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

Cassette.

(Side A, 52 seconds)

(Side B, 41 minutes)

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.