When your Editor invited me to write this article, I was naturally flattered, as it was the first such invitation, but I was also pleased that an opportunity had presented itself to explain to the caving world the intricacies of a cave registry. Throughout this article, however, I should like to emphasise that, as Secretary of the Cambrian Registry, I can only speak for that registry.

The aim of any cave registry can best be explained by a quotation from our Constitution:- "The object of the Registry shall be to record, index and make available information on the sites of speleological interest and the metalliferous mines of Wales and of certain related areas".

These are the aims of our registry, and similar registries exist to cover the counties of Somerset (the Mendip Cave Registry), Gloucestershire and Derbyshire. The Mendip Registry was the first, established in 1956, and followed ten years later by the Cambrian Registry, whose birth also gave rise to the Gloucestershire Registry. Most recent of all, the Derbyshire Registry was set up in 1970. I believe that national registries exist to cover Scotland and Ireland, but they are not, to my knowledge, active at the moment. The cave registry is not a British invention, as Greece and Yugoslavia have long had national organisations with this function.

The establishment of a registry is a rather nebulous-affair. It usually results from an initiative on the part of some individual or group in an area, who call a meeting of "Those Interested", which in turn normally gives birth to an Action Committee.

This Committee is faced with the task of establishing a workable framework within which the necessary information can be collected, collated and disseminated. Provided the objects are achieved it is immaterial whether this framework is an informal one, such as that adopted by the Derbyshire Registry, or a more formal arrangement, as used by the Cambrian, Mendip and Gloucestershire organisations.

The process of collection which we in the Cambrian Registry have chosen is one which works "up from the ground" with area registrars, and "in from the side" with a bibliography registrar. The compilation is done by the Secretary and his assistants, who combine the field information (National Grid Reference, description of the cave and information on access) with the bibliography. The result is accessible in two forms; firstly, the typed loose-leaf master copies, which will be tucked away in Libraries; secondly, a postal information service will be provided by a punched-card index, on which all the data will also be recorded.

The present state of the Cambrian Registry is a very health one. Generous donations from interested clubs and individuals have provided us with adequate finance, and we are well up with our scheduled work. The basic information for all the areas is complete, and much new material is coming to light. The Northern Outcrop Area has progressed more slowly because it contains so many caves and so many clubs are active there, but most of the detailed work has been completed, apart from a patch in the centre which corresponds roughly to the Nêum;dd and Mellte valleys.

The major problem of any registry is simply manpower - few people are prepared, for a spare-time hobby, to take on a job which has such a low ratio of Glory to Work. Difficulties are not eased by the general reluctance - and often open hostility - of many cavers to passing on information direct to the Registry. One problem peculiar to our registry is co-ordination between officers living all over the south of Britain.

Finally, to turn to the future, in the Derbyshire, Cambrian and Mendip Registries you have the Three Ages of Man - infancy, youth and maturity. The only major caving area not now covered is Yorkshire. Whether a registry will be established depends upon Yorkshire cavers. Personally, I should welcome one and would give it every support, but I should oppose an attempt to force it on the cavers of Yorkshire.

The day may eventually come when the regional registries unite to form a national body under the auspices of the National Cave Association, but I feel that this must await a consensus among the present regional caving organisations. In the meantime, we in the Cambrian Registry are examining ways in which we can be of more direct service to Welsh cavers, and I hope to be able to make further details public in the near future.

N. S. J. CHRISTOPHER
Hon. Secretary Cambrian Cave Registry

Note: Addresses of the current officers of the various regional registries may be found in the Descent Handbook 1970 - pp 24 f.