Fifteen members accompanied by three family members attended our third annual residential session at the Blencathra Field Studies Centre this season. Fortunately the weather was reasonably fine for most of the time so that our outings were not restricted in any way. It waited to do its worst later in the month at the Hebeloma Workshop!

Last year we invited along a national expert, Geoffrey Kibby, to lead the group and found the experience so rewarding that we decided to repeat it. On this occasion we asked Maurice Rotheroe, another well known mycologist, and his wife Penny to join us. Unfortunately Maurice was taken ill and so was unable to come along. Needless to say, he was sadly missed. Nevertheless, despite this disappointment, our own "experts", John Taylor, Peter Smith and John & Sheila Weir rose to the occasion and did much to make the visit a very enjoyable and memorable occasion. We were delighted too that the Liverpool Museum made their video equipment available to us yet again and that Judith Riley could join us. Judith is now as keen as the rest of us to collect and record. Nice to have yet another convert! to the group

We all arrived at the Centre at varying times during Friday afternoon and evening. Judith and Robin Dean drove up from Liverpool with the video equipment early enough to indulge in a little foraying on the slopes of Skiddaw in the afternoon and arrived back at the Centre with a very encouraging collection, enough to give a flying start to the display table. The evening was spent settling in and observing the display of some microscopical characters set up by Robin on the video microscope.

Saturday morning found us in the car park at Great Wood in Borrowdale, a venue which was particularly productive last year, somewhat less so this year. It was very wet but we were undaunted. We decide to split into three groups in order to cover the area more effectively; Robin, Sherry and Paul for a high level sweep, John and Sheila to the north, and the rest of us along the lakeside. Once again the small open woodland area near the entrance to the car park proved to be particularly productive with a good display of several Cortinarius species. The lakeside itself provided an equally rich variety of specimens though we searched in vain for last year’s rarity, Cortinarius orellanus. All in all, this site yielded 85 species from a total of 180 species for the whole weekend. We spent most of the afternoon and evening examining our finds.

Sunday was a better day weatherwise. Most of us set off for Dodd Wood and Mirehouse by the shores of Bassenthwaite. Others forayed locally. At the entrance to Mirehouse an uncommon blue Leptonia, on the Red List, Entoloma anatinum, was found by Margaret. I had walked straight past it! Other Red List species found that day were Chrysomphalina chrysophylla collected at Brundhome Wood by Peter, Clavaria purpurea also collected by Peter in the Blencathra area and Hygrocybe calyptraeformis which John discovered in fields near the Centre. Since our visit, during the Hebeloma Workshop weekend later in October, another Red List species, Clavaria zollingeri was discovered in what we know as the waxcap field by Irene Ridge and John Weir.

By Sunday evening we had accumulated the grand total of 180 specimens (272 records in all). John, in expert fashion, talked us through the collection on the display table. Other members contributed and there was much lively discussion about our finds undoubtedly improved by the excellent wine we all shared before and during dinner. We have to thank John for sharing his expertise with us and also for his generosity in allowing us free access to his now very extensive library of mycological books. Then, sadly, the clearing-up session in preparation for an early departure on Monday morning.

John has produced a list of the species found during our stay and the sites where they appeared. Copies of the list will be sent to all participants in the very near future.