07 July 2023

Deep Sleep on the BBC

Back in the days, when Miles and I still had our dig going, he was preparing a new project. He had got it into his head that he might offer overnight trips in his mine. So he set to work! And if I mentioned he was busy with other things and therefore not available for the dog, this was probably what he was busy with. But it was still a company secret then. But anyway; the plan was made, so he selected a suitable chamber, built a row of cottages (I suppose technically garden sheds, but then made snug), installed water turbines to power it all, created communication lines, et cetera et cetera. Not on his own, of course; a lot of it was done by his Go Below colleagues. But as far as I know, he had the idea. And Miles did work very hard on it. There is even a lovely construction video on YouTube.

Then the pandemic hit and people wouldn't have been allowed to use his accommodation. The project, which would be called Deep Sleep, was pretty much mothballed! But the pandemic didn't last, and work restarted. And it was more work than anticipated. It always is! So only this summer did the project properly launch. I had known about it for years, so I had been wanting for it to be finished, and then become a commercial success, for a long time. Even though I have only been twice! When we were in the mine anyway, he once showed me around. And, back in the days when I was still with the Thursdaynighters, we accidentally stumbled across the door leading to it. Miles saw the lights, and invited the whole lot in. It obviously wasn't finished yet.

At some point there was a bit of a publicity wave. The Deep Sleep was announced on social media, and it came on TV (I think twice, but I'm not sure how to link to the other program) and Miles put footage on YouTube (this video is for that superfan at more than half an hour), and it was extensively mentioned on Radio 6 of all places. And now it also seems to have reached the BBC News website! So now everybody can see what I have been wishing to be a success. I hope it will be worth the effort several times over!

Screenshot from YouTube



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