A BUNCH of lads in the fifth year at Blackburn Technical High School formed a caving club in 1951 to explore deep underground.

The Pennine Junior Speleologists went exploring the caves and potholes in the Yorkshire moors around Settle.

Hence the photograph of them, dressed in miles of rope and rope ladders!

It has been sent to us by one of potholers Reg Cooper, who said: “We had great times, usually going down below in the night and sleeping in tents, or farmers’ barns, during the day.”

His fellow cavers are back row, from left: A Banks, J Le Moine, Peter Barker, John Ingham, Arthur Burgess and B Eddleston.

Seated are: F Wearden, Reg, A Leighton, J Ellis, D Walton and J Sumner.

Added: Reg: “To encourage the youth of the day to enjoy the great outdoors, the Outward Bound Trust was formed and offered suitable lads a course in outdoor pursuits.

“We all applied, but only three of us were selected – probably because they were the biggest. Most of us were still to develop in later years!”

The three selected were Peter Barker, who lived in Beardsworth Street, John Ingham, of Lynwood Road, and Arthur Burgess, of Maricourt Avenue.

And, instead of going down in the world, they were set to go up in it, for they were off to the Outward Bound mountain school in Eskdale.

They were the first to receive £10 grants from Blackburn Education Committee for the purpose, although their parents had to pay the remainder of the £17 10s bill.

The lads knew they were in for a tough time, with the object of the course to build development of character, self-reliance and responsibility.

The month-long course included mountaineering, camp craft, elementary forestry, and the use of the Eskimo Kayak and Canadian canoe.