Reading University Caving Club 
I’ve just noticed that this site has an RSS feed. If anyone is using a newsreader rather than a browser there’s a syndicate link to the left (bottom) that will take you to the correct page. I’m talking to myself here, aren’t I?
I’ll get my anorak…
Friday Fun
Just to let you know that there will be a contingent of cavers in the Queens Head, Christchurch Road this Friday from 8.00 pm onwards. OK, at least me, John K & Henry. We will be bidding farewell to Emily the landlady who has been supplying ideas for some of your more creative cocktails in recent months. Really hope to see you there. In other news we have won more money on the pub quiz. After curly wurlys, space raiders and comedy moustaches we are hoping to now source a supply of cheap space hoppers for the next trip. Watch this space.
Yorkshire May Bank Holiday
This weekend we mostly:
-Learned group skipping
-Did some top bicycle stuntage
-Saw a woman pushing a dead Volvo with really round wheels
And did some caving. Some photos of the weekend (and some from Friday’s Beer Festival) are here. Thanks to Southampton for putting up with us, and stay peeled for some top T Shirt ideas… Tickle it you wrigglers! I have no idea what this means.
New Shirts & Snack Based Fun
NEWS FEST! Three things:
1 We have some new shirt ideas here. Top work! May need some refinement but I think the idea is there.
2 Ever wondered what your favourite caving club members look like when their face is superimposed with a potato based snack? Yes, us too…
3 Congratulations to Marie and Kay who have now jumped out of a plane for charity and have lived to collect the money from you all.
And finally…
As some of you may know RUCC has a long history of undertaking underground expeditions in foreign parts. We have now consulted with the club’s caving elders before their memory goes into terminal decline, and are now able to post an outline and photos of all the expeditions over the years on this site. You can also use the expeditions button on the left.
It’s a true tale of heroism, sleep deprivation, mud, carbide, burst tyres and entertaining trousers. And interesting caves. If anyone wants to add, dispute or delete anything let me know. Thanks to Lisa in particular for archiving duties, even though entire years seem to have slipped her memory. Here’s to continuing this expedition tradition….
On a separate note, message from Ann-Marie: For this Friday’s beer festival we will be congregating in the Monks Retreat at 6.00 pm to talk tactics and formulate a festival game plan, before moving on at 7.00 ish. There may be diagrams involved.
Also – rumour indicates that this weekend in Yorkshire may be the first appearance of ‘Chez Paul’s – On Tour’, with a special mobile drinking unit set up to meet everyone’s special cocktail needs.
Design A Shirt. Please.
We really really new some new shirts. To encourage someone arty to have a go there is now a page on the site that is there to display whatever people come up with. There’s one on there as an example, the idea is to do better.
In other news don’t forget that there’s a Yorkshire trip this bank holiday weekend (Saturday 30th April – Monday May 1st.). We are going on Saturday so we can attend the 11th Reading Beer Festival on the Friday. Your attendance is of course required for this event which is held in a very big tent in Kings Meadow. 400 different ales apparently. Oh dear.
Wales Photos. Oh Alright, Mendips…
Photos of last weekend’s trip are available here.
This weekend’s guest photographer: John W.
Congratulations…
to Andy & Esther who have recently announced their engagement. This will apparently bring the RUCC wedding tally into double figures. We should start charging more for membership.
In unrelated news future plans for the junkyard sale have been slighly derailed by the news that someone else has got there first…
UPDATE: Apparently the rope went for £31.00. Arse. And we have a whole hut full of dodgy old rope. RUCC online crapometer latest: £60.00.
New SRT Guide
New in the resources section – RUCC’s guide to basic Single Rope Technique (SRT). This is an update to our previous guide, and is now presented in spangly new technicolour. If you are going to Yorkshire next term please read and memorise this guide, and sleep with it under your pillow. Thanks to J for the original on which it is based.
A direct link for download (1.8 mb .pdf file) is here.
Hey Kids, Trips This Term…
Our new super efficient committee have decreed forth. Top dates for your diary next term:
29th April – 1st or 2nd May. Bullpot Farm, Yorkshire – SRT trip. It’s the middle of nowhere. And then in a bit. Durham University Speleological Association have this virtual tour if you want more proof.
27th – 29th/30th May. YSS (last year’s fabled CHECC venue), Yorkshire – SRT trip
17th – 19th June SWCC (we’ve been there before, car park is very good for saucepan divining) Wales – non SRT trip
If you want to go on any of the trips let Charlotte know. We particularily need leaders for the first 2 trips as it seems some of you are going to be away!