Reading University Caving Club

has now closed. Thanks to Tom for remembering where he was at the time, Chris Seal for filling us in on the 1985/6 committee (which must be roughly when the present committee were born) and a Mr Richard Matthews for his information from the time 1969-72 (the club’s even darker ages). I will update the page at some point, please let me know any more info. No one has therefore claimed the prizes of a colour TV/CDs. However, if Chris/Richard want to send me an address I can supply the Speleolabs beanie hat, as promised. Next competition prize: a day out snowboarding with Tim ‘aaarggghhh’ Morgan (helicopter ride not included).

This is to wish Tim Morgan a speedy recovery. Tim has just been airlifted off a mountain having snowboarded off a cliff. He is currently in an Italian hospital, being hospitalized. I guess they probably teach you to not snowboard off cliffs on day one of snowboard school. Unfortunately Tim is self taught.

A quick reminder to say that our exciting competition ‘Name That Committee’ is still running but must end soon. Prizes of Speleolabs headgear, specially mixed CDs and a colour TV remain up for grabs.

Web space problem is now sorted by the way. Although this site may go a bit quiet on the Speleolabs front from this week due imminent homeslessness. Please keep posting comments as it keeps me amused. Also – Tom has asked me to point out that his e-mail has gone spoggly but he can be reached by phone – see number posted by him in comments section.

A few changes – as well as a mild redesign there is now a separate links page as requested. If anyone wants anything added let me know.

More excitingly, there’s our brand new competition:

Click on the link above or see the archive page.

How it works- we’ve tried to compile a complete list of committee members/christmas party themes since the dawn of time (1986). However, as Dr Methane’s memory is not what it was a few gaps remain. And he inevitably got a bit confused in places. Consequently there is a fine Speleolabs beanie hat, some ‘Speleomix’ CDs and a colour TV available to the person who can fill the most gaps/point out the most errors. Even if you’re not the lucky winner it does make some really interesting reading.

Some Pub News. As it is out of term time a few more dedicated members are now meeting in the County Arms, Watlington Street from 10.00 onwards. Feel free to drop in. Normal service will be resumed when term begins.

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.

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).

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!

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

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 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 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

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.