Monday 19th May 2025

John Cooper, Adrian Vanderplank and Jude Vanderplank. Warm and dry today. One mix of cement split between 2 buckets. John at the bottom building supporting wall again. Was drier again at the bottom. Brought out one rock from the very bottom of the dig to the surface. 1½ hours. John.

Tuesday 13th May 2025

John Cooper, Adrian Vanderplank and Jude Vanderplank. Arrived today just as the heavens opened and thunder and torrential rain started. Sat in Adrian’s van for 20 minutes until it passed. One mix of cement split between 2 buckets. John at the bottom building supporting wall again. Was wetter at the bottom than last week. Was raining again when Jude came out so she waited at the base of the entrance until it stopped. Another cementing session still required then might think about going down in the floor. 1½ hours. John.

Tuesday 6th May 2025

John Cooper, Adrian Vanderplank and Jude Vanderplank. Cave breathing out again today and still nice and dry. One mix of cement split between 2 buckets. As the mix was being done John Small called by and asked that, for the next 2-3 weeks while lambing was in full swing, we drove across the field not follow the road. John started off down with the first bucket of cement whilst the surface team discussed the latest large shakehole that had appeared near Cheddar crossroads (on Whitestone Farm). By the time John had used up the first bucket the second appeared. The full bucket replaced the empty bucket which was hauled up and ferried to the bottom of Father Duckmas by Jude. Once the second bucket was finished this followed and both were taken to the bottom of the entrance shaft by Jude before she finally hauled them to the surface. 1½ hours. John.

Tuesday 29th April 2025

John Cooper, Mike Kousiounis (Kushy), Kate Lawrence, Wayne Starsmore, Adrian Vanderplank and Jude Vanderplank. Cave breathing out today and still nice and dry. Clearing rocks from the bottom of Father Duckmas, then to the Tunnel, then to the bottom of the entrance shaft and finally 9 rather heavier loads reached the surface. Kushy visited the bottom, his first time down Pensioners' Pot. 2 hours. John.

Thursday 24th April 2025

John Cooper, Adrian Vanderplank and Jude Vanderplank. Clearing gravel from bottom and losing it in the wall of Pensioners’ Pot. Cave breathing out today and still nice and dry. 15 loads moved. 2 hours. John.

Friday 18th April 2025

Adrian and Jude Vanderplank. One bucket of cement taken to the bottom of the dig. Adrian wall building, with Jude supplying rocks that had previously been stashed in alcoves further up Pensioners' Pot. Cave dry and gently draughting. Adrian.

Friday 4th April 2025

John Cooper, Kate Lawrence, Adrian Vanderplank and Jude Vanderplank. Spoil clearing from bottom to top of Pensioners’ Pot and then on to the bottom of Father Duckmas. Nice and dry. 1½ hours. John.