Advice on snails

From Jill Hummerstone & Les Capon's collection: Terry Courtney introduces two young volunteers to Bob Alvey during the 1987 season. "This is the chap to ask if you have a problem with snails ..."

Hut circle

From Anna Behan's 1979 collection, though she cannot have been the photographer as she is featured. L to R round the circle Ros Cleal, Jo Bacon, Terry Courtney, Bob Alvey, Phil Dixon, Richard Savage, Frank Green, Jim Gale, Anna Collinge, and Paul Noakes. C-H-M assumes this must have been taken from part way up the photographic tower as the perspective exceeds any angle that could have been achieved from the top of a spoil heap.

Special delivery

Another fine action shot from Corky Gregory. The grey dumper truck tells me this is from 1980: who knows what led Bob Alvey to induce Kate Gilbert to consent to hop into his wheelbarrow and be carted around in it? He looks from the grip of his right hand as though he is about to try and heave upwards and tip her out onto the ground, but I can't imagine Bob for a minute actually doing that. Kate is plainly enjoying the experience and squealing with glee. Was there a wheelbarrow race in the offing? Update from Corky: "Bob WAS about to dump Kate out of the wheelbarrow. I missed capturing the gleeful grin on his face at the time. Can't remember why though. It was all in fun. He would not have hurt anyone."

Pomatias Robertus

Corky Gregory and Andrew Powell think that 1981 or 1982 was the season when Andrew started turning out sketches, accompanied by verses, that were anonymously posted after lunch on the door of the finds hut. Corky lovingly preserved them and brought them to the reunion which means that they can now be made available to a wider audience. Andrew is understandably delighted to be reunited with his fine handiwork after all these years, having almost forgotten that he ever drew them ...

The first in the series is a tribute to Bob Alvey:

"If the tedium of trowelling makes you sob,

For a second consider poor Bob.

For molluscan examples,

He sifts all those samples.

Now that's a monotonous job."

Those who wish to learn more about Pomatias may do so here. Those who wish to admire what a good likeness Andrew made may do so here.

Bob Alvey as ever hunting molluscs ...

Corky Gregory captures Bob Alvey, glancing up from his patient labours sifting and picking through the dirt looking for those elusive little snails. As Corky says, it looks as though he's in tent.

I recall Bob giving me fascinating accounts of the activities of, and conditions endured by, Royal Navy submariners from his days under the sea. I think the subtext was, in some degree, "If you think Ullenwood's a bit spartan, young Parker, try one of Her Majesty's submarines." I remember him talking to me about the cramped accommodation after I'd been to visit the Royal Navy Submarine Museum at Gosport where I'd seen one of the submarines of the class in which he'd served. Sleeping on torpedo tubes can't have been comfortable. He was mildly dismissive of more modern types of submarine that had cissie things like bunks installed with the comfort of the crew in mind.

Timing is everything ...

Jane Dineen says she cracks up every time she looks at this photograph. I can't imagine why. Southwood remains aloof from it all doing the crossword as Terry Courtney and Bob Alvey concentrate on Arwel's zoom. Noakesy doesn't look quite so enthralled. But at least the proceedings are screened from innocent eyes.

A wet and woolly 1987 tea break ...

No flip-flops and bikinis this day on the hill. Walking boots, wellies and pullovers de rigueur apart from for Simon Bacon whom I don't think I know. But he's obviously "well hard" when you compare his flimsy t-shirt to his companions' garb. You can see that the ground is damp and that the tea was much needed for inner warmth. One of those days when you couldn't ever quite get dry or comfortable and Ullenwood would have stunk of wet muddy clothing in the evening. L to R: Steve Vaughan, Joanne Milroy, John Gale, Bob Alvy, Julie Gale, Simon Bacon, Nick Snashall.