Saturday 28th October 2023

John Cooper, Pete Hann, Adrian Vanderplank and Jude Vanderplank. Drier today, no sound of water in the entrance shaft. One dryish mix taken in. Adrian sorted out rocks at the bottom first, he had a hood on his oversuit. Pete then cemented a base for wall building at the bottom whilst Adrian protected him from the drips by holding a plastic sheet over him. 1½ hours. John.

Saturday 14th October 2023

John Cooper, Pete Hann, Adrian Vanderplank and Jude Vanderplank. The sound of falling water when leaning over the entrance did not bode well but even so a double mix of cement was taken in. As we descended the water had to be poured out of the buckets at regular intervals! Pete with the first bucket refused to go down into the bottom chamber owing to the stream entering from what had previously been just a drip. He used it a bit higher up whilst Adrian used the second bucket up near the top of Pensioners Pot and I used the third just up from the rift. The cement has probably all washed out by now! Need to find another dig site if it’s going to be this wet. 1 hour. John.

Saturday 7th October 2023

John Cooper, Pete Hann and Jude Vanderplank (Adrian has badly bruised ankle from last Saturday so not caving). Double mix of cement taken in. By the time Jude reached Pete he had nearly used up the first bucket of cement. Once finished I lowered the second bucket to Jude and went back to the bottom of Father Duckmas shaft to collect the third one leaving the empty bucket in its place. Once Pete had finished the second bucket I lowered the third one and Jude then went out. Pete continued cementing, cursing all the time as water dripped down his neck and mud and pebbles fell out on him. Finally he had emptied the third bucket and we exited. At least the same again next week required. 1½ hours. John.