The monitoring of caves in SSSIs is an important conservation matter.  The relevance to PDMHS is that many mines join natural caverns and some caves have been worked for minerals. To encourage participation a competition has been set up. Monitoring forms in respect of caves in the Peak District SSSIs will be entered in a prize draw and the winner will receive a £50 Starless River voucher. Full details on the DCA website at Derbyshire Caving Association. – SSSI Competition (thedca.org.uk) .

Following the AGM on 13th November as has been past practise, we have some presentations after lunch. This year these will be:

• John Hunter: Hemingfield Colliery (Elsecar) – the current status of site, conservation and historical research. (30 mins)
• Lynn Willies: Chance Mine – following the loss of 5000 tonnes of stone in a quarry blast we were asked to investigate close-by mine workings which turned out to be particularly interesting. (30 mins).
• Paul Smith: Wheal Vor Ltd: The electrical years 1906-1910 – the trials & tribulations of draining and re-opening an extensive, deep and wet tin mine in Cornwall, using early electrically powered pumps

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The Annual General Meeting of the Peak District Mines Historical Society Ltd. will be held on Saturday 13th November 2021 at the Peak District Lead Mining Museum, The Grand Pavilion, Matlock Bath, Derbyshire. The meeting will commence at 11.10am, or as soon thereafter as the forty-sixth Annual General Meeting has been concluded. The Agenda, the Report of the Directors and the Accounts will be distributed at the start of the meeting.
We are asking everyone who wishes to attend the AGM to apply in advance for an admission ticket.
Buffet Lunch & Afternoon Talks
The AGM will be followed by a hot buffet lunch, the price of the buffet will be £18.00 per person. If you wish to join us for lunch, you MUST book before 30th October 2021.
Tea and coffee will be available throughout the day.
In the afternoon there will be a series of talks with a mining theme:

• John Hunter: Hemingfield Colliery (Elsecar) – the current status of site, conservation and historical research. (30 mins)
• Lynn Willies: Chance Mine – following the loss of 5000 tonnes of stone in a quarry blast we were asked to investigate close-by mine workings which turned out to be particularly interesting. (30 mins).
• Paul Smith: Wheal Vor Ltd: The electrical years 1906-1910 – the trials & tribulations of draining and re-opening an extensive, deep and wet tin mine in Cornwall, using early electrically powered pumps

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The results of the recent British Caving Association online ballot have now been released and can be found on the BCA website at Ballot Results – British Caving Association (british-caving.org.uk).

The British Cave Research Association is holding its Cave Science Symposium in our area at Hulland Ward Village Hall (Dog Lane, Hulland Ward, DE6 3EG) on Saturday 27th November 2021.
The event runs from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm.
For BCRA members the BCRA AGM will take place during a break at 12 noon.
The Cave Science Symposium is free and is open to non-members of BCRA.
As well as being a live event the Symposium will also be live-streamed via Zoom.
For the agenda and further information see the websites of The British Caving Association or The British Cave Research Association