I might also suggest Les Riley and Terry Worthington, they've been going underground for work and pleasure all over the world for more years than they probably care to think about!

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I might also suggest Les Riley and Terry Worthington, they've been going underground for work and pleasure all over the world for more years than they probably care to think about!

True, but it says mine explorers, they are both professional miners/engineers/managers. Is that allowed? Hmmm?

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Certainly round the Peak District, Len Kirkham.
At 70 plus he's still out several days a week digging some obscure pit!

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:stupid:

I might also suggest Les Riley and Terry Worthington, they've been going underground for work and pleasure all over the world for more years than they probably care to think about!

True, but it says mine explorers, they are both professional miners/engineers/managers. Is that allowed? Hmmm?

And what about professional explorers - are they allowed? And then there's professional tour guides...or are they the same thing?

I would put in a shout for the PDMHS Millclose team, led by Dave Warriner, Norman Birkett and John Peel, but including many others including self. We spent around 25 years working on the project of exploring and surveying Old Millclose Mine and Sough at Wensley.What is as important is that the results were written up in PDMHS Vol 14:3

See - ww.pdmhs.com/publications/index---mining-history-

volume-www.pdmhs.com/publications/index---mining-history-volume-14

All 15 Km was surveyed using a miner's dial, sometimes used upside down on a 9 inch tripod where the level was too low. We also opened and capped several shafts, one of which was completely full to a depth of around 70 feet. I suspect that the survey would be the first drawn up by computer -long before the days of Survex.

It is a great pity that nobody built on our work as Old Millclose is certainly one of the older and most important mines in the Peak District.

Dave Williams

And I've still never been!

I wish this could have been taken further, and were I not up to my neck in projects already...

Well I didn't think I could vote for myself. Obviously I would have voted for myself.

I would vote for you Miles. You're much more personable than that Knowles bloke. As for King Arfur - well.

Chris.

Thanks! Well I now have three votes which is probably the highest, at least I assume it is so therefore I win.

If anyone else gets more then it's just fake news, dead people voted for them and my alternate facts are correct.

Just don't call me a tour guide again ok?

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Well I didn't think I could vote for myself. Obviously I would have voted for myself.

I would vote for you Miles. You're much more personable than that Knowles bloke. As for King Arfur - well.

Chris.

:lol:

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Just don't call me a tour guide again ok?

Post truth?

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Just don't call me a tour guide again ok?

Post truth?

Caving Instructor?

Ironic as I can't stand caves. "Mining Instructor" doesn't work though.

Anyway I don't lead groups anymore. But as I work underground for my job then fair enough, I don't think I qualify for this competition :D

Serious votes for a top mine explorer? I guess that depends on your definition of what a mine explorer is, or is not.

To me mine exploring is not about spending decades tagging on relentless organised caving-club visits, following a leader around a chocolate-box circuit. Not that I've any problem with that, but this is being a Mine Tourist, not a Mine Explorer.

Mine exploration, to me, is the deep end. 3/4 of the time is spent researching books, looking at old surveys in records offices, taking to old timers, pondering and coming up with plan involving danger, stealth, and sometimes brazen stupidity. Then charging forth, often at great personal risk, being frightened but getting into something that few or no other people in living memory have managed to do. Exploring, discovering and documenting the unknown.

That's what does it for me and that is my definition of Mine Exploration.

Okay I've done quite a bit of that myself with plenty of fireside stories to tell, and some best left untold. But people I know personally that I've also witnessed push that exploration ethos far out into uncharted waters, in no particular order, include:

1) Simply Exploring (Haydn)
2) Jagman
3) Mike Hrybyk
4) SimonRL
5) Vanoord
6) Dark Prince, RIP
7) Chris Cowdery
8) Jon Knowles
9) Mark Waite
10) Roy Fellowes
11) Dave Baines
12) Speedy Caver
13) Chris Phillips
14) Willy Eckerslyke
15) Margot
16) Stuey
17) Eddus

...There are more but that's enough. I've seen all these people push through the unknown to reach grounds new. Zero offence intended to others I know who I've not listed, I've possibly just not seen you close enough to death yet...

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Oh dear, I've just realised I am a chocolate box mine tourist. :-[

Another great leap forward in my strive to achieve mediocrity in every field.

On the other hand I believe I have explored every underground mine site in Cambridgeshire to the very end - and on solo trips too! :smartass:

solo trips too! :smartass:

Well you're not a mine tourist are you, if you're alone you're not following the guy from the host ACB club!

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solo trips too! :smartass:

Well you're not a mine tourist are you, if you're alone you're not following the guy from the host ACB club!

Well not on those trips anyway - mind you you can still see the entrance from the very back :thumbsup:

Just don't call me a tour guide again ok?

Post truth?

Caving Instructor?

Ironic as I can't stand caves. "Mining Instructor" doesn't work though.

Anyway I don't lead groups anymore. But as I work underground for my job then fair enough, I don't think I qualify for this competition :D

Serious votes for a top mine explorer? I guess that depends on your definition of what a mine explorer is, or is not.

To me mine exploring is not about spending decades tagging on relentless organised caving-club visits, following a leader around a chocolate-box circuit. Not that I've any problem with that, but this is being a Mine Tourist, not a Mine Explorer.

Mine exploration, to me, is the deep end. 3/4 of the time is spent researching books, looking at old surveys in records offices, taking to old timers, pondering and coming up with plan involving danger, stealth, and sometimes brazen stupidity. Then charging forth, often at great personal risk, being frightened but getting into something that few or no other people in living memory have managed to do. Exploring, discovering and documenting the unknown.

That's what does it for me and that is my definition of Mine Exploration.

Okay I've done quite a bit of that myself with plenty of fireside stories to tell, and some best left untold. But people I know personally that I've also witnessed push that exploration ethos far out into uncharted waters, in no particular order, include:

1) Simply Exploring (Haydn)
2) Jagman
3) Mike Hrybyk
4) SimonRL
5) Vanoord
6) Dark Prince, RIP
7) Chris Cowdery
8) Jon Knowles
9) Mark Waite
10) Roy Fellowes
11) Dave Baines
12) Speedy Caver
13) Chris Phillips
14) Willy Eckerslyke
15) Margot
16) Stuey
17) Eddus

...There are more but that's enough. I've seen all these people push through the unknown to reach grounds new. Zero offence intended to others I know who I've not listed, I've possibly just not seen you close enough to death yet...

What about MartyMarty ? Top Bloke !

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I did say it wasn't everyone I could think of! They were the first I thought of and I got bored of typing

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Surprised no one has mentioned Mole.

Surprised no one has mentioned Mole.

I would have mentioned you, but it's your job. So tough luck!

There are loads from the Lakes and North Pennines that are not mentioned who are mostly much older and been doing many more decades than the contempory whipper snappers mentioned so far...

Roger Ramsden
Ian Hebson
Billy Griffith (or something along those lines)
John Crompton
Colin Agnew
Aubrey Best
Helen Wilkinson
Peter Jackson
Mike Poulter
Lawsons
The boys from CAT
Noel and crew from the WCMR (I think)
+ all the aboves mates that go with them

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"Mole" AKA John Hine, RFDCC
and Billy is Billy Griffin

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