the consent in record time (normally several months notice is
needed, but our current contact is very pragmatic and helpful.]
What they were there to film. A series of scratched crosses believed to date to the Mesolithic. Photo by Linda Wilson.
Once all the paperwork was signed, I
enlisted more help, as Practical Magic would be bringing a large crew
and three presenters, including George 'The Talent' Nash. Zac Woodford,
Lucy Dufall, Jan Walker and Henry Morgan kindly volunteered to help on
site, with Graham Mullan supervising the cast and crew beyond the gate.
On the day, the layby beyond the cave was full of cars, vans and gazebos
and more people than I could easily count. They'd all be warned not to
approach the cave until I'd given the obligatory Health and Safety
briefing. This mainly consists of saying very loudly: DON'T STEP
BACKWARDS ONTO THE F***ING ROAD! as this is one of the most dangerous
aspects of the filming. For most of the day, Jan was stationed outside
the cave making sure this instruction was followed as from past
experience, camera crews in particular get so engrossed in their shots
that taking one step too far backwards to the road could have
unfortunate consequences.
Setting up for some filming at the bottom of the slope. Photo by Linda Wilson.
Zac, Lucy, Henry and I helped carry large
amounts of kit up and down the slopes, which had been roped as a
handline for the non-cavers and generally made sure that everyone was
being sensible and not harming either themselves or the cave. Graham
supervised a very limited number of people beyond the gate, mostly
George and his co-presenters, also rock art specialists.
Their own H&S adviser kept everyone liberally supplied with snack
bars and during the lunchbreak, they even had a security guard
positioned at the entrance to safeguard the kit. As it happened, it was a
petty quiet weekday for walkers/cavers in the area and we didn't have
to explain to any passing cavers why Aveline's was currently unavailable
for visits.
All the lighting was done from outside the gate. Photo by Linda Wilson.
The crew were incredibly easy to work with
and consulted me at all times about operations underground. I
subsequently learned from their location manager that given the initial
impression on Zoom and by email that I was a fire-breathing dragon who
would call a halt to the entire thing if anyone put a foot wrong! I was
most chuffed.
The whole thing took up about two full days of my time in total. One
devoted to zoom calls, phone calls, emails, form filling, negotiation
and other admin tasks plus another on site, together with most of a day
from five other UBSS members. That's the reason we don't do this sort of
thing without a donation. The filming netted us £700. Many thanks again
to everyone who helped with this!
So that, dear readers, is a look at some of the lesser known things that
go on behind the scenes in UBSS. And when our very own Talent returns
from his world tour, I'll return the favour and message him on Facebook
asking for a reprise of his exposition underground in the form of a
field trip for anyone who's interested. George, darling, you have been
warned!
Linda Wilson
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PHOTOS FROM THE FOREST
Slaughter Stream Cave otherwise
known as Wet Sink is the longest cave system in the Forest of Dean.
Sioned Haughton recently took a trip there with Si Hadfield and Elaine
Oliver. These photos by Si show two highlights from their pleasant
womble around some of the dry passages, leaving the streamway for next
time.
Snow garden, at the end of a long section of fossil passage past the Dog's Graveyard.
The cave contains many archaeological remains, including those of
'Norman' a dog who sadly became trapped and died in the cave, possibly
thousands of years ago. It's not known where he entered the cave.
Elaine, Si and Sioned did not become trapped in the cave!
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WATCH OUT, WATCH OUT, FAKE ELAINE'S ABOUT!
One of the first things new
committee members learn is not send money, when asked, to Fake Elaine.
Messages like the one below are a fairly frequent occurrence.
Note the actual email address, not the fake
one. It seemed unlikely that Fake Elaine was trying to pay for her Xmas
Dinner. Strangely, the request for a nude selfie went unanswered. The
record for keeping one of these conversations going is still held by Mia
Jacobs, who conducted an increasingly hilarious conversation with a
bemused scammer who thought she was their new best friend.
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RUFUS READ TO THE END, THEY HOPE YOU DID, TOO!
Rufus was created using the Midjourney AI
art program from the key words cave and cartoon creatures wearing
glasses. Ah, procrastination techniques, how we love thee!
And the winner in last month's read
to the end, much to Chloe the Cave Critter's delight, was new student
member Daniel Levy! A prize will be winging his way shortly! He made
nice comments, and we like him lots, preciousssss. We can confirm that
Cat Henry is nearly the most improved on the leader board, but hasn't
quite beat Dave Hardwick's score of being two years behind with one
issue! If anyone else wants to rise to the challenge, please feel free
to let us know what a slow reader you are!] Now, without further ado,
here's last moth's kind entrants ...
- You clearly put a lot of work into the newsletters, and I appreciate
that. It's really nice getting a nice general overview of everything's
that happened each month, and I think it's a great idea. You nailed it 🙂 [Daniel Levy]
- Read to the end before it was even released! [Zac
Woodford] [Disqualified again as editors don't get to call dibs, but
keep trying, mate!]
- Aw, Chloe is adorable! Some fine caving this time, and another
congratulations to Graham for his Tratman win! My personal award for the
greatest line in this one, by Elliot McCall: “After some brief
confusion as to the relative locations of Simon, who had gone on ahead,
and the exit, which definitely couldn't have moved, we came back out
into the sunlight happy and content”.Superb newsletter, as always. [Jan
Walker] [Rufus hopes they're adorable, too!]
- Congratulations on the Tratman award and also the launch of the
publication of The Caves of Mid-West Ireland. It’s encouraging to
see how engaged the UBSS members are in the activities, as well as some
impressive cave photographs. I was intrigued by the CO2 readings taken
in Banwell Bone cave and will have to do a bit of ‘googling’!
[Wendy Russ]
- The Tratman award sculpture is amazing! Wowee! Chloe is a bit
scary though. [Mia Jacobs] [Chloe wishes to point out the typo in
Mia's response. Mia clearly meant to say that Chloe was lovely but her
fingers must have been muddy and slipped while typing.]
- I did it 🙂 I am a worm and I wriggled all the way to the end. Wiggle wiggle wiggle. [Ash Gregg]
- No kidding-- [Hans Friederich] [By which we are sure that Hans read to the end and thinks Chloe is a very fine cave critter!]
- I am still waiting for the money an iTunes vouchers you promised me. [Fake Elaine]
- Great newsletter again. Thanks and keep up the good work (oops - I meant fun)! [Patricia Hill]
- Maybe not the first but maybe the most improved?
Incredible pictures of Coolagh River cave by Yi-Chun Chen! Have a random
gratuitous baby caving picture as I'm faffing while Adam works out how
to fix the boiler (it's a picnic we had today in Ashford black marble
mine - of note we were with Alex Crow and Jess and their son Jon too was
an excellent trip they organised!). [Cat Henry]
[And what better way to end than with a piccie of a Next Generation Caver? Thanks, Cat!]
I did, Rufus, I did read to the end! Will you take me caving?
THE END
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