diff --git a/core/utils.py b/core/utils.py
index daf48b3..fd85af6 100644
--- a/core/utils.py
+++ b/core/utils.py
@@ -6,11 +6,14 @@ import random
 import resource
 import string
 import subprocess
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
 
 from decimal import getcontext
 
 from pathlib import Path
 
+from django.contrib.auth.models import User
+
 from troggle.core.models.troggle import Expedition
 
 getcontext().prec = 2  # use 2 significant figures for decimal calculations
@@ -89,9 +92,18 @@ def alphabet_suffix(n):
 def current_expo():
     expos = Expedition.objects.all().order_by('-year')
     if expos:
-        return expos[0].year
+        year = str(datetime.now(timezone.utc).year)
+        last_expo = expos[0].year
+        if last_expo != year: # create the expo object for the coming year, after Dec.31st
+            coUniqueAttribs = {"year": year}
+            otherAttribs = {"name": f"CUCC expo {year}"}
+            e = Expedition.objects.create(**otherAttribs, **coUniqueAttribs)   
+        u = User.objects.get(username='expo')
+        u.current_year = year
+        u.save()
+        return year
     else:
-        return settings.EPOCH.year
+        return settings.EPOCH.year # this is 1970
 
 def only_commit(fname, message):
     """Only used to commit a survex file edited and saved in view/survex.py"""
diff --git a/core/views/uploads.py b/core/views/uploads.py
index dd5d25d..7265fff 100644
--- a/core/views/uploads.py
+++ b/core/views/uploads.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import subprocess
-from datetime import datetime
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from pathlib import Path
 
 from django import forms
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ def logbookedit(request, year=None, slug=None):
         try:
             expo = Expedition.objects.get(year=year)
         except:
-            year = current_expo()
+            year = current_expo() # creates new Expedition object if needed
         return year
         
     def new_entry_form():
@@ -608,7 +608,8 @@ def photoupload(request, folder=None):
     
     Pending generic file renaming capability more generally.
     """
-    year = settings.PHOTOS_YEAR
+    year = current_expo()
+    # year = settings.PHOTOS_YEAR
     filesaved = False
     actual_saved = []
 
diff --git a/parsers/logbooks.py b/parsers/logbooks.py
index 892066b..fd03816 100644
--- a/parsers/logbooks.py
+++ b/parsers/logbooks.py
@@ -672,7 +672,7 @@ def LoadLogbooks():
         message = " ! - No expeditions found. Attempting to 'people' first"
         DataIssue.objects.create(parser="logbooks", message=message)
         print(message)
-        load_people_expos()
+        load_people_expos() # by loading the folk list
         expos = Expedition.objects.all()
         if len(expos) <= 1:
             message = " ! - No expeditions found, even after attempting to load 'people'. Abort."
diff --git a/parsers/people.py b/parsers/people.py
index fc83be2..dd4d896 100644
--- a/parsers/people.py
+++ b/parsers/people.py
@@ -89,6 +89,13 @@ def load_people_expos():
     """This is where the folk.csv file is parsed to read people's names.
     Which it gets wrong for people like Lydia-Clare Leather and various 'von' and 'de' middle 'names'
     and McLean and Mclean and McAdam - interaction with the url parser in urls.py too
+    
+    This is ALSO where all the Expedition objects get created. So this is the point at which troggle
+    gets told what expeditions exist.
+    
+    Given that we need to do stuff for the coming expo, well before we update the folk list,
+    the Expedition object for the coming expo is created elsewhere - in addition to 
+    those created here, if it does not exist.
     """
     DataIssue.objects.filter(parser="people").delete()
 
diff --git a/templates/base.html b/templates/base.html
index 636afa4..113b240 100644
--- a/templates/base.html
+++ b/templates/base.html
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
     <a href="/survexfilewild/2023">Wild Survex(2023)</a> |
     <a href="/wallets/year/2023">Wallets(2023)</a> |
     <a href="{% url "expedition" 2023 %}">Expo(2023)</a> |
-    <a href="{% url "controlpanel" %}">Control panel</a>  |
+    <a href="{% url "controlpanel" %}">Control panel</a>  | {{ user.current_year }}  |
 
 </div>