Where am I? DCC > USEFUL PAGES > WEBSITE HISTORY
This page is strictly for the anoraks. The website was set up in the late 1990s and has grown and developed since then so that it is recognised as an authority on the Alderley Edge Mines. For those interested, standard pages are written in HTML using FrontPage but the common parts, such as menus are in PHP. All the databases are SQL databases read using mySQL and PHP. Currently, none of the pages derive directly from a database but this might come later. The picture album pages are all in PHP. JavaScript is used where appropriate and for features such as the fading images and scrolling text on the home page. JavaScript is also used to conceal e-mail addresses. E-mails are sent by PHP to avoid the user having to have an e-mail program and progressively, all e-mail requests are being handled by a common page.
Additions to this page stopped in 2013 when the webmaster got bored with keeping it up to date. A few, more significant, changes might be found in later news items on the news archive.
73. | 27/12/13 | Checked for previously hidden errors and reduced duplication of shared pages. |
72. | 27/12/12 | Revamped open day pages for consistency and better coding. |
71. | 24/12/12 | Automated menus on all pages and website map as well as sub-menus all to come from the same text. |
70. | 22/12/10 | Started to validate pages against w3c strict standards. Gradually replacing MS FrontPage coding with strict HTML coding. Long job! |
69. | 01/12/10 | New photo album on DCC info pages. |
68. | 01/11/10 | Added facility to allow members to indicate trips they would attend (to mimic and replace Facebook system). |
67. | 01/10/10 | Fixed some errors in pictures and menus. Added email via PHP for users without email access. |
66. | 22/02/10 | Introduced updatable log file on caving and club pages. Improved shared page handling (helps searching). Put newsletters and club minutes into databases. |
65. | 10/01/10 | Fading images introduced on front page and also fix some quirks in the scrolling news. Added Club contact page. |
64. | 09/12/09 | Small changes to news pages including dropping all news from Alderley and Caving introductory pages. News archive enhanced. |
63. | 01/12/09 | Log page set up on public site. Members can post entries to it and amend them through the Club pages. |
62. | 01/08/09 | On-line Open Day booking system set up to save the Treasurer the hassle of replying to every booking. |
61. | 22/04/09 | Added scrolling news to home page and changed from using tables to divisions to lay out the table accurately. |
60. | 18/03/09 | Replaced use of CGI for e-mails by PHP. |
59. | 09/03/09 | Brought all web site history to this page. Scanned many sets of old Club minutes. |
58. | 29/02/09 | Added streaming video of Club events: the Rocket and the Fluffies at Pindale, from DVD provided by Bill Booth. Set up page for Fluffies. |
57. | 13/01/09 | Added built-in search facility. |
56. | 12/11/08 | Used PHP to provide meets list and trip reports. |
55. | 16/10/08 | Expanded use of PHP to handle databases of Alderley references, miners and finds. |
54. | 22/06/08 | New page headers with better site-wide navigation and new pictures. Corrected HTML errors in footers. |
53. | 17/01/08 | New host. Site moved. |
52. | 22/06/07 | New front page with quicker links to commonly used areas. |
51. | 04/05/07 | Moved pictures around to make life easier for the webmaster (should not affect users) and sorted problems with menus and headings under Netscape due to differences between browsers. |
50. | 03/11/06 | Major revamp of site to separate the Club pages and to bring pages into a common standard. "Go to home" taken off bottom of pages as redundant. All menus now have different colours for links to other parts of the DCC site. |
49. | 05/09/06 | Rationalised pages that link to photographs (other than the galleries) to enable a single click to take the reader back to the point in the original page where the thumbnail is located. Also, took the opportunity to add some more pictures to support the larger images. |
48. | 03/09/06 | Added page for Open Days to indicate that the Open Day is current. This is to try to meet user requirements to know not just that one is due or has passed but that it is actually ON! |
47. | 01/09/06 | Changed: "Work on the Edge" to "What's on now". Page names changed to start "current". |
46. | 11/.4/06 | Photo gallery improved and more pictures added of caving in Derbyshire, Yorkshire and Skye. Section added to social regarding Squeeze Machine. The page on mining in Cheshire has been completed at last. |
45. | 11/04/06 | Recent work on the website has seen revised descriptions of all the mines (except Brynlow: still to be done) and new photo galleries for all the mines finishing the work started in September 2005. A table has been added to the geology showing the approved names of the rock units. |
44. | 04/02/06 | More trip reports added to Club section. Caving safety added to main caving section. |
43. | 20/09/05 | New gallery of photographs added. |
42. | 07/06/05 | New pages on ore processing in the Bronze Age and using conventional smelting techniques. |
41. | 22/01/05 | Revamped geology and history pages with better illustrations. Updated early history. Added on-line booking for Open Days. |
40. | 15/07/04 | New map at 1:25000 on mines pages. |
39. | 12/05/04 | Response pages sorted. Also, site updated with details of committee. |
38. | 18/11/03 | We are having problems with the response pages. Please e-mail to the Club rather than use the enquiry forms. |
37. | 07/10/03 | Open Weekend pages updated. |
36. | 28/08/03 | Added page on Matienzo expedition with a report and survey of work done this year. |
35. | 16/03/03 | Updated diary pages for club members. |
34. | 21/01/03 | AELP page updated with help from The Manchester Museum. |
33. | 17/01/03 | Added pages on Underground Stockport. |
32. | 18/08/02 | Starting to scan and include early newsletters in the website. |
31. | 06/06/02 | Added private pages for club members. For a password, contact the webmaster |
30. | 07/03/02 | New page on the Alderley Edge Landscape Project |
29. | 26/02/02 | Increased information on archaeology and added caveat regarding the 'gold bars' finds. |
28. | 26/11/01 | Revamped the index (DCC entry) for more consistency with Alderley pages. Added section on the rocket. |
27. | 26/11/01 | Added page on legal constraints. |
26. | 08/11/01 | Added map to visitor page. |
25. | 04/09/01 | Updated Open Days and Digging pages. New page on the archaeological work of the DCC. |
24. | 30/07/01 | New page on lectures and exhibitions. |
23. | 30/07/01 | Page on mining activities expanded with links to new pages on Derbyshire and Cumbria and other areas. |
22. | 06/07/01 | New page on caving to introduce the topic and link to other pages dealing with aspects of the club. Implemented page on Alaskan project. |
21. | 07/06/01 | New enquiry system using CGI to e-mail club and return a reply to the caller. Added page for National Trust. |
20. | 21/05/01 | Updated and expanded page on Open Days. |
19. | 11/05/01 | New section for mining activities away from Alderley Edge. More to follow on areas such as Nenthead. |
18. | 11/05/01 | New page for history of the surrounding area. |
17. | 02/05/01 | Search page implemented. |
16. | 30/03/01 | Revised the virtual tour as the thumbnails did not always work as planned. Split underground tour into two pages. |
15. | 15/03/01 | Added virtual tour of Engine Vein. |
14. | 21/02/01 | Lot of changes to improve compatibility with Netscape, e.g. changing BMPs to GIFs and revising opening heading. |
13. | 05/02/01 | New item on Carlswark Cavern and Robin's Shaft. |
12. | 07/02/01 | Added fuller list of names of mines |
11. | 31/01/01 | Updated Open Days and latest news. Added mineralisation article. New links to related articles. |
10. | 28/12/00 | Added December newsletter. |
9. | 21/11/00 | Added sample digging and expedition pages: more to come. |
8. | 17/11/00 | Merged with DCC site and set up connection from www.derbyscc.org.uk. |
7. | 16/11/00 | Added Rogues Gallery to DCC pages. This will change over time. |
6. | 06/11/00 | Amended text on mine description pages and brought the HTML of these pages into line with the remainder. Added Hough Level and Other Mines. Added more information on recent naming of entrances. |
5. | 03/11/00 | New e-mail address used throughout to pick up spammers. |
4. | 02/11/00 | Added pictures and text for Brynlow Mine |
3. | 30/10/00 | Added details about Wizard legend and Club resources |
2. | 26/10/00 | Added this section! New picture in "digging", corrected spelling error and updated information on EV dig. Added link to Parys Mountain. |
1. | 25/10/00 | Added access details |