Members from the south-east and those with an interest in Mid and North Wales will be saddened to know that Peter Hay died at the age of 85 on the 7th June.
I first met Peter in the late 1980’s and it was him that introduced me to vertical exploration although I quickly moved on from his electron ladders and hemp ropes. He was one of life’s characters and approached most things he did with the zeal of the religious convert and when the tougher trips became too much he took up mineral collecting in a big way.
Like all characters he had some adventures over the years. His most notorious must have been when he and his son fell down a shaft at Minllyn Slate Mine and both sustained broken bones. Crawling out on hands and knees through deep water, into darkness in the depths of winter, they were fortunately able to call for help and were rescued by Helicopter. This has been quite a well-kept secret until now but since it is on Peter’s Wikipedia entry the story can be told.
On another occasion when a group of us from CAT first descended the big shaft at Croesor, and I am fairly sure we were the first to do it, he produced a Petzl stop and asked how it should be used and after a brief explanation went down the 325’ shaft on it.
Peter had the “gift of the gab” and talked his way into many mines. I remember going down Boulby Potash Mine with him many years ago when you could still do things like this in exchange for a couple bottles of whisky.
Before the days of LED lights many people including Peter had self-made high power lights using belt mounted lead acid batteries and hand held lights bought from Halfords and the like. Peter’s was permanently connected by cables which seemed to get him caught up in any tight spot at which point “That bloody light” came echoing down the passage.
He was one of the most regular participants on the Industrial Archaeology course held annually at Plas Tan-y-bwlch which has been recording the remains of the Welsh Slate Industry for the last 48 years.
Our thoughts at this time are with his family.
Further details of his life can be found at:-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Thomas_Hay If anybody is interested in attending the funeral in Hove please PM Graham Isherwood since I am away from home for 2 weeks.
Jon