There was some top election action last night and a fair bit of silliness. More details this weekend once my head stops hurting.
RUCC, ROCC, RECK and RUCK. And UKULELE…
Are you an ex member of RUCC? Still itching occasionally whip off those zip up tartan slippers and rush cavewards to moan about how its not like it used to be? Well this could be for you.
There is now a subset of the RUCC e-mail list running for the older more discerning caver. Yes, Reading Old Cavers Club (ROCC) now has its own e-mail list. This list generates regular digests of info and will be free from the volume of Reading-centric stuff that is needed by RUCC members. In addition to being a way of bringing together old alumni the plan is to designate certain RUCC trips as suitable for those with more brittle bones, and invite older members along. The next Yorkshire trip is one such trip. The idea is that some RUCC trips will also be ROCC trips which gives present members to drink from the fountain of caving wisdom of ROCC members, and ROCC members chance to relive their glory days. If anyone wants details on how to subscribe please e-mail me (present RUCC members need not join as they are on the RUCC list already).
Historical note for newer members: ROCC stands for ‘Reading Old Cavers Club’. A splinter group, ‘RECK’ (Reading Elderley Caver’s er, Klub) gained currency at the end of the 1980s but this group was never formally recognised by the the Club’s appropriate ruling body at the time, ‘UKULELE’ (United er, Kavers, Underground Leaders, Explorers and Light Expeditioneers). A further sub-splinter group ‘RUCK’ (Reading Underground Caving er, Klub) also subsequently failed due to the lack of an appropriate terms of reference. For posterity, these were due to be as follows:
1) Go caving.
2) Go drinking
3) Forget about point (1).
It was on this final point that members were too drunk to agree. Hence we are left with ROCC. Crazy times.
As Take That Once Sang…
News just in – Mr Tim Morgan, residenti di Roma and caver extraordinaire will be back for good in the UK at the beginning of April
Springtime in Yorkshire
Cue ‘All Creature Great & Small’ theme music – next club trip is SRT pothole action in the Yorkshire Dales, March 12-14th. If you want to go to God’s own country and go down some holes tell Oli NOW! P.S The hut (YSS) is luxury (relative to other huts) and is next to a pub. Cue closing credits. RUCC XXXVIII
Mendips
This weekend we mostly:
-Did the sumps & ducks of Swildon’s Hole with veritable aplomb
-Got down and dirty with other clubs as part of the CHECC community
-Watched with intent as Tom played ‘the stretchy game’ with said community
Photos are available here
Also – Javan & Liz from Kent – thanks for the thanks, hope all is well. You handled the situation with much calmitude, glad we could help.
Photos
Some photos of the Wales weekend and SRT training are now available here
Re: Saturday’s Experimental Vodka Workshop…
Good idea, but where exactly does one acquire a Sherbert Fountain in the Reading Area? Any sightings?
Congratulations
To Mr. Daniel Beddingfield, winner of last night’s Brit award for ‘Best British Bloke’. Regular readers will know Daniel’s contribution to speleological pursuit in the form of that well know caving anthem’ ‘Gotta Get Thru This”. Local legend has it that the lyrics came to him during a recent Priddy Green Sink to Swildons trip. At one point he thought he was stuck but sang to himself, “I gotta get through this, I gotta get through this, I gotta get, gotta get, gotta get through oooooo” and he did! Daniel, we salute you and hope you get well soon. Lives in Priddy Green you know.
Trips and Events This Term
Happy New Year. Up to date details of this terms trips will be available on the ‘Diary’ Page but to whip you up into an enthusiastic frenzy the following is due to happen this term:
wk4 February 6-8 Trip 1 to South Wales staying in Croydon Hut
wk6 February 20-22 Surfing weekend – Contact Nick Fairclough to go surfing
wk7 Feb 27-29 Trip 2 to Mendip, staying in Shepton with Southampton and Cardiff unis
wk8 Sunday March 7 Reading Marathon
wk9 March 12-14 Trip 3 Yorkshire, SRT training required. staying in YSS hut
wk10 Monday March 15 Sweeney Todds for election of new committee
Please email Oli to sign up for trips or come to the pub on Mondays to sign up! Please note that you will require BCA insurance for all caving trips with RUCC.
New Marketing Initiative
The lengths that some people will go to. Thanks to Seb for the airship/brush