Hi everyone, only just had chance to update the journal, so here goes...
We set off late Friday night, driving through the night trying to miss the traffic, after a couple of stops we got there in time to have a cup of tea and bacon sandwich with Eddie & Christine after setting up our caravan and awning.

Phil had also driven down with Barry bringing his boat. While Julie had an afternoon nap, Connor & I explored the campsite. Eddie and Barry went off with Phil to find the launch site for the next day... they managed to sneak a quick dive in on a wreck too...

Sunday morning we went to launch the boat, the Manacles are the best dives in Cornwall and only a 10minute boat ride out of Porthkerris, Vase Rock once stood several Metres proud of the surface until the SS Mohegan, slightly off course struck her. The pinnacle was only 8m below the surface  and dropped off quite quickly to 40 metres +

Julie & Connor joined us on the boat, this is the first time Julie has seen me dive off a RIB, she’s not usually up for boat trips, but after I took her out on Steves RIB this year at Plymouth she thought she’d give it a try.

Phil & Barry set off after the first dive, and many thanks go to them for travelling the 700 mile round trip to see us and bring along the boat, in the afternoon we had a shore dive off the beach.

We didn't dive everyday, one day we went to the Poldark Mines which was well worth a visit, ask Julie what she thought!!

We met a fellow diver called Geoff, who is a BSAC Sports Diver who  lives not far from Stoney Cove and even closer to Switherland woods, he joined us for a days diving along with his partner Yvonne and their dog. He appears in the photos I have posted in the gallery. 

Alan and Elaine joined us on Thursday, we set up our tent on an adjacent pitch so it was ready for them when they arrived, we had booked a boat for Friday so we all chilled for the afternoon and went to a local restaurant for our evening meal.

Friday morning we had to be at Porthkerris for 8.00am, which seems a little harsh being up at 7 when you're on holiday but well worth it when you see the dive sites. Alan Eddie and myself left everyone sleeping soundly back at the site, and headed off in Alan’s car to the site. We had booked the boat for us but the nice people at Porthkerris said that if we didn't mind they had a couple of other people who wanted to dive too. Nick and Emma were both teachers from Birmingham, their local site being Dost Hill, I know what you're thinking... all that distance and we meet people from Stoney Cove & Dost Hill.
After a 27m dive on the Moheagan and after a short SI we had a 20m drift dive along the Manacles. We returned to shore and had only just unloaded our kit when Julie & the others arrived bringing lunch and other goodies with them. We returned to the campsite and set about packing up Eddie’s caravan and awning, he had to be back in Mansfield on Saturday as it was Laura’s 18^th birthday and she wanted to see her mum and fiancée.

Alan and I managed to get one more shore dive in on Saturday evening, Alan keeps canaries and uses Cuttlefish for the birds but said it was the first time he had seen a live one in the sea. After showering at the dive site we changed and headed up to a local pub that isn’t just for local people, Alan & Elaine had found the THREE TUNNS earlier in the afternoon and booked a table for us all.
The pub is just outside Porthkerris in a little village called St Keverne. They serve excellent steaks, Connor had a 16oz T-Bone, and anyone would think we hadn’t fed him all week but he really enjoyed it. Thanks to Alan and Elaine for a brilliant evening.

Sunday morning we packed up our caravan and put it in the storage area while we headed off to Lizard, we visited the most southerly point in England, had lunch in a local café and joined in the RNLI celebrations on the village green, Connor won Alan a can of condensed milk (Yummy).

The return journey took 7 hours including a stop in the services, which isn’t bad.

We really enjoyed the area and hope to return again, if not later in the year then definitely next year and hopefully more member too.

One more thing, a journal wouldn’t be complete without a weather report, while Ilkeston was having storms Cornwall was HOt HOT HOT but don’t worry there’s still plenty of Sun left for us in Tenerife.

Chris

Hi again, what a scorcher we had at the weekend. On Sunday 11th June we went up to Rother Valley for a family barbeque. Andy & Simon were the Master Chefs, Christine made her brilliant cakes and Julie made a Roulade. We had taken Connors kayak and our diving kit of course. Alan and I had two dives as did Steph and Eddie. We had been warned that the vis could be quite dire but we must have been really lucky as it was as good as Stoney's 7m shelf. Dives ranged from 14m to 7 m although we have been told there's a JCB in there somewhere and the depth can get to 20m in the middle, not bad for £5 per diver. The children really enjoyed the Kayak with Taz taking the little ones for a spin on the lake.
Maxine & Emma took the Kite and we just managed to get it in the air for a brief moment as the wind kept changing direction suddenly and collapsing the kite.

I'm sure we will do it again, we have already been asked to sort out another day.

Thanks again to Christine for organising the event. Hope you all enjoyed it.

Chris

I had said that I would like to dive on my birthday and as the children were off school thought it could be a family day too as Connor loves going to Stoney even though he can't dive it yet.

I sent out a group e-mail to everyone informing them I would be diving on Thursday 1st June and that everyone was welcome. I am quite used to mid-week diving, it is one of the few benifits of shift working but not everyone can make it.

I was extremley pleased that so many could make it, Frank, Graham, Richard, Eddie, Christine, Andy, Alan, Steve and Tony and myself were the divers, with Julie, Connor, Maxine,Elaine coming along for the day.

We had 3 brilliant dives, stopping briefly for lunch. We had arranged to get a meal before going home, unfortunately NEMO's didn't start servingg food till 6.30 so we decided to head back towards home stopping off at the Hoggs Head at Awsworth for us all to eat, Jenny came to the pub with Graham, with us endng up back at Andys for more drinks before heading off home.

Thanks to everyone for coming and help making my birthday great.

Chris

Bank Holiday weekend approached and we all looked forward to St Abbs, Andy & Maxine had their new trailer tent to try out, Alan & Elaine had their new caravan too. Alan was looking forward to his first sea dives and we hadn't been to Scotland before so we were all excited, Connor breathed out just as we crossed the border saying "that was my last breath of English air" we joked about bringing some Scottish air home in a jar to keep.

We were extremly lucking both Steve anfd Phil took their boats. For Phil and Barry it was part of the return journey back from Oban, and although they had alredy had a long week they stayed with Eddie & Christine a couple of nights to help us get everyone in the water (Many Thanks).

There was plenty of diving done with the trainees doing really well.

We visited Edinburgh while we were there and even vistited the Castle, it seemed a shame to have travell so far and not visit the Capital.

We left just before 10am on Tuesday morning as I had to be back for work at 4pm, thankfully it was a steady night at work without bing called out too much.

Chris

Another brilliant dive trip, although the weather wasn't too hot it didn't rain either. We booked to go to 8 acre lakes as we had had a great family day there last year.

Diving isn't brilliant but it is worth the visit, and everyone said they enjoyed the day.

Connor took his kayack for everyone to use which gave us somthing to do between dives for those brave enough to wear their shorties.

We will be doing it again in the future, just let us kknow if you would like to go.

Chris

Easter we all went to Plymouth, we stayed at a new site, Riverside Caravan Park. The first evening is lost with the travelling and setting up. Friday we took the boat to Mouint Batten to lauch and headed of to Fort bovisand to pick up the divers & kit. The first day was along one getting back to the site around 6pm, Andy and Maxine were going to Truro to see family and had arranged to stay a couple of days withus and had already arrived. We had arranged to all get together bringing a dish each for tea, the food went well as did the drinks. Plans were made for the following day and everyone left for the respective dwellings.

The trip went extremly well, the trainees had their first sea dives, the boat performed well all though we did have a problem with the trailer bearings, Steve managed to source some early Tuesday morning before we had to set off back home. I took Julie out on the boat for a tripout of the Harbour before dropping her back on the quay before meeting Steve with the trailer on the slipway. We recovered the boat, returning to the campsite to freshen up, have a quick snack and set off back home caravan and boat in tow.

As we had a variety of experience levels on the trip I have asked all those who were on the trip to give a brief account of the trip through their eyes and they should appear in the next newsletter.