Depth through thought

Editor: tim.guilford@zoology.ox.ac.uk

Dear All, 

Yes, we're coming back! At least pretty close. I (Maarten) have a permanent job at the British Geological Survey in Edinburgh (that's in Scotland), so I'll be stomping about in the Highlands for the next 30 summers. We're really happy to get closer to home, to get back to civilization as we know it and closer to proper caves and cavers! We haven't caved here at all and would love to pick it up again. I'm not sure if Susanne is inclined to join: with her current fairy suit she'll probably take up sky diving. Little Sander however has already shown great caving talent. He's currently very hard trying to walk through doors and walls and is fine-tuning his SRT skills on Susanne's long hair.

We'll be arriving in Scotland in March, but those of you who can't wait to see us: we're having a SIX HOUR wait at Heathrow Terminal 4 on 22 Jan (between 5.20 and 11.20 am). So anyone is welcome to join us for a cuppa coffee there! Hope to see you all soon, 
Maarten & Kitti 
maarten@mail.earth.monash.edu.au kitti@mail.earth.monash.edu.au

Yorkshire this weekend 

Come to Yorkshire this weekend! We'll be staying at Bull Pot Farm Fridayand Saturday night. We have permits booked for Death's Head and Big Meanie and an exchange trip is on the cards for those who like exchange trips that work, not like the ones where you get left down Rift Pot the wrong side of a horrible duck by inconsiderate Large Pot teams, which are horrible, don't you think so Pip?).

Please let me know TONIGHT if you want to share transport from Oxford and if so whether or not you have a car. Let me know before the weekend if you want to share food and use club ropes so we know how many masses of stuff to cart north. Hope to see you there! Hilary "what, you mean the meets sec has to organise club weekends?" Greaves

Daren Cilau Someone told us Aggie was "boring", so myself, Dick and Dave Hounslow, terrified of Boredom, decided to form a splinter group trip to Daren Cilau instead last Saturday. The entrance crawl was as much fun as I remembered it being, from a year or so ago. Dave didn't think so unfortunately and decided caving was a bad idea when you're feeling ill, and Daren entrance crawl was a particularly bad place to be when you're about to throw up. So me n Dick continued on our brave quest to find the time machine, minus our master navigator. Needless to say it didn't work. The antlers are very pretty though. And the entrance crawl was fun on the way out too. 
Hil

Clandestine Mission 

On Friday 24th an OUCC splinter group engaged in a clandestine mission to Planet K in Manchester. Their mission was to observe the phenomenon known as "God Speed You Black Emperor". "God's pee" as they are affectionately known to their fans are a very weird band from Chicago. With no lyrics and no apparent structure to their songs the group of nine including 2 percussionists, 5 guitarists, a violinist and a cellist punished the audience with two and a half hours of the most intense auditory abuse they could stand. After returning to the stage for an encore of demonic proportions, most in the audience would have begged them to stop had they not been transfixed by the stunningly bizarre visuals and hypnotic layers of white noise. Only one word can truly describe the crowds reaction to this odd bunch of noiseniks... ..."Fuck!!!"...

After the gig we staggered out into the night to find comfort and reassurance in a kebab and a large spliff. What had we just witnessed? could we remember? was it a dream? Whatever it was, it was damn good!!!

The two operatives wish to remain anonymous but can be easily identified by their complete lack of ability to hear anything below 60 decibels and by the way they stare vacantly into space humming inanely and rocking back and forth. Please be gentle to them, they have heard things no mortal should.

Speleobard 

"Visitors to the island come for the caving and the hunting. The underground passages of Erde are hung with stalactites and furnished with stalagmites. Carving is a national hobby, and the growths of minerals, deep in the caves, have been fashioned into beds and chairs, elephants and whales, making a world within a world. Cavers drink their coffee out of fossil cups."

Name the Oxford Alumini author (normally I correct misprints, but I had to leave that one in ! Steve), and the gem rated more highly than diamonds on this island. Answers to Paul Mann, the prize will be one of these gems.