NAMHO 2021

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Date: Friday 2nd ? Monday 5th July 2021
Location: Preston Montford, Shropshire
Theme: 60 Years of Mining Projects
Host: Shropshire Caving & Mining Club with support of other local organisations

This is just a heads up for anyone who might just have a space in their busy social calendars. it's early days yet, but preparations are just starting for what will hopefully be a ?normal? NAMHO Conference. At present SCMC are looking to use the same venue, a field study centre about 5 miles West of Shrewsbury, as we did in 2011. This allows the lectures, reasonable accommodation (including camping), catering and bar to all be on one site in a quiet rural location.
The conference theme is to coincide with SCMC?s 60th anniversary and to look at projects in the mining community that have developed with the growth of industrial archaeology and mine exploration during that period, along with the hopes of what the future might bring. Rob Vernon will be co-ordinating the lecture programme and anyone interested in making a presentation can in the first instance PM me so that I can pass on details.

We hope this will also encourage other clubs and societies to bring along displays on their local projects too.
The usual mix of trade stands, local interest and rescue groups will have the opportunity to attend as well.

Underground visits will be concentrated in Shropshire and the Welsh Borderlands, but with the possibility of a few visits further afield either side of the main conference. These will vary from dry, walk-in to multi pitch SRT. Some water may be present.

For those wanting to stay above ground, in addition to the lectures, there will be guided surface visits e.g. Ironbridge Gorge, and route guides for self-led walks around the West Shropshire mine sites.

Obviously, the current situation in the UK makes all of this impossible at present, but we would like to be optimistic and hope that by next summer a reasonable degree of normality has returned. Should this not be the case, then we would plan to proceed if a sensible approach can be achieved with the appropriate social distancing measures required. If these prove too impractical for a ?live? Conference, then we will aim to provide an online event of lectures, film presentations, photo competitions etc.

Finally, I regret to inform you that any purple beer tokens leftover from 2011 will no longer be valid. However, good beer will be a serious consideration to event organisers.

Alan Robinson
Shropshire Caving & Mining Club
 
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