Saturday 27th July 2024

John Cooper, Nigel Graham, Pete Hann and Kate Lawrence. Single mix of cement taken in. Half used by John at bottom of Father Duckmas Shaft and the rest part way down Pensioners’ Pot. Kate and Pete at the bottom digging out clatch and wiggling boulders in the floor. 1½ hours. John.

Saturday 20th July 2024

John Cooper, Nigel Graham, Pete Hann and Kate Lawrence. Double mix of cement taken in. Pete took in first bucket with Kate and started wall building at the bottom. John and Nigel followed. Once Pete had used the first bucket Kate filled in behind the wall and then Pete used up the other two buckets. Nigel only got as far as his ‘Orrible Overhang. Pete thinks he will only need 1 mix at the bottom next week. There are rocks at the bottom of Father Duckmas which can be used up. James has asked us not to drive across the field but to stick to the track. 2½ hours.

Saturday 6th July 2024

John Cooper, Pete Hann, Kate Lawrence and Adrian Vanderplank. Good double mix of cement taken in and used by Pete at the bottom trying to stabilise last week’s collapse. Will need more of the same! 1½ hours. John.

Saturday 29th June 2024

John Cooper, Nigel Graham, Pete Hann, Kate Lawrence, Adrian Vanderplank and Jude Vanderplank. No cement or capping today. Started by clearing all the rocks from the bottom of the entrance shaft to the surface, 17 full loads! Then Jude and Kate to the bottom to clear clatch and lose it in various voids in Pensioners’ Pot. After a while some rocks were found which came up Pensioners’ Pot to be stashed at the bottom of Father Duckmas shaft. Having dug a 1m deep hole at the bottom it was then 2/3 filled by collapse. Fortunately, this left a big void which Pete is planning to fill with cemented rocks next week. Nice outward draught from the bottom today. 3½ hours. John.

Pete looking down at collapse. Photo AV.

Thursday 27th June 2024

Darren Chapman, John Cooper, Mark Easterling (Bean), Aidan Harrison, Mark Kellaway (Mak), Adrian Vanderplank and Jude Vanderplank. Moved rocks up from the bottom of Father Duckmas and added them to the heap already at the top. Then moved all the rocks up to the Tunnel and finally on up to the bottom of the entrance shaft ready for Saturday. 2 hours. John.

Saturday 22nd June 2024

John Cooper, Nigel Graham, Pete Hann, and Adrian Vanderplank. No cement or capping today. Pete alternated digging clatch and rocks out of the bottom. The clatch was lost in voids in Pensioners’ Pot and the rocks were moved up to the bottom of Father Duckmas shaft. 3 hours. John.

Tuesday 18th June 2024

John Cooper, Mark Easterling (Bean), Wayne Starsmore, Adrian Vanderplank and Jude Vanderplank. Moved rocks from the bottom up to the top of Father Duckmas in 3 stages. 2 hours. John.