26th June

Vince, Nick, Jake, and Jon.

A reduced team today for one reason or another, no matter, we formulated a contingency plan!

Morning session:  Nick and Jake digging, Jon at the junction, I was at the bottom of the entrance. About 60 bags were filled and dragged back to be stacked in the entrance along with a few rocks. Then, all changed position and the spoil was hauled out of the cave and added to the spoil heap.

A slightly earlier lunch than usual before a return to digging.

Afternoon session: me and Jon digging, Nick at the junction and Jake at the bottom of the entrance. A bit disappointed to find the section I had wanted to keep intact had been dug into but not wholly unexpected. Me and Jon filled our 60-bag quota and removed several rocks, back at the entrance, other ‘extra’ bags had appeared, Nick, of course, had been carrying out skip run “improvements”. Anyway, it was time to clear the spoil from the cave. Today’s total, about 130 bags plus several skip loads of rock including one rather large broken, detached stalagmite (?).

As ever, the ever expanding ‘chamber’ in the Soft South remains enigmatic.