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Hi, Is there anyone out there that was a member of the then Sheffield Caving Club in the 1950's.

I was actively exploring Caves & Mines in Derbyshire and Staffordshire in the 1950 to 1958 period, and would like to contact anyone that caved with me in the old days.

I now live in South Africa and at 80 years old I'm well passed Caving and far away from Derbyshire.

Does anyone remember our Club Hut ? it was an old restored stone barn that we renovated and put in a pipe stove. It was located at the top of Middleton Lane in Stony Middleton and the corner of the footpath that lead down to the bottom of the road leading up to Eyam ?. We used to sleep there, and keep our tackle, ropes and ladder etc. Out side the hut was a Dew Pond that we used to wash in etc !. I have had a look for it on Google Street View, but cannot find it.

Regards, Peter.

 

P.S. My photo on the left is not how I look now. It was taken at RAF Jever in Germany in 1959. The year after my Caving day's were over.

Edited by Peter Tottle

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Hi Peter,

 

Do you remember going down Speedwell Cavern one Saturday Night in the late fifties? My guess is the summer of 1958 -certainly no later.

 

This was a trip you organised through a Prof. at Leicester U. At the time, he was the only person the Speedwell people would allow into their system outside regular business hours. There were just the four of us - the Prof.; yourself, my friend Mike A. and me.

 

I think we used one of the Speedwell boats to reach the end of the tunnel the public were permitted to see at the time. There, we inflated a small boat, piled in our gear and entered the second tunnel. I thought we would ride in another boat but No!, we walked the length of the second tunnel - up to our necks in water!!

 

I remember the initial chill as we went into the water but after that, the temp. didn't seem to matter. A great Trip.

 

Regards

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Hi FALLS,

Thanks for being the first to write a blog on my Sheffield Caving Club topic.

I don't think it was me that organised the trip to speedwell mine. I can't remember knowing anyone from Leicestershire University. I had to do my National Service in Late 1958, when I had finished my apprenticeship.

I first went into Speedwell around the mid 50's on a trip with the Cave Diving Group, to assist with the carrying of their equipment. They were exploring the sump at the far end of that extension passage that you had a swim in, Ha,Ha.:loopy:

Memories, what clean fun we had in those days.

Cheers, Peter the TROGLODYTE of the 50's.

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Hi Peter,

 

If it wasn't you on that organized the trip, then I can't think who it could have been!

 

You mentioned a "sump"? Was this a complete tunnel system that went off on the left hand side of the second tunnel, towards the end? There had been some "talk" about going into this system earlier but when we reached what would have been the entrance, it was completely "flooded out". Apparently this happened when there had been heavy rain up-top and it had certainly rained heavily earlier that week.

 

I wasn't too despondent as I didn't fancy a bought of "underwater swimming" to add to the "soaking" I was already experiencing.

 

Regards

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Hi Peter,

 

If it wasn't you on that organized the trip, then I can't think who it could have been!

 

You mentioned a "sump"? Was this a complete tunnel system that went off on the left hand side of the second tunnel, towards the end? There had been some "talk" about going into this system earlier but when we reached what would have been the entrance, it was completely "flooded out". Apparently this happened when there had been heavy rain up-top and it had certainly rained heavily earlier that week.

 

I wasn't too despondent as I didn't fancy a bought of "underwater swimming" to add to the "soaking" I was already experiencing.

 

Regards

 

Hi Falls,

That trip was a long time ago, and having strained my one cell brain, I cannot still remember it, but you could be correct. My memory is now very poor and patchy.

A "sump" is where the water in the passage gets deeper and deeper, or the roof gets lower and lower until they meet, and the passage is completely sealed with water. It can then only be entered by diving under the water.

Cheers, Peter.

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I must have just missed you, Peter. I caved between 1959 to 61. Don't remember a Sheffield Caving Club. I joined the British Speleological Society, in which Les Salmon was a prominent member. Strangely enough, the Neil Moss tragedy in Peak Cavern in 1959 sparked my interest in the sport. Giant's Hole and Gautrie's Hole were my favourite haunts.

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I must have just missed you, Peter. I caved between 1959 to 61. Don't remember a Sheffield Caving Club. I joined the British Speleological Society, in which Les Salmon was a prominent member. Strangely enough, the Neil Moss tragedy in Peak Cavern in 1959 sparked my interest in the sport. Giant's Hole and Gautrie's Hole were my favourite haunts.

Hi ayperth,

Yes you would have just missed me. I was called up into the RAF to do my National Service in 1958. The cavers that I mixed with in those days were mostly members of the YHA (Youth Hostel Association) we met at there social club in town somewhere (forgot the name of the site).

Les was active at that time, and we once met at Peak Cavern on a Practice rescue simulation. We had to wait around a long-time whilst we waited for the "Mucky Duck" passage to be syphoned dry,then we went on to the then "Far Sump".

I remember the Neil Moss rescue. I was stationed at RAF Valley on the Isle of Anglesey at the time, and being a member of the Derbyshire Cave Rescue organization,I requested that my commanding officer release me to join in the rescue, as I was thin and may be able to get into that narrow rift that Neil was stuck in. He refused, and I was not allowed to go to the Peak Cavern.

It was strange, as I was also a member of the RAF Mountain Rescue team at Valley. If there had been a North Wales problem, I would have gone to that anyway.

I was earlier stationed at RAF Locking at Weston Super Mare, and on Wednesday Sports Afternoons a Cpl.,and I would jump on his Motor Bike & Side-car and go caving in the Mendip Hills.

Now I'm just Old & useless, Ha,Ha.

Cheers, Peter.

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I'm 74 Peter so not a lot of years between us. You evidently led a pretty active outdoor life. I did most of my potholing in Derbyshire. Had one trip up to the Yorkshire Dales where I went down Gaping Gill, spending a night in that cave. After I went to univ., alas my outdoor recreational life came to an end. I joined a jazz band and our efforts were entirely indoors. All the best.

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