Contents of Issue 81, Autumn 1998

This page edited 15/12/00 to remove or correct some broken URLs caused by the BCRA site moving to a new server. For current contact information and diary dates, please refer to the Caves & Caving home page

News from British caving regions:

• North:
  • NCC extend Broken Finger Pot, East Kingsdale with Black Cap Pitch (4m) and a 40m pitch to new depth of -130m (Swire, P., St Lawrence, H.) 8, 9
  • 60m of passage and Black Sheep Special chamber in Black Sheep Sink, Langstrothdale (WRPC) 8
  • Sump in Hagg Gill Pot linked to Deepdale Rising, Langstrothdale (Swire, P.) 8
  • Steve Robert's diving in Brown Hill Pot, East Kingsdale continued by Tony Seddon to 505m from base (Swire, P.) 8-9
  • Dave Lacey and Neil Pacey find 25m of new passage to Thirsty Junction in Stake Pot Series, Lancaster Hole (Swire, P.) 9
  • NCC/RRCPC explore 4m shaft to disappointing end in Chamber Pot, White Scar (Swire, P.) 9
  • Lake Aquazep and The Blue Sump found by John Cordingley in Keld Head, Kingsdale (Swire, P.) 9
  • Digging at Fat Finger Hole, Penyghent (Swire, P.) 9
  • New diving discoveries by John Cordingly and Russell Carter in Hurtle Pot, Chapel le Dale (Swire, P.) 9
  • RRCPC find the 50m Bargain Passage off The Hobbit in Pippikin Pot (St Lawrence, H.) 9
• Peak District:
  • The Rasp, Far Sump Extension, Peak/Speedwell System (Arveschoug, D.) 6
  • Two chambers and a streamway found in final boulder choke in Poole's Cavern (Arveschoug, D.) 6
  • Knotlow Mine - urgent pollution warning (Arveschoug, D.) 8
• South Wales:
  • Pwll Ddu Cave Management Group report: Bizarre trench at entrance to be re-engineered (Garman, A.) 16
  • Prisoners of War extensions (survey) in Ogof Draenen (Carter, J.) 16-17
  • Ignoreland digging in Ogof Twyn Tal Draenen (Carter, J.) 17
  • Cribarth Sink extended to 150m length (Carter, J.) 17
• Forest of Dean:
  • Best Club Stand at Hidden Earth '97 was Gloucester Sepeleological Society (photo) 3
  • John Elliott and Jan Karvic add 75m of passage in Re Melt Plant, Wet Sink, Slaughter Stream Cave (Taylor, P.) 10-11
  • Digging in Big Sink now at -35m (Taylor, P.) 11
  • Digging restarts at Mailscot Sink, Clinker Bottom (Taylor, P.) 11-12
• North Wales:
  • Pollution warning Ogof Hen Ffynhonnau (Farrel, A.) 3

Overseas:

• Ireland:
  • SUICRO '98 23-26 October 1998, Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare. Contact: Declan Harrison, Tel: +35 31 2803606
  • SUI Pollution poster "Dump It, Drink It" 5
• Norway:
  • Diving the Plura River Cave (Arnesen, R.) 18-19

International News:

• Two new species of cave dwelling Trapdoor Spiders in Malaysia (Price, L.) 20
• Magharet Zod (Bqaa Sefrine, North Lebanon) (Nader, F.H.) 20-21
• Otavi '98 Caving Expedition in Namibia (Truluck, T.) 21
• The 90th Anniversary of the 'World's Greatest Tourist Cave' (Whitaker, T.) 21

General Features:

• Editorial: On the need for volunteers to organise BCRA National Conference and other meetings every year; on the intention to republish, with permission, articles from the specialist caving magazines CREG Journal, Compass Points, and Underground Photographer for the benefit of a wider readership; and thanks for assistance with the production of Caves & Caving 81 during Hugh St Lawrence's illness (Cousins, P., Acting Editor) 2
• Chris Howes wins Tratman Prize (Williams, N.) 3
• British Cave Rescue Council Incident Report for the period 1 January - 31 December 1997 (Allwright, P.) 4
• British Cave Rescue Conference 1998 report (Christian, G.). A full report is available from the Conference Secretary, Jim Davis, see web page http://www.managerie.co.uk/bcrc, 5
• NCA Cavers' Fair 1998, Mendip report (Sealy, D.) 13
• NCA: Progress or Procrastination? (Gardener, C.) 24

Gear Review:

• New Speleotechnics Headlite battery (Williams, N.) 28
• BW Technologies Aqua Pure Traveller 28

Association News:

• BCRA contact changes: Membership Secretary: Bryan Ellis, 20 Woodland Avenue, Westonzoyland, BRIDGWATER Somerset TA7 0LQ; Publication Sales: Ernie Shield, Village Farm, Great Thirkleby, THIRSK North Yorkshire YO7 2AT; Public Liability Insurance: David Judson, Hurst Farm Barn, Castlemorton, MALVERN Worcs WR13 6LS; Travel Insurance: John Cooper, 31 Elm Close, WELLS, Somerset BA5 1LZ; General Enquiries: John Wilcock, 22 Kingsley Close, STAFFORD ST17 9BT
• 1998 Conference Preview 14-15
• Centre Insert (yellow) giving Council Report for the year ended 31st March 1998, Accounts and Abridged Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31st March 1998, AGM Agenda, and Summary piecharts for Income and Expenditure 1997/98
• Public Liability Insurance (Judson, D.) 23
• Report of Council Meeting 107 (Wilcock, J.D.) 24
• Travel Insurance Rates (Cooper, J.) 25
• Report on the BCRA Summer Meeting 1998, Llangollen (Cousins, P.) 25
• BCRA Publications Silver Jubilee SALE! (all back issues at £1 each while stocks last) 25
• BCRA Research Fund Report (Gibson, D.) 26
• Organisers wanted for Hidden Earth '99 NOW! 28

Reviews:

• Belgium Regards 29 (Hodgson, A.) 22
• Belgium Regards 30 (Hodgson, A.) 22
• Netherlands Pierk 1 (Dikstra, M.) 22
• Netherlands Pierk 2 (Dikstra, M.) 22
• Poland Jaskinie (The Caves) 7, 8 & 9 (Whitaker, T.) 22-23
• Slovenia Acta Carsologica 27/1 (Whitaker, T.) 23
• Simms, M.J. 1998 Caves and Karst of the Brecon Beacons National Park (Farrant, A.) 27
• Rogers, C. 1996 Meta menardi in underground systems in the south west of Britain (Wall, D.) 27
• ap Rhys, K. (ed.) Underground Photographer (Mehew, R.) 27