diff --git a/core/views/logbooks.py b/core/views/logbooks.py
index 5d9dca2..5f560e8 100644
--- a/core/views/logbooks.py
+++ b/core/views/logbooks.py
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ def logentrydelete(request, year):
         print(f" - '{i}'  {request.POST[i]}")
     eslug = request.POST["entry_slug"] 
     entry = LogbookEntry.objects.get(slug=eslug)
-    # OK we delete it formt he db and then re-save logbook.html file
+    # OK we delete it from the db and then re-save logbook.html file
     # to ensure that the permanent record also has the entry deleted.
     entry.delete()
     
diff --git a/core/views/uploads.py b/core/views/uploads.py
index 0ad168c..86b5f6c 100644
--- a/core/views/uploads.py
+++ b/core/views/uploads.py
@@ -291,6 +291,7 @@ def logbookedit(request, year=None, slug=None):
     author = ""
     
     if request.method == "POST":
+        prev_slug = "" # None value pending overwrite from submitted form
         form = LogbookEditForm(request.POST)
         if not form.is_valid():
             message = f'Invalid form response for logbook entry creating "{request.POST}"'
@@ -306,8 +307,8 @@ def logbookedit(request, year=None, slug=None):
             place = request.POST["place"].strip().replace(' - ',' = ')  # no hyphens !
             title = request.POST["title"].strip()   
             entry = request.POST["text"].strip() 
-            if "slug" in request.POST:
-                slug = request.POST["slug"].strip() # if we are re-editing the same entry again
+            if "prev_slug" in request.POST:
+                prev_slug = request.POST["prev_slug"].strip() # if we are re-editing the same entry again
             entry = entry.replace('\r','') # remove HTML-standard CR inserted from form.
             entry = entry.replace('\n\n','\n<p>\n') # replace 2 \n  with <br><br>
             # entry = entry.replace('\n\n','\n<br />\n<br />\n') # replace 2 \n  with <br><br>
@@ -335,15 +336,20 @@ def logbookedit(request, year=None, slug=None):
                 authorflag = True
                 print(f"! Unrecognised author: {author}")
             
-            # slug is set either because we already posted or because it was specified inthe url
-            if not slug:
+            if not prev_slug and not slug:
                 # Creating a new logbook entry with all the gubbins
                 slug = create_new_lbe_slug(date)
-            else:
-                # OK we could patch the object in place, but if the people on the trip have changed this 
-                # would get very messy. So we delete it and recreate it and all its links
-                print(f"- Deleting the LogBookEntry {slug}")
-                LogbookEntry.objects.filter(slug=slug).delete()
+                
+            if prev_slug and not slug:
+                # if this was a previous post, then prev_slug will have been set on the form
+                # we are editing a previous thing, so we don't create a new lbe  
+                slug = prev_slug
+                
+            # OK we could patch the object in place, but if the people on the trip have changed this 
+            # would get very messy. So we delete it, and thus all the dependent objects,
+            # and recreate it and all its links. It might not exist though.
+            print(f"- Deleting the LogBookEntry {slug}")
+            LogbookEntry.objects.filter(slug=slug).delete() # works even if it does not exist
 
             print(f"- Creating the LogBookEntry {slug}")
             year = slug[0:4]
@@ -351,13 +357,13 @@ def logbookedit(request, year=None, slug=None):
                 expedition = Expedition.objects.get(year=year)
             except Expedition.DoesNotExist:
                 message = f'''! - This expo "{year}" not created yet
-                It needs to be created before you can save a logbook entry.
-                See /handbook/computing/newyear.html
-                
-                WHAT TO DO NOW:
-                1. Press the Back button on your proswer to return to the screen where you typed up the entry,
-                2. Copy the text of what you wrote into a new text file,
-                3. Direct a nerd to fix this. It should take only a couple of minutes.'''
+                    It needs to be created before you can save a logbook entry.
+                    See /handbook/computing/newyear.html
+
+                    WHAT TO DO NOW:
+                    1. Press the Back button on your proswer to return to the screen where you typed up the entry,
+                    2. Copy the text of what you wrote into a new text file,
+                    3. Direct a nerd to fix this. It should take only a couple of minutes.'''
                 print(message)
                 return render(request, "errors/generic.html", {"message": message})
             store_edited_entry_into_database(date, place, title, entry, others, author, tu, slug)
@@ -440,7 +446,7 @@ def logbookedit(request, year=None, slug=None):
                     + str(lbe_commit.returncode)
                 )
                 message = (
-                    f"! - FORM Logbook Edit -Error code with git on server for {filename}. {slug} edits saved, added to git, but NOT committed.\n"
+                    f"! - FORM Logbook Edit -Error code '{lbe_commit.returncode}' with git on server for {filename}. {slug} edits saved, added to git, but NOT committed.\n"
                     + msgdata
                 )
                 print(message)
diff --git a/templates/logbookform.html b/templates/logbookform.html
index a84f6ce..ebc5111 100644
--- a/templates/logbookform.html
+++ b/templates/logbookform.html
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
     <form method ='post' >
        {% csrf_token %}              
     <br />                 
-           <input name="slug" id="slug" value="{{slug}}" type=hidden>
+           <input name="prev_slug" id="prev_slug" value="{{slug}}" type=hidden>
 
            <span {% if dateflag %}style="color:red"{% endif %}>
            <label for="date">Date of the activity</label>