rucavers

Springtime in Yorkshire (The Return)

Next trip is Yorkshire, 30 April - 3 May (Bank Holiday!) Contact Nikki for details/booking. I understand that we are staying at Bullpot Farm, which is in the middle of nowhere (and then in a bit more). Interestingly, Durham Uni have a virtual tour of Bullpot Farm on their site. (link at bottom left). Why, I don't know but if you like looking at pictures of coalsheds and frying pans then this is the site for you. I am dead impressed. We should do one for Hilton Park Services on the M6.

Help!

Does anyone have any spare web space (or know where to get some)? Speleolabs Reading are moving and hence are about to lose their online account (from April 22nd). The upshot is that much of RUCavers and the Speleolabs site will cease to exist unless we can find a temporary new home (say, for a couple of months) for about 8.5 Mb of data. Any offers (and FTP details) gratefully received - please let me know.

All Change...

New year, new committee... Congratulations to one and all.

A wealth of updates. Firstly we now have new photos posted from election night and the last Yorkshire trip - see here. Includes pictures from Bar Risa. Sorry.

Secondly, to your left we have a new page showing the new RUCC commitee, here.

Thirdly, Kent & Cardiff university clubs (OK Tom, stop nagging) are now in the links.

Fourth, there's a new page covering expeditions which at the moment doesn't have much on it, except for a link to Brian's site. However, more (past and future) will be on there soon.

Fifth, there's a new archive page, which again which is incomplete but will have content soon, including a soon-to-be exciting new competition, 'Name That Committee'.

In the meantime as part of the archive page we have gone through the digital archives and dredged up 'Speleostuff Magazine' from a few years ago (1999/2000) which shows the genesis of this site (and the origins of Speleolabs). As well as a fine picture of John Mzzzz. Well worth a visit if you are in the mood for a 'reminisci-package' or are a connoisseur of bad web design. Or want a picture of Andy Rumming dressed as Austin Powers. Please revisit the archive page as things get like, archived. Over to you, Badger John...

Speaking of which, thanks to John for this exciting badger post (broadband a good idea for full on badger/mushroom action).

HOT ELECTION ACTION + RISA

Our new committee 04/05 are

President: Henry Patton
Secretary: Nikki Connors
Treasurer: Jon Wichett
Social Sec: Oli Richards
Tackle Master: John Kitching
Web Master: Paul Fellows

Welcome to the new bods, I hope you are looking forward to taking up your
roles actively next term - we will be around to help out if you encounter
any issues.

I am sure that Paul Fellows will be making a collective fool of you soon on the website committee page with amusing photos, or you could try and send him a reasonable looking one - but I'm sure that will make it worse though!

Election Action

There was some top election action last night and a fair bit of silliness. More details this weekend once my head stops hurting.

AGM - Sweeney Todd's

Hello Cavers,

Our Annual General Meeting is on its way! You can voice your opinion on issues outstanding, ask us where the money went and why we book huts with no heating! It has been a tradition for some time that the AGM is held at Sweeney Todd's Pie shop on Monday week 10 of the Spring term. That is Monday 15th March, I believe we will be meeting at Pavlov's dog opposite the chequered church in town prior to Sweeney's. JohnK will confirm and let you know times etc.

This is the most important club event of the year, as it is where the committee members for the next 3 terms will be elected - Please can we have an amazing turnout for the club. In order to keep the people at the pie shop happy (and stop them filling our pies with horrible things) we need to let them know numbers, please email John.Kitching@Bra.boehringer-ingelheim.com if you would like to go.

For the committee positions no previous experience is needed. There is a brief description of the positions on the website committee page. If you are considering going for a position please let me know leu01jmb@rdg.ac.uk There will be voting, possibly heated, if positions are highly contested - however Ron makes few appearances. See you there!

PS thanks to Steve Jackson for the pic www.badgers.org.uk/badgerpages

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