The production of this journal marks the passing of another year of caving in Cambridge University Caving Club. Last June saw the older members of the club leaving to start a working life of greater or lesser respectability. October came, and with it the Societies Fair and hours of effort trying to attract new members. A good coach-load set out for the freshers meet to P8 and were greeted by the mist and drizzle of Derbyshire. Unfortunatly the realities of caving did not live up to the magnificent colour slides shown the week before. One young lady, on arriving at the cave entrance looked briefly at the small river sinking underground and turned back to the coach to await the 4½ hour trip back to Cambridge.

By our next meet only two first years had survived along with a few new faces from higher years. This, combined with low recruitment last year, means that the club's core of experienced cavers is in danger of running low. If the trend continues in years to come the club is likely to find itself existing on the continuing interst of members no longer resident in Cambridge. Since the club has, more or less, a three year turnover of members, sufficient numbers must join in their first year, and be trained to form the core of experienced cavers in their 2nd and 3rd years, who are so necessary to the club.

There is little reason to become too depressed over the situation however. Change occurs so quickly in a University club that next year may well see a dramatic increase in numbers. A few experienced cavers amongst next years new recruits are all that is needed.

Despite lack of numbers on some meets, the weekend trips to Yorkshire, South Wales, and the Mendips have been generally good value for money this year. And though we seem to be seeing an ever greater participation by old members who have left Cambridge, I think we are beginning to see the end of the polarisation of interst between new and older members which has been the curse of recent years. At least I hope so. Although it now looks as if there will be no major expidition this summer, a number of mini-expiditions are slowly being organised privatly. Hopefully anybody who wishes to cave with other members of the club during the summer months will be offered the opportunity to do so, the longer vacation trips being the best time for newcomers to become really integrated with the club.

Finally I must offer my thanks to all those who in one way or another were part of the production of this journal. Budding authors were very forthcoming - one engineer is considering studying under Tolkien! Others were easily conned into typing with varying numbers of fingers (and varying degrees of accuracy). Name dropping merely risks offending those not mentioned so I won't bother at all. Thanks must also go to you for buying the journal, and to our advertisers who help kepp the cost down. Please support them and mention Cambridge Underground when writing to them.