Another month has past and if you have not finished your Christmas shopping, there are just over 140 days left to do it. What a sobering thought.
This month has seen a few trips away, sadly not as many as I would have liked; we have spent all this money on the Portland licenses but are not using them to their full potential. I am just as much to blame, but there are enough of you out there to make up the drop-off, so come on and lets get using it. This has not been my month, as you may have already heard, I am now truck less, yes my faithful vehicle was sadly in a contest with a Austin Rover Metro, which dare I say it came of better. It was only smashed up in the front and by the truck, where as the truck was so badly damaged down the offside that we had to put it out of it’s misery and shot it. This all happened on my wedding anniversary, what a good present. The Metro, not happy wrecking the truck, also took out a Peugeot 306 behind me. If this was not bad enough, I have developed whiplash to my neck which is causing some discomfort, then to top it all I was sent to hospital last week with suspected meningitis, which thankfully was not the case, but I did have a viral infection. This has kept me in for four days on an intravenous drip. Again thankfully I am now at home recovering from this set back. But what is most annoying is that all these events have lead to me missing all the diving that has taken place this month. Early in July (6th-8th) was the trip back to Portland, I must thank Tim Clouter for stepping in and filling my place as expedition leader. The weather was very kind to all who made the effort to attend and I know that Tim had to do some good organisation of the diving. This event added a total of 40 dives to this year’s total. There was no other diving until later in the month and a trip to Brixham Breakwater Beach on Sunday 22nd, I am still waiting for the reports as due to my hospitalisation I missed our Wednesday night session. The last weekend of the month has seen the second in the series of trips to the club wreck and as I’m writing this on Sunday, they are still there (or at J25 on the M5 for refreshments). I am still hoping to get copies of all the missing dive logs, if you have one that I need, please let me have a copy as soon as possible.
Training
A new Sports Diver program has now been issued for all those who have completed their Club Diver review. It is due to start on August 15th and lectures will be every four-weeks, (there are only three). This should take us up to year-end. I am writing the Dive Leader review paper and will be doing the review in the next few weeks. If you would like to do this, please let me know. At present there are five candidates.
Practical skills are being done when conditions allow.
General
Over the last few months I have been saying how important it is that we get the boats in a saleable state. There have been a few working parties working towards this goal, but sadly we seem to have lost our headway. Is this due to the fact that we have placed the order for the new boat or is it just that the season is drawing in. One thing is certain we still have only one serviceable boat and the Dunlop is still waiting to be completed. There is one certain thing that has come out of this and that is it is looking very bad for us to sell one of the boats this season. I have said before, we do need to sell one of the boats, lots of people have worked very hard to get things together, lots have not. There have been various fund raising events to help toward purchasing much needed equipment for the new boa t; is all this going to waste? COME ON let’s get this job finished. We only have a few weeks before the new boat will be here and if nothing else we will need the space to store it. This weekend is the Harbour Regatta, sadly we will only have the one boat to help out with, but with an effort we might have had both of them.
Late Friday saw the “ –B-Que.” and it gives me great pleasure in announcing that £202 was raised towards the “A” team fund. Julie and myself would like to thank all those who supported this event and especially all those who donated items for the raffle.
Forthcoming Fund Raisers
A £1 prize guessing game on how much the Dunlop boats weighs will be run as soon as it is road worthy.
A Treasure Hunt around Bristol City centre and another ‘Guess Who’ competition is also being planned.
Are there any more ideas out there on how to raise funds? Come on you must have some.
Lecture Program for 2001
Club Diver – Lecture program completed. Open Water Drills progressing
Sports Diver – New program due to start. Open Water Dives being carried out.
Dive Leader – Review to be planned. New program if required.
Advanced Diver – Mandatory SDC’s as and when required.
Optional SDC’s to be discussed
See our Web Site for relevant information on dates for Lecture program details
Dates for your diary
| 3rd – 5th August 2001 | North Wales |
| 3rd – 6th August 2001 | Bristol Harbour Regatta |
| August B/Hol 2001 | Club Annual trip (Venue is Marazion, campsite already booked) |
| 28th – 30th September 2001 | Porthkerris Cornwall |
| 22nd December 2001 | Annual Club Dinner Dance – Jury’s Hotel, Prince Street |
NOTE: – There may be additional expeditions being planned that are not listed here.
See our Web Site for information on these events and other diving expeditions
Happenings
Our new Entertainment Officers are still trying to organise another cuisine night in the Bristol area. Some ideas are a trip to the ‘Top Wok’, or a Tai night. Do you have any ideas? Let Julie or Mary Know.
DO’s thought for the month
NO MATTER WHAT OR HOW YOU PLAN SOMETHING,
NATURE HAS A WAY OF DISRUPTING IT.
That’s because she’s a she
Harry Ryalls
BAS-AC
