2008 Celebrating Ten Years of Cheddar Caving Club

Cheddar Caving Club was formed in 1998 by nine local cavers who had been thinking of joining a club and were astonished to find that, despite its famous Showcaves, Cheddar had never had a caving organization of any sort! This seemed reason enough in itself to start one and a constitution was duly drawn up and committee positions filled.

Since then we have expanded slowly but surely and we currently have around 40 members ranging from novices and occasional cavers to the very experienced and fanatical. Here are some of the characters you may chance across, but, be warned, not everything you read may be true!

Brendan Hanley - Treasurer

Former SAS Instructor, Brendan is now a world famous raconteur, writer of dictionaries and collector of ancient folk songs; he and the chairman can often be seen practising celtic dance routines while chanting in three different languages simultaneously. Brendan likes tea, cake, salads and fluffy toys. He also has a comprehensive collection of illicit weaponry.

Dani Gorman 

Dani is an international drug smuggler by day and a hardened caver and bellydancer by night; being one of the smallest club members she neatly fits in a matchbox and usually spends most caving trips in the bottom of a tackle bag wearing a warmbac tutu. Despite her diminutive size, she tears telephone books in half with her hands and can crush rocks between her thighs. 

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Mark Whyte - Secretary Contact Secretary

Loves dangerously dancing on the edge of reason. All round action man specialising in stalking Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall in his spare time.

 

Andy Hebden

 

Andy has a degree in microcalifragilistics and works all over the country fitting conservatories to listed buildings. He is the youngest member of the committee and has to wear short trousers unless he has a note from his mum. A keen amateur cat-swinger and clay pigeon shooting expert - just back from the 4th Taiwanese Championship Open - Andy is a dark horse with many arcane skills and rituals.

Steve Pointon - Tackle Officer

 

Steve serves in the Royal Navy. When he is not on the other side of the world fighting terrorists, gun-runners, pirates and jelly-fish he meticulously scrubs the club kit with a toothbrush and irons creases down the legs and arms of the boiler suits. He's got a big peice of tackle too.

 

Andy Sparrow - Journal Editor

 

Andy is most famous for inventing wooden caving trousers and the chocolate acetylene lamp! His other achievements include books, instructional videos, films and being personally insulted about his dress sense by David Bowie. Andy is presently banned from Derbyshire after attempting to start a pleasant online conversation. 

Megan Whyte - Web Administrator

She been trying very hard to help update this web site for your pleasure. Does love stuffing herself down caves and generally getting into a pickle.

Robin Gray - Chairman

 

Internationally famous curry & chips officianado, Robin is rarely seen mixing socially with plebian types, preferring instead to lounge with beatniks, writers and quaffers of the finest wines. Although  best known for painting caves - and  presently on his third coat at Goughs -  he has plans to install a gallery restaurant in Thrupe Lane Swallet.

Chris Castle: El Presidente- Training Officer

 

The only living founding member unable to smile except by mistake, Mr. C is a part-time poker player and full-time caver, owning a clandestine set of keys to all the showcaves in the world. An eager digger of nightmarish hanging death, Mr. C is a prolific finder of dead ends and potential maybes; in his free  time he writes