21st August

Vince, Brockers, Jake, Jon, and Tav.

Me, underground by 09:00 as planned, got the kit laid out and set to work breaking up boulders. Sometime after 10:00 Brockers turned up and made a start on bagging up the loose gravel and fine sediment. Then Jake arrived followed by Jon and a bit later, Tav. Jake pulled up a couple of skip loads of bags and rock and then swapped places with Brockers. Steadily the pile of rocks was removed to the surface while I was still reducing the large boulders to manageable pieces. When the last of the large boulders was broken up, I made my way to the surface to start hauling out the stockpile of spoil at the bottom of the entrance, Tav made his way to the surface to help out. With the majority of rocks and bags on the surface we decided to have a break for lunch, just as the sky decided to open. It was a soggy lunch.

Lunch over and it was still raining. We decided clear the remaining spoil and to fill all the available empty bags that were underground. I stayed on the surface to haul out, the rest of the team went below ground. Eventually, the rain abated, and the sun made a brief appearance.

At the end of todays sessions, c.100 bags had been filled and emptied and the equivalent of three fridge-, several microwave- and numerous electric kettle-size rocks shifted. There is plenty of wall building material for the next terrace. A fine effort from the reduced team.