CDG Newsletter Issue 216 – July 2020

Editorial

In late February the sad news of Helen Farr’s death was received. Helen was an outstanding international cave diver who was globally respected. She had served as the CDG’s treasurer since 2007 and our thoughts are with Martyn, the family and her many friends at this time. This Newsletter begins with a tribute to Helen and I’d like to thank our Chairman for preparing this.

Whilst the restrictions imposed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic are slowly easing in the UK as I type this, a number of CDG events have already been impacted over the past few months. As of yet, no details are known regarding the postponed April 2020 AGM nor the June 2020 training camp. Members are advised to check the CDG’s message board, Facebook page and of course to keep in touch with their Section Secretaries for information. The CDG’s 75th anniversary will occur in 2021 and I hope to be able to publish details of the celebratory events shortly.

Thank you to all those of you have who submitted logs and articles for this edition which spans the stringent coronavirus lockdown period. I had feared that this would be one of the shortest and most challenging Newsletters to be produced to date, but a quick glance at the contents will reveal a good crop of diving logs and articles. Admittedly, some are long overdue publishing, but in my defence, I had assumed that the 1997 dives in Somerset had already been published - it is always worth checking! With the slow return to more normal conditions I am hopeful that the October Newsletter (deadline 1 September 2020) will be easier to fill and will, unlike NL 215, come to you as a paper copy first and not an emailed PDF. Stay healthy and safe diving.

Adrian Hall
Ilkley