Red Rose Cave and Pothole Club - Newsletter Vol 3 No 2 - Summer 1965
EUSTON ROAD GROTTO Mk. 2.
Once again it fell upon the Red Rose
to demonstrate its talents to the public, via the hobbies exhibition
held annually in Euston Road School, by the Morecambe
Rotary Club. It was ten years since a similar feat was attempted and old
memories soon came to mind. The exhibition was to be held the day after Easter,
notification had arrived two months previously. At once everybody
offered to help, but in the true Red Rose tradition two weeks before
Easter nothing had been done. Mind you, once the sense of urgency had been
realised things began to move.
Ron acquired six felt covered wooden
frames which nearly blew away Jim N’s van during transportation, these were to
become the skeleton of the grotto. Several people set to work making some
weird & wonderfull formations, Jim E,
painted the backcloths, Mel started on the electrics boasting that the
waterfall was a piece of cake, but in the end this proved too much even for the
intrepid Mel. On two occasions
in that hectic fortnight the grotto was temporarily erected. On
sorting out the wooden frames, Frank, (Joiner-in-chief) rushed forward
and pinned them together by driving six-inch nails in everywhere and then hung the backcloths
with ‘drawing pins’ (two-inch nails), still one thing was for sure, it wouldn't
fall down in a hurry,
All the cave builders then went happily
off on their Easter holidays and left Ron in charge of the remaining eager
helpers to erect the grotto in the school. Only Ron had seen it just before and
this led to some confusion among the ranks, but I must admit they did a good job.
When I arrived back from Glencoe I was surprised to find that not only had the
grotto been erected but most of the other exhibits, photographs,
geological specimens, caving gear and the like had already been arranged
neatly round the rest of the room we were in. This left only the wiring for the
lights and the pump for the waterfall to be dealt with. The former was simple
enough, except for the fact that nothing happened when the lights were
switched on. After some confusion it was decided that the power point was dead,
and valuable time was lost running around for an electrician. It was now
mid-way through Tuesday evening and the exhibition was due to open at 2 p.m.
the following afternoon. It was now the fun really started, George had
mounted the pump and supplied the hose, with the additional knowledge that
it would produce a fourteen foot head of water. None of us present had seen it
operating before and slowly things went from bad to
worse. First the hose was too small a diameter to fit, this brought
forth many interesting suggestions, thus wasting more valuable times.
On trying the pump we could not get more than a four foot head of
water after very tedious priming with a bucket. We tried in vain till the
school was about to close for the night but only succeeded in wetting the floor, causing amusement to our fellow
exhibitors and aggravating strained tempers but not getting the waterfall
to function. Needless to say the next afternoon the exhibition opened
without the sound of running water reaching the visitors ears.
The four days of the exhibition went without
further hitches, but not without
incident. On two occasions old ladies had seen the sign 'RED ROSE CAVE &
POTHOLE CLUB' above the door, given little cries and made for the exit stairs. Fancy running
away from such amiable characters as ourselves. On Saturday we held a mock rescue
from the window to the playground. All I can say is that had the dummy been
real somebody would have been in queen Victoria Hospital suffering from a badly
compressed face!
Not wishing to blow our own trumpet I
think that after
touring the exhibition we put on the best show, especially with the cave rescue
film which lost us countless members, Surprising what can be
done with bits of things like papier mache, welding rod, old boots, cardboard
boxes, plastic sheeting, garden rocks, dried soil, and a liberal helping
of paint, all set off with coloured lights. Just like the real thing.
W. Holden,