I have received the following email which is self-explanatory.
Dear Caving Club/Society Officer
It has come to the notice of the Welsh Mines Society that Miles Moulding has set up a BCA-registered access control body named "Welsh Mines Access Group†and registered the Internet domain welsh-mines.org.uk.
The formation of Welsh Mines Access Group was announced on the Mine-Explorer website 20/12/2013 18:24 (see http://www.mine-explorer.co.uk/bbs/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=5182). According to that topic Miles Moulding states "I never really wanted Go Below* to become an ACB as that's just not what GB is supposed to do. I have set up an ACB for the mine though, as my obligations require me to do, which covers the recreation access insurance etc, but because it encompasses several mines in the area, I've just generically called it Welsh Mines Access. We don't want a separate ACB for every venue as it's loads of extra cost and paperwork. For the moment though just ring the Go Below number for the code when you want it. There are no access requirements or anything.â€
[*Go Below is Go Below Underground Adventures (http://www.go-below.co.uk) operated by Miles Moulding.]
According to the Welsh Mines Access Group website http://www.welsh-mines.org.uk "The WMAG is a registered and insured Access Controlling Body through the British Caving Association intended to serve the interests of both landowners and those who wish to explore their underground property, by acting as an intermediate party. WMAG is a non-profit entity with no commercial interest or affiliation with any club or society beyond ACB membership of the British Caving Association.â€
The Welsh Mines Society has no concerns about access to those mines or underground quarries that the Welsh Mines Access Group controls (currently thought to be Cwmorthin and Wrysgan underground slate quarries) because as far as is known there has not been any change to the access arrangements for those locations.
However, the Welsh Mines Society (www.welshmines.org) is concerned about the possibility of confusion between the names and websites of the Society and this access control body.
Also, considering that a number of other caving clubs, societies and other organisations are Access Controlling Bodies for various mines in Wales, the Welsh Mines Society is concerned that the name Welsh Mines Access Group might be taken to be the controlling body for all mines in Wales. This is of particular concern considering that negotiations between the Cambrian Caving Council and Natural Resources Wales concerning access to mines on Forestry Commission land are currently at a critical point.
The Welsh Mines Society wish to make it known that Welsh Mines Access Group has no connection with the Welsh Mines Society and the Society was unaware of the formation of Welsh Mines Access Group or the domain registration before it was announced on the Mine-Explorer website.
Please pass this information on to any other organisations / interested parties you think should be made aware.
John W Hine,
Hon Chairman,
Welsh Mines Society
WHich reminds me, all people registered with FOC got this email on 6th Jan 2014......
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Dear all
This is an email to everybody who has signed up to the Friends of Cwmorthin forum/website. You may have noticed that it has been offline for a while, this is due to technical complications with the domain name, which I’m still struggling to resolve (pardon the pun). However, the website is still accessible via this different address:
http://cwmorthin.welsh-mines.org.uk
What used to be the "Friends of Cwmorthin" Access Controlling Body registered through the BCA is now simply called Welsh Mines Access Group. The reason for this change is that the ACB has been expanded to cover Wrysgan (with another mine to be possibly added) so the old name wasn't relevant anymore.
Cwmorthin and Wrsygan are both privately rented/leased by a company that I'm part-owner of (Go Below) as we sometimes use them for groups. However I don't wish for Go Below to be into recreational access provision, hence why I've opted to set up an entirely separate ACB for it. I'd like to pass over administration of this to an democratic enthusiast group at some point and I'm keen to hear of suitable suggestions.
Neither myself nor Go Below wish in any way to hinder recreational access to these mines or get involved with access politics. Wrysgan remains totally open as it always has been, Cwmorthin remains on a combination padlock as normal in accordance with the owners wishes. You need to phone/email for that code, and it's changing reasonably frequently so always best to check a day or two before you go.
There was a break-in at Cwmorthin on New Years Day. The police have taken fingerprints at the gate and on fresh litter that the culprits dropped, and also forensic samples from paint sprayed onto the walls. We are hopeful this will result in an arrest and a prosecution, but if people could be vigilant and report suspicious activity in the mean time I'd be most grateful.
Access generally to Cwmorthin is not presently in a strong position due to some individuals constantly entering the former Oakeley workings and angering the owners there (Welsh Slate). They've seen modern pictures uploaded onto web forums, onto Facebook, and seen people emerging from the pit. They also enter Cwmorthin periodically and look for people crossing the boundary. Their preferred solution to preventing people being in their mine is to seal off Cwmorthin's adits with many tons of concrete, though I am involved in negotiations to hopefully see this doesn't happen. It is extremely important therefore that the access boundary (marked underground) is strictly adhered to, else access to the whole of Cwmorthin may be lost for good.
As we're responsible for ensuring both Wrsygan and Cwmorthin comply with legal Statutory Nuisance obligations, we have put up some bi-lingual signs at Wrysgan that say "Danger - Old Mine" outside the adits and we need to do the same at Cwmorthin. Entrances to mines do need to have a warning outside to protect the liability of the mines owner, I'd appreciate them not being vandalised as I'm told some have already been at Wrysgan. If I can't demonstrate that things are done legally and properly at Cwmorthin it erodes my ability to negotiate in everybody's interests.
If you'd like to talk about any of the above, please either reply to this email or start a new topic on the forum.
With many thanks to you all, and a belated Happy New Year.
Miles
(PS It has been pointed out to me that Welsh Mines Access Group is a bit similar in name to the Welsh Mines Society. I must stress that there is absolutely no relation between the two)
So pricks are breaking in and spraying the walls. I'm hoping to go to cwm on Thursday with aditnow lot so will be nice to see what these cunts have done. I've spent years grafting on weekends and some week days in that adit. Not fookin impressed.
At the risk of sounding like I'm volunteering someone else to do the work, it'd be reasonably easy for someone with a mobile welder (and i can borrow one and get it up there) to up the security on the Cwm gate. Padlocks on chains are always easy to overcome. Padlock hidden up inside heavy steel box, a bit more difficult.
but that makes it hard to see a combo lock
Depends on the installation. The locks presently being fitted to disused railway tunnels are the sliding pin warehouse locks, 5 tumblers of 10 digits each. Easy to see and manipulate the tumblers, but nigh on impossible to overcome since they are shielded in a heavy steel hood. Next time Im near one, I'll get a photo.
Isn't the gate still designed so it can be lifted off its hinges anway?
It was like that as an extra safety feature, not sure if "Go Below" have changed it?
I went to Cwm last night with aditnow the lock is still in place (the same expensive one miles bought) I can't see any signs of forced entry. The new adit that I built there covers the tops of the gate so you can't lift the gate off (this was instructed by miles) so your only getting in by taking the lock oe chain off with a hacksaw or angle grinder. Some cock have taken real effort to stencil graffiti on the lowers floors and compressor chamber. The existing method works and its just sometimes over a few years something like this happens. It's enevitable given the retards that live in Blaenau. (No offence to iestyn or anyone I know from Blaenau)
[quote="Marty" post=21649] No offence to iestyn or anyone I know from Blaenau [/quote]
none taken, i live in Porthmadog. Call that lot what you like :lol:
I'd consider myself a considerate type, not into mindless vandalism, but when I first started going underground I did not know about not putting my ochre stained mitts on calcite cascades (its pretty! I want to touch it!), not treading over historic bootprints (I'd not even have recognised them), not writing my name in ochre on the wall (as someone from GOES has recently done in Parc Mine), not treading across mineral deposits on the floor..... I had to be told.
Not sticking up for these guys, but there is the chance they may not have realised that scratching their name on the wall is just as bad as doing it with a spray can. Plenty of other people have done it in there - they may have thought it is OK. Perhaps a notice on the way in?
An assumption that someone is breaking in and doing this? If this was the case wouldn't it be seen that the chain/lock/hinges etc would have been tampered with.
Could the said vandalism have been done by a member/members of a visiting organised party?
frank - the code is openly available to literally anyone (as it should be).
Of course
I completely forgot that!!
New lock is an absolute nightmare to lock up again, especially with cold hands. Can see why it would be hard to have the current one off.