Most of my caving was done in the 1950's and 60's. Okay, we had freedom then which one can only dream of today, as long as we approached either the mine or land owner for permission of access, there were many old lead mines to visit and explore. There was no Health and Safety in those days but one took safety precautions as we considered a lot of the mines were old and unsafe even then, and strong friendships grew up amongst caving club members, as one's life depended upon one's mates - a few of whom have remained life long friends and who are in regular contact with me. Our equipment was primitive to say the least, but was carefully looked after and maintained. Rope ladders with round rungs about twelve inches apart, hemp rope for belaying, old cast off clothes, boiler suits, paper mache (Bevan boy) helmets, carbide lamps, hand torches of all descriptions, carabiners (if one was lucky) otherwise one learnt how to tie many types of knots (rabbits and bowlines still stick in my mind, as do sheepshanks etc.), ex-Army ruc-sacs, boots, jumping jackets, anaraks, dixies,ex-US Army tents etc. One cannot compare the equipment on sale today with what we managed with. We then started to make our rope ladders narrower and with straight rungs, following on with electron ladders, and finally about 1958 my club designed a winch which was initially hand wound but later motorised, and built to tow behind a vehicle.
To start with we were limited to where we could visit because of lack of transport, when I first started we all caught a bus or a train to Matlock (bus fare was cheaper), then we had to walk to our club's headquarters near Jugholes. Whatever mine or system we chose to explore at a weekend we had to manually carry these hefty rope ladders and rope a considerable distance over rough terrain, one person who acted as belayer always remaining on the surface. Eventually members started buying motor cycles and finally cars and the club became mechanised buying it's own club transport (which in turn towed the winch) but not until the late 1950's onwards. Another inhibitating restraint upon us was lack of money, most of the lads were apprentices and on small wages, as I was, working in an office, so this restricted us to what gear we could buy, and what transport we could afford. Summer holidays eventually found us exploring further afield in Yorkshire etc., but not often. Finally what a lot of people forget about was the fact that National Service was still in existance until about 1960, this was a big shadow that hung over young men who were not apprenticed or in a reserved occupation such as farming or mining or failed their medical, at the age of eighteen they were called up to do eighteen months National Service in the UK's armed forces, which was increased to two years at the time of the Berlin airlift. If they were apprenticed, call up was deferred until they were twenty one, they were just coming into good money after serving an apprenticeship and then had to go straight into the Armed Forces on very low pay. Lots of cavers were lost this way, as on their demob they were no longer interested in caving. I lost a few boyfriends through National Service, some of whom had to serve in Korea (the reason why the Magpie Mine was reopened by the New Zealand mining firm in the early 1950's).
So on reflection I think the better days for caving and mine exploration were the 1960's and 1970's. We still had freedom of access and we were able to explore further afield the mining regions of the UK, and also participate in expeditions to such places as the Picos de Europa in Spain, Greece (Provatina), France (The Gouffre Berger), Turkey and Iran etc., etc.
Regarding Health and Safety no major caving accidents took place until the Neil Moss Disaster in Peak Cavern in (?)1958 (I think). Afterwards several Derbyshire caving clubs attended a meeting about the accident with Derbyshire County Council patting themselves on the back on what a good job they'd done. We all jumped up and disagreed, lots of heated arguments took place (as only Derbyshire cavers can argue) and it was from that meeting and the suggestions that were put forward at the meeting that the roots of the present Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation was formed. Nowadays it is a very credible organisation which has helped many cavers and farmers over the years.