The great outdoors once more at Falmouth's Chain Locker

Falmouth's Chain Locker has been the centre of much mining chatter over the past week or so. Last week delegates from Computational Modelling '19 and Physical Separation '19, who had braved the elements on a 3 mile coastal walk, sought sanctuary in the warm indoors, and this week delegates from Cornish Lithium's Investment in Mining in Cornwall conference, also held at the nearby National Maritime Museum, popped in at regular intervals.

Last night we were back at the Chain Locker for the June Mining Sundowner and thankfully, as we had a large turnout of around 35, we were able to enjoy a little evening sunshine.

Numbers were boosted by a 45 year reunion of some of the Camborne School of Mines class of 1974, the year that I started teaching at CSM.

Some of the CSM class of 1974 with their wives

It was good to see Richard Williams, the President and CEO of Canadian company Strongbow Exploration, responsible for bringing the South Crofty tin mine back to life in the next few years. The license to operate is in place and dewatering of the old workings will be the first stage of operations after completion of the treatment plant which will remove heavy metals before discharge into the local Red River.

Richard is photographed below with Tony Batchelor, chairman of local company GeoScience Ltd, and consultant to the United Downs Deep Geothermal Power Project. Drilling of the two wells is almost complete and the rig will probably be demobilised in July.

Tony and Richard

The next sundowner will be at the Chain Locker again on Thursday 18th July at the usual time of 1730. Drop by if you are in the area.

Twitter @barrywills