TWO women met this week to share stories of Millican Dalton - one had met him, the other was married to his nephew.

Nora Dalton, now widowed and living in Devon, was riveted by her husband's tales of the cave man he worshiped.

Nicholas Dalton as a boy spent his school holidays in the Borrowdale cave and soon after meeting Nora whisked her off in 1957 to see where Millican had lived for nearly 50 years. They spent the night in his "attic" cave bedroom.

"He had already been dead quite a while then, but the place was much as it had been," said Nora. "It's changed now. I went back in 1999, the sleeping area in the attic had gone.

"It was just before my husband died, he was upset I had returned there. He hadn't wanted us to go back again."

Nora and Nicholas spent their honeymoon staying in caves in Corsica.

Nicholas once wrote: "At the time, Uncle Milican's defection from conventional life, which today would pass almost unnoticed, caused quite a stir, both in the family and beyond.

"I used to watch with amazement and envy on the occasion of the visits, as my father slipped my uncle the odd £5 note loan'."

His parents had met on one of Millican's mixed camping holidays, quite sensational in their day.

Nancy Robertshaw lives in Beetham, but spent her childhood in Buckingham, next door to Nicholas Dalton's family.

"I used to see Uncle Millican visit, but it was towards the end of his life then," she said.

Nora says she is pleased people are still interested in the remarkable character.

"It's a bit like Chinese whispers," she grinned, "the stories seem to grow and grow."

April 10, 2003 15:00