Music and Audio

The MCRA hosts an archive copy of Roger Biddle's 'Caving Songs' website, donated to us in 2016. The original website is still being updated and maintained by Roger, and can be found here.

Donated to the MCRA by Phil Davis, October 2014. Converted to .mp3 and .wav files by Alan Gray 6 July 2018.

Wessex Cave Club Easter Meet – Yorkshire 1960

Cassette. Half of Side A and all of Side B blank.

(Side A, 27 minutes)

Bob Lauder and the Wessex Choir, October 1986

Bob Lauder Tape

This was recorded in the kitchen after the 1968 dinner.

Side 1

From To Topic Speed
000 110 Child talking – not transferred from tape 3
111 115 Song – Join the BEC 1
115 127 Song – Foggy Foggy Dew (poor quality) 1
128 144 Song - On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at 1
145 166 Song - Abdul Abulbul Amir 1
167 End Song – Boulder have a crunch on me (poor quality) 3

(Side 1 Speed 1, 9 minutes)

(Side 1 Speed 3, 2 minutes)

Side 2

From To Topic Speed
000 062 Monolog – Headfirst down Hope 1
063 074 Song – Join the BEC 1
075 090 Monolog – Ethelbert Catapult 1
093 106 Monolog – The sad tale of a motor fan 1
108 110 Song – Thanks for the Menories 1
111 115 Song 1
116 137 Song – Foggy Foggy Dew (poor quality) 1
138 153 Song – Down Below (poor quality) 1
157 188 Song 1

(Side 2 Speed 1, 22 minutes)

Note in the tape box: Thanks for the tape. I've enclosed my tape of Bob Lauder plus “Wessex Choir” this lot was recorded in the kitchen after the 1986 Dinner. All much the worse for wear. All the best Jim [Rands].

Tape 1 Side A

(29 minutes)

Rhino Rift 1971 - Sequences recorded at the head of the First Pitch. Voices include Glyn Bolt, Keith Barber, Wally Wilcocks (Black Wal), “Stan” Chappell, Tony Audsley, Rich Witcombe and Bob Pyke. NB Tedious sections of lifelining noise.

Tape 1 Side B

(28 minutes)

Rhino Rift - Sequences of climbing pitches and noisy “gardening”. Voices include Rich Witcombe, Glyn Bolt, “Stan” Chappell, Bob Pyke, Greg Pickford and Wally Wilcocks. Includes reports of the firist trip to the end of the cave.

Tape 2 Side A

(32 minutes)

1970 Westminster SG Expedition to Northern Greece - Caves: Tsepelevon Spiara and St. George's Pot. Voices include Pete Greig, Nigel Smith, Geoff Bull, Rich Witcombe and others. Some Greek folk music. Brief sequence of an interview with John Cornwell at Upper Pitts about his breakthrough at Rhino Rift 1971. Some misc folk music.

Tape 3 Side A

(15 minutes)

Rhino Rift 1971 - A spoof interview in the style of Fyfe Robertson (a well known TV journalist of that era) with John Cornwell reluctantly disclosing details of the Rhino breakthrough. Brief appearances by Trevor Carp and Tony Audsley. Followed by extracts of recordings made in the cave taken from Tapes 1 and 2.

Tape 4 Side A Part 1

(30 minutes)

Thrupe Lane Swallet 1973 (pre-breakthrough). Cast - Tony Dingle, Simon Meade-King, Terry Baker, Will Edwards, Rich Witcombe. Digging in the now back-filled timbered shaft and laying a charge. Mention of Luke Devenish's bang at Cow Hole (“The biggest we've ever had on Mendip” according to Will Edwards), and recent work at Reservoir Hole. Ends with the bang.

Tape 4 Side A Part 2

(24 minutes)

Thrupe Lane Swallet 1973. Cast as above with farmer Nelson Butt towards the end. Aftermath of the bang and more routine digging.

Tape 4 Side B Part 1

(28 minutes)

Charterhouse Warren Farm Swallet 1972 - Surface. Cast – John Cornwell, Jenny Cornwell (nee Murrell), Rich Witcombe, Glyn Bolt, Richard “Stan” Chappell, Clive North. Winching up spoil and general chatter.

Tape 4 Side B Part 2

(27 minutes)

Charterhouse Warren Farm Swallet 1972 - Surface and in the shaft. Cast – as above. Winching, chiselling and breaking rock – very tedious (i.e. boring!)

Tape 5 Side A

(27 minutes)

Charterhouse Warren Farm Swallet 1972 - In the shaft. Cast – John Cornwell, Alice Audsley, Tony Audsley, Rich Witcombe, Dave Mitchell, Clive North, Glyn Bolt, Greg Pickford. Digging and discussion. Mention of archaeological material in the fill. Discovery of the Iron Age Kimmeridge shale bracelet – identified by John Cornwell as a modern curtain ring!

Tape 6 Side A

(29 minutes)

Charterhouse Warren Farm Swallet 1972 - Surface and in the shaft. Cast – John Cornwell, Alice Audsley, Tony Audsley, Rich Witcombe, Dave Mitchell, “Stan” Chappell, Clive North, Glyn Bolt and some unidentified voices. General digging and John Cornwell laying and firing a charge.

Tape 6 Side B

(32 minutes)

Charterhouse Warren Farm Swallet 1972 - Surface and in the shaft. Cast – Largely as above. Starts with two bangs, followed by an examination of the aftermath. A larger bang and afterwards mention of charcoal and bone finds. Finishes with a very large bang and inspection of the results with much crowbar work.

Other Recordings

Thrupe Swallet 1

(1 minute)

30 March 2003 - First descent of Persistence Pot. Present – Simon “Nik-Nak” Richards, Rich Witcombe, Rob “Tav” Taviner.

Thrupe Swallet 2

(6 minutes)

30 March 2003 - First descent of Persistence Pot continued. Present – Simon “Nik-Nak” Richards, Rich Witcombe, Rob “Tav” Taviner.

Thrupe Lane Swallet 1

(3 minutes)

2 March 1974 - Tony Dingle investigates the newly entered Ferret Run. Also present, Simon Meade-King and Rich Witcombe.

Thrupe Lane Swallet 2

(1 minute)

16 March 1974 - Clive North and Rich Witcombe. First descent of Slit Pot.

Viaduct Sink

(2 minutes)

1978 - Rich Witcombe and Simon Meade-King. Exploration upstream from Bridge Junction.

  • archive/audio.txt
  • Last modified: 08 Jun 2020 18:00
  • by matt