"Yes, thanks for qualifying my post. And I'll admit that I'm not a member of the EFDSS yet. I've been thinking about joining for a few months now but isn't there some odd condition that means all membership renews on the first of January. As I read it this means that if I paid my full membership fee now it would exipre and I'd have to pay again in January (?). Please correct me if I'm wrong and I'll happily cough up."

Membership is indeed renewed in January and I recall that there used to be a sliding scale of fees for people who joined part way through the year. However, I can't see it the EFDSS site at the moment. Best bet would be to email the membership secretary, jane.gregory@efdss and ask.