Wednesday 31st December 2025

Mike Kushy and John Cooper. MK to begin with, arrived on site around 11am. Started cutting blackthorn back on the North side of the hole and burning all the brash. Nice area to build another spoil wall. JC arrived around 13.30 and set to work on the breaker, with MK periodically winching and moving rock to the new pile. With JC down the bottom around 30 buckets cleared. MK and JC swapped places and another 15 buckets sent up. MK then set to drilling holes for charge. In the floor, all over, the drill bit went through rock and into void/soft mud around 400mm deep. Got a couple of good angled holes higher up into the side walls also. The noise from this charge was interesting and some large rock fall after the immediate bang...perhaps there is no floor under that flake? Finished at 1700. Mike.

Cleared area ready for spoil. Photo MK.

Sunday 28th December 2025

Mike Kushy, Hollie London, Lee Venning and Adrian Miles. MK got to site first and set up the breaker and ladder, then HL arrived and went down to do some breaking. LV arrived shortly after, he and MK did the surface work. AM arrived and there wasn't much for everyone to do so he and LV headed off to go and clear Valinor. HL came up to swap over with MK around 1230. We carried on until 13.30 then headed off to the hunters for lunch. Ready for a charge. 50 buckets cleared. Mike.

Before clearing, looking North. Photo HL.

Before clearing, looking South. Photo HL.

Caterpillar! Photo' HL.

Sunday 21st December 2025

Mike Kushy. Did 45 minutes on the breaker. Mike.

Friday 19th December 2025

John Cooper and Mike Kousiounis. Dry and cool, 6°C. Afternoon session hauling 42 loads out. Kushy reckons breaker work now required. 1½ hours. John.

Looking North before clearing. Photo MK.

Looking North after clearing. Photo  MK.

Looking South before clearing. Photo MK.

Looking South after clearing. Photo MK.

Sunday 14th December 2025

Hollie London, Trevor Hughes with Kushy as surface support.

On site at 1500 .

Drilling and firing 5 holes at 550 long with 40g in the rock rib between the solid walls and one hole 550 long with 20g on the western wall.

All done by Hollie assisted by myself.

A nice sharp detonation at about 1700, heard by Kushy at the farm but “no louder than a shotgun”. Trevor.

View from the bottom looking up. Photo HL.

TH drilling holes, looking North. Photo HL.

Friday 12th December 2025

Afternoon session. John Cooper and Mike Kousiounis. Dry and cool following rain earlier. Mike started with 1½ hours on the breaker before John arrived. Then another 1½ hours hauling 42 heavy loads out. Kushy reckons more breaker work could be done but he may bang it. 3 hours. John.

Looking North. Photo MK.

Looking South. Photo MK.

Wednesday 10th December 2025

Sam Hill and Adrian Miles. All cleared ready for bang….. Sam.

Looking North. Photo SH.

Looking South. Photo SH.