Meet report 15-17th November 2024 at the Falcon Manor, Settle and at Lowstern

A spell of calmer, drier weather than is usual for the time of year almost lasted long enough to include this meet, the largest gathering in the Club’s calendar.  It was also the closing meet of Becca Humphrey’s presidency and perhaps it was no coincidence that the Club’s official guests at the dinner were all female: international cave explorer and Principal Guest Fleur Loveridge; Wayfarer Carol Baker; and Chris Paul of the Fell and Rock Climbers’ Club.  Once again, the dinner was held the Falcon Manor Hotel where thirty stayed and close enough to our Lowstern clubhouse for eighteen to stay there.  

As usual several members and guests stayed at Lowstern on Friday, two having walked a round south of Coniston Cold including part of the Pennine Way.  Crummackdale and Trow Gill were two of the areas walked on Saturday morning.  So far all pretty typical.  So, much of what follows describes the exceptional.

Arriving from Cambridge at 1am one member realised he had not brought his DJ.  Later that morning he was in the Sense charity shop in Settle picking up a £6 new DJ, £1.50 bow tie, and a new £3 Brook Taverner shirt.  The black shoes bought elsewhere were more expensive, £7.   Like a true Yorkshireman, he was rightly pleased with his bargain.

More seriously, walking along a street in Ingleton at the same time, our President was attacked by a rottweiler dog which clamped its teeth on her forearm.  She was taken to Kendal Urgent Care Unit for treatment including stitches and a couple of days later her bruising looked horrific.  Thankfully no nerves or blood vessels were seriously damaged.

Becca and her chauffeur, Debby Kuhlmann, did not make it back from the hospital in time for the AGM, held again in the spacious Settle Social Club function room.  The business of the meeting was despatched smoothly and briskly with Vice President Conrad chairing.  Tim Josephy was awarded Honorary Membership with mention of his long service in various capacities: Vice President, President, Secretary and Meets Secretary, regular caterer on Welsh, Cornish and Dinner Meets, and more prosaically often the last person to leave any meet accommodation as he’s giving the place a thorough sweep and mopping before locking up.

There were over three dozen members at the AGM.  Another twenty sent apologies.  Among the latter was Andy Eavis who had the good excuse of being out caving in Mulu but sent a couple of pictures to make us envious with the message “The entrance is a pristine new cave, attractive and nearly half a kilometre long.  We are probably going to call it Perou Cave.”  Mark Rothwell had a similar excuse as he was climbing in the Anti Atlas.

Professor Fleur Loveridge of Leeds University, who gave the lecture after the AGM, specialises in engineering geology, with a particular interest in groundwater.  She has followed that interest, and indeed lots of ground water, a long way underground, through exploratory caving in Austria, Tasmania, Timor-Leste, Myanmar, and, more recently, 7km of new cave in the northern Dales.  Her talk concentrated on repeated visits with teams of cavers to explore the Ario complex of potholes which have a resurgence in the Picos de Europa’s Cares Gorge, between 1997 and 2017.  While there were some tight sections, the most impressive pictures were of long multiple-hanging abseils down wide shafts 300 to 500m deep.

Despite a cold wind, it was dry for the 6pm tramp south through Settle to the Falcon Manor Hotel where 64 met for the dinner: 45 Members (thankfully including our now sewn-up President), three Prospective Members, and 17 guests.  Master of Ceremonies David Large steered us through the usual Grace, toasts to the King, Absent Friends, Kindred Clubs & Guests and The Yorkshire Ramblers’ before Conrad, Frank, David, Arthur, and Jason stepped up to form the choir and led everyone in the singing of Yorkshire with Helen Smith at the keyboard.

This night was probably the first time an ex-president had been shooed away from a post-dinner discussion where childbirth experiences were being passed on to the next generation.  Our GP member hearing of this thought he probably had more experience than those mothers combined, admittedly at second hand.  Plus, he had once rescued a two-year-old from drowning in a birthing pool when parents and midwife were busy and hadn’t noticed the child had fallen in and was underwater.

It was past 1am before the last few made their way from the Devil’s table, up to their rooms by which time the outside temperature was falling markedly.  

The Sunday Walk differed slightly from the usual format being John Sutcliffe’s guided geological walk explaining features of the karst terrain immediately south of the Mid-Craven fault east of Settle.  Lambert and Stockdale Lanes took everyone up to Attermire Crag and Victoria Cave, returning via Clay Pits Plantation into Settle.   

Above Stockdale Lane, John conjured from his rucksack rock and ore samples to illustrate his talk.  Shortly after that stop, lunch was taken in the shelter of Victoria Cave as the afternoon drizzle set in.  However, the heavier rain held off until we finished the route.

Arthur Salmon, Barbara, and Conrad followed part of that route a little later.  Philip and Paul Dover walked a triangle taking in Stockdale Lane and Attermire Scar.  Back in Settle, they chanced on Ann and Anne Dover in the cycle shop café, later joined by Richard to make the full complement of Dovers.  

As dusk fell, 18 finished off the weekend at Lowstern with a chat over a cream tea with Wendy’s homemade scones.  Then all that was left was to tidy up and drive home.

Attendees:  Club Guest Carol Baker (Wayfarers, PM), Peter Baker (PM), Andy Barton (PM), Mick Borroff, Aaron Campion, Beverley Campion (G), President Elect Ged Campion, Imogen Campion, Robert Crowther, Toby Dickinson, Ann Dover (G), Anne Dover (G), Paul Dover, Phil Dover, Richard Dover, Tony Dunford, Beverley Eastwood, Iain Gilmour, Sarah Gilmour (G), David Handley, David Hick, Alan Hinkes OBE, President Becca Humphreys, Jason Humphreys, Suki Humphreys, Andrew Jarman, John Jenkin, Tim Josephy, Debby Kuhlmann, Geraldine Lally (G), David Large, Alan Linford, Angela Linford (G), Harvey Lomas, Principal Guest Fleur Loveridge (G), Malcolm Lynch, Duncan Mackay, Nicole Mainaud (G), Christine Marriott, John Middleton, Valerie Middleton (G), Conrad Murphy (G), Rory Newman, Andrew Paul (FRCC, G), Club Guest Chris Paul  FRCC), Shaun Penny, Kim Randall, Alister Renton, Jane Renton (G), Steve Richards, Wendy Richards, Felicity Roberts, Arthur Salmon, Barbara Salmon, Fiona Smith, Helen Smith, Michael Smith, Richard Smith, John Sutcliffe, Peter Talling (G), Richard Taylor, Conrad Tetley, Martyn Trasler, Charlie Wilkinson (G), Frank Wilkinson