Biddulph Sub Aqua Club in Staffordshire is at a crossroads – membership is still healthy, but what will the next 50 years look like? Interview by Kristina Pedder
CLUBFOCUS
Biddulph SAC
Biddulph Sub Aqua Club in Staffordshire is at a crossroads – membership is still healthy, but what will the next 50 years look like? Interview by Kristina Pedder
LOCATION: Staffordshire
MEMBERSHIP FEE:£ 144 for trained divers. £ 240 for trainees. £ 72 for student or non-diving members, plus BSAC
CONTACT: Tracy Catton, club chairperson
WhatsApp: + 44 7870 915779 f Biddulph Sub Aqua Club
As Biddulph SAC reached its 50th anniversary last year, it was in danger of becoming a diving club in name only. With very experienced members not diving anymore and fewer available to help, even with pool sessions, it was becoming increasingly difficult to engage and train new divers. But members have a reputation for resourcefulness – no way have they given up on their club.
Tell us a bit about your history
The club was founded in 1975, by a group of miners. We are in the Staffordshire Moorlands, the last gasp of the Peak District, right on the edge of Cheshire.
Some members were keen cave divers. Club members have always shown a great deal of ingenuity.
Give us a hint of some of your exploits.
We used to make dive torches when commercially available ones were poor. At first somebody made an aluminium casting and we fitted mini headlights and burglar alarm batteries; very bright but they usually flooded after half a dozen uses.
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