(Did anyone see a Cannon?)

Team players: Captain - Pete Dixon, Vice Captain - Jim Murphy, Vice Captain - Dave White, Also rans - Bev Dixon, Alan Brown, Keith Atkinson, Neil Turner, Evelyn Turner, Lynda Hughes, Mike Littler, Paul Cooke, Hilary Boliss

The weather forecast wasn't good. On the Friday afternoon the further up the A1 we ventured the darker it became, until we drove through torrential rain, and then we drove out of it. BUT, not one drop of rain was felt the whole of the time we were in Beadnell, Seahouses or out at sea.

Saturday morning was dull and a little chilly, but we were all raring to go. 8.30 breakfast, served by Cap'n Birdseye himself. 10 am at the end of the pier, and after the sightseers' boat had gone, ours, the FARNE DIVER soon arrived and all kit and passengers were loaded in our usual organised way - a long chain passing everything down the steps and aboard.

The water was a chilly 7 degrees, visibility 5-6 metres, but the dive on BLUE CAPS was a pleasant first hard boat dive of the season. In the water at 11.30. There were plenty of small jellyfish, some starfish, a lobster, three fairly large wrasse, quite a few urchins, but disappointingly, no encounters with seals. However, the most spectacular feature of the dive was the walls covered in white deadman's fingers with the odd splash of orange from sponges. We managed a 30 minute dive.

Paul Cooke won the 'Huey Sweep' thanks to Keith. Was the swaying kelp on the ascent to blame?

The second dive on Saturday was the (flattened) wreck of the ST ANDRE, off STAPLE ROCK. The sea was calm and a degree warmer. Time down: 2.30. We pottered round the wreckage. Just saw a number of crabs and a few wrasse, but again, no seals (although Alan saw a couple). Apparently, it's a bit too early in the season for them to be accustomed to the divers. I would have thought they were just being sensible and staying in the afternoon sunshine rather than go in the cold water! After the wreck we headed west and again found walls of deadman's fingers. There was a slight current during parts of this dive. Again we managed 30 minutes.

Back to the accommodation for showers, to watch the end of the Cup Final and sit in the evening sun to write up dives, then off to the pub at 7pm for a meal.

Sunday breakfast at 7 am and at the end of the pier for 8, but it wasn't too difficult as the sun was shining and the air was warm. Our destination was GUN ROCK. In the water (8 degrees) at 9.30 but this time managed 40 minutes. We pottered along the seabed, rummaging for small creatures and found quite a few, amongst which were hermit crabs, a small fish on the seabed (goby?), a nudibranch (about an inch long, measured against the top of my thumb), common starfish, brittle stars, sunstars (one of which was about 10 inches across (it looked bigger, but I measured it against my torch), anemones (see this month's DIVE), clams etc but no guns. Has Alan told you that after 24 years' diving he's finally found a cannon?

The fourth dive, back at BLUE CAPS, was, for me, probably the best - the light was fantastic! Into the water (did the sun really make that stretch 11 degrees?) at 12.15pm, yet again for 30 minutes. We were at 13 metres and didn't need torches other than for accentuating the colours of the life we found. This included common stars and sunstars (large ones and baby ones), a 'Duncan-size' lobster and a butterfish hiding amongst the deadman's fingers. But, oh! The décor! On this dive the walls were 'papered' with deadman's fingers and the floor 'carpeted' with urchins - just like it used to be up the coast at St Abbs. (Have you got your name down for that trip? Travel up Friday evening 30 June, dive Saturday/Sunday, 1/2 July. Speak to Alan for further details.) And the seals lollopped off the rocks and swam into the water to greet us as we surfaced! The sea was starting to whip up a bit by this time so, thanks to our early start, we'd had the best of the weather and sea conditions.

Again, in our usual slick way we disembarked. Lee, the skipper, said he'd never been unloaded as fast. With the sun still shining, we loaded our cars and started our homeward journeys - some stopping for a while in Seahouses, others heading straight for Scotch Corner for a welcome cuppa. And guess what - once south of Newcastle on the way home the rain started again.

Thanks to Pete and Bev for organising a very enjoyable weekend. Also, thanks to my buddy, Jim, who was offered a job for the summer aboard Farne Diver. The old seadog was a great help to the skipper when it came to getting divers up the ladder and back on board.

By the way, has Alan told you he found a cannon?