diff --git a/core/views/expo.py b/core/views/expo.py
index 1be813d..e051135 100644
--- a/core/views/expo.py
+++ b/core/views/expo.py
@@ -87,30 +87,30 @@ def expowebpage(request, expowebpath, path):
     if not Path(expowebpath / path).is_file():
         return render(request, 'pagenotfound.html', {'path': path})
         
-    with open(os.path.normpath(expowebpath / path), "rb") as o:   
+    with open(os.path.normpath(expowebpath / path), "r") as o:   
         html = o.read()
     
-    m = re.search(rb'(.*)<\s*head([^>]*)>(.*)<\s*/head\s*>(.*)<\s*body([^>]*)>(.*)<\s*/body\s*>(.*)', html, re.DOTALL + re.IGNORECASE)
+    m = re.search(r'(.*)<\s*head([^>]*)>(.*)<\s*/head\s*>(.*)<\s*body([^>]*)>(.*)<\s*/body\s*>(.*)', html, re.DOTALL + re.IGNORECASE)
     if m:
         preheader, headerattrs, head, postheader, bodyattrs, body, postbody = m.groups()
     else:
-        return HttpResponse(default_head +  html.decode() + '<h3>HTML Parsing failure:<br>Page could not be parsed into header and body:<br>failure detected in expowebpage in views.expo.py</h3> Please edit this <var>:expoweb:</var> page to be in the expected full  HTML format </body' )
-    m = re.search(rb"<title>(.*)</title>", head, re.DOTALL + re.IGNORECASE)
+        return HttpResponse(default_head +  html + '<h3>HTML Parsing failure:<br>Page could not be parsed into header and body:<br>failure detected in expowebpage in views.expo.py</h3> Please edit this <var>:expoweb:</var> page to be in the expected full  HTML format </body' )
+    m = re.search(r"<title>(.*)</title>", head, re.DOTALL + re.IGNORECASE)
     if m:
         title, = m.groups()
     else:
         title = ""
-    m = re.search(rb"<meta([^>]*)noedit", head, re.DOTALL + re.IGNORECASE)
+    m = re.search(r"<meta([^>]*)noedit", head, re.DOTALL + re.IGNORECASE)
     if m:
         editable = False
     else:
         editable = True
     
     has_menu = False
-    menumatch = re.match(rb'(.*)<div id="menu">', body, re.DOTALL + re.IGNORECASE)
+    menumatch = re.match(r'(.*)<div id="menu">', body, re.DOTALL + re.IGNORECASE)
     if menumatch:
         has_menu = True
-    menumatch = re.match(rb'(.*)<ul id="links">', body, re.DOTALL + re.IGNORECASE)
+    menumatch = re.match(r'(.*)<ul id="links">', body, re.DOTALL + re.IGNORECASE)
     if menumatch:
         has_menu = True
     return render(request, 'flatpage.html', {'editable': editable, 'path': path, 'title': title, 
diff --git a/parsers/caves.py b/parsers/caves.py
index bfb51d6..533bf61 100644
--- a/parsers/caves.py
+++ b/parsers/caves.py
@@ -2,78 +2,98 @@ import os
 import re
 
 from django.conf import settings
+from django.db import transaction
 
 from troggle.core.models import DataIssue, get_process_memory
-import troggle.core.models_caves as models_caves
+from troggle.core.models_caves import Area, Cave, Entrance, CaveSlug, EntranceSlug, CaveAndEntrance
+'''Reads all the cave description data by parsing the xml files (stored as e.g. :EXPOWEB:/cave-data/1623-161.html )
+and creating the various Cave, Entrance and necessary Area objects.
+
+BUT in Django 2.0 and later we cannot do any queries on data we have just entered 
+because this is all happening inside one transaction. Bummer.
+
+django.db.transaction.TransactionManagementError: 
+An error occurred in the current transaction. You can't execute queries until the end of the 'atomic' block.
+'''
 
 entrances_xslug = {}
 caves_xslug = {}
 areas_xslug = {}
 
 def readcaves():
-    print(" - Deleting Caves and Entrances")
-    models_caves.Cave.objects.all().delete()
-    models_caves.Entrance.objects.all().delete()
-    # Clear the cave data issues and the caves as we are reloading
-    DataIssue.objects.filter(parser='caves').delete()
-    DataIssue.objects.filter(parser='entrances').delete()
+    '''Reads the xml-format HTML files in the EXPOWEB repo, not from the loser repo.
+    '''
+    with transaction.atomic():
+        print(" - Deleting Caves and Entrances")
+        Cave.objects.all().delete()
+        Entrance.objects.all().delete()
+        # Clear the cave data issues and the caves as we are reloading
+        DataIssue.objects.filter(parser='caves').delete()
+        DataIssue.objects.filter(parser='entrances').delete()
 
-    # Note: these are HTML files in the EXPOWEB repo, not from the loser repo.
-    area_1623 = models_caves.Area.objects.update_or_create(short_name = "1623", parent = None)
-    area_1626 = models_caves.Area.objects.update_or_create(short_name = "1626", parent = None)
+        
+        area_1623 = Area.objects.update_or_create(short_name = "1623", parent = None)
+        # This seems to retrun a tuple, not a single object! i.e. (<Area: 1623>, True)
+        #print(f' ! - READ CAVES: {area_1623}')
 
-    print (" - Setting pending caves")
-    # Do this first, so that these empty entries are overwritten as they get properly created.
-    
-    # For those caves which do not have XML files even though they exist and have surveys
-    # also needs to be done *before* entrances so that the entrance-cave links work properly.
-    pending = ["2007-04", "2007-05", "2007-06", "2007-07", "2007-12", "2009-01", "2009-02", 
-            "2010-06", "2010-07", "2012-ns-01", "2012-ns-02", "2010-04", "2012-ns-05", "2012-ns-06", 
-            "2012-ns-07", "2012-ns-08", "2012-ns-12", "2012-ns-14", "2012-ns-15", "2014-bl888", 
-            "2018-pf-01", "2018-pf-02", "haldenloch", "gruenstein"]
-    for k in pending:
-        try:
-            cave = models_caves.Cave(
-                    unofficial_number = k, 
-#                    official_name = "",
-                     underground_description = "Pending cave write-up - creating as empty object. No XML file available yet.",
-                   notes="_Survex file found in loser repo but no description in expoweb")
-            if cave:
-                cave.save() # must save to have id before foreign keys work
-                cave.area = area_1623
-                cave.save()
-                message = " ! {:11s} {}".format(cave.unofficial_number, cave.underground_description)
-                DataIssue.objects.create(parser='caves', message=message)
-                print(message)
-                
-                try: # Now create a slug ID
-                    cs = models_caves.CaveSlug.objects.update_or_create(cave = cave,
-                              slug = "TEMP-" + k,
-                              primary = False)
-                except:
-                    message = " ! {:11s} {} PENDING cave slug create failure".format(k)
+        area_1626 = Area.objects.update_or_create(short_name = "1626", parent = None)
+
+        print (" - Setting pending caves")
+        # Do this first, so that these empty entries are overwritten as they get properly created.
+        
+        # For those caves which do not have XML files even though they exist and have surveys
+        # also needs to be done *before* entrances so that the entrance-cave links work properly.
+        pending = ["2007-04", "2007-05", "2007-06", "2007-07", "2007-12", "2009-01", "2009-02", 
+                "2010-06", "2010-07", "2012-ns-01", "2012-ns-02", "2010-04", "2012-ns-05", "2012-ns-06", 
+                "2012-ns-07", "2012-ns-08", "2012-ns-12", "2012-ns-14", "2012-ns-15", "2014-bl888", 
+                "2018-pf-01", "2018-pf-02", "haldenloch", "gruenstein"]
+        for k in pending:
+            try:
+                cave = Cave(
+                        unofficial_number = k, 
+    #                    official_name = "",
+                         underground_description = "Pending cave write-up - creating as empty object. No XML file available yet.",
+                       notes="_Survex file found in loser repo but no description in expoweb")
+                if cave:
+                    cave.save() # must save to have id before foreign keys work. This is also a ManyToMany key.
+                    #print(f' ! - READ CAVES:  cave {k} {cave}')
+                    cave.area.add(area_1623[0])
+                    cave.save()
+                    message = " ! {:11s} {}".format(cave.unofficial_number, cave.underground_description)
                     DataIssue.objects.create(parser='caves', message=message)
                     print(message)
-            else:
-                print("Failed to create cave {} ".format(k))
-                
+                    
+                    try: # Now create a cave slug ID
+                        cs = CaveSlug.objects.update_or_create(cave = cave,
+                                  slug = "TEMP-" + k,
+                                  primary = False)
+                    except:
+                        message = " ! {:11s} {} PENDING cave slug create failure".format(k)
+                        DataIssue.objects.create(parser='caves', message=message)
+                        print(message)
+                else:
+                    message = f' ! {k:11s} PENDING cave slug create failure'
+                    DataIssue.objects.create(parser='caves', message=message)
+                    print(message)
+                    
 
-        except:
-            message = " ! Error. Cannot create pending cave, pending-id:{}".format(k)
-            DataIssue.objects.create(parser='caves', message=message)
-            print(message)
-            raise
+            except:
+                message = " ! Error. Cannot create pending cave, pending-id:{}".format(k)
+                DataIssue.objects.create(parser='caves', message=message)
+                print(message)
+                raise
 
-    print(" - Reading Entrances from entrance descriptions xml files")
-    print(" - settings.CAVEDESCRIPTIONS: ", settings.CAVEDESCRIPTIONS)
-    for filename in next(os.walk(settings.ENTRANCEDESCRIPTIONS))[2]: #Should be a better way of getting a list of files
-        if filename.endswith('.html'):
-            readentrance(filename)
+    with transaction.atomic():
+        print(" - Reading Entrances from entrance descriptions xml files")
+        print(" - settings.CAVEDESCRIPTIONS: ", settings.CAVEDESCRIPTIONS)
+        for filename in next(os.walk(settings.ENTRANCEDESCRIPTIONS))[2]: #Should be a better way of getting a list of files
+            if filename.endswith('.html'):
+                readentrance(filename)
 
-    print(" - Reading Caves from cave descriptions xml files")
-    for filename in next(os.walk(settings.CAVEDESCRIPTIONS))[2]: #Should be a better way of getting a list of files
-        if filename.endswith('.html'):
-            readcave(filename)
+        print(" - Reading Caves from cave descriptions xml files")
+        for filename in next(os.walk(settings.CAVEDESCRIPTIONS))[2]: #Should be a better way of getting a list of files
+            if filename.endswith('.html'):
+                readcave(filename)
 
 def readentrance(filename):
     global entrances_xslug
@@ -112,7 +132,7 @@ def readentrance(filename):
         bearings = getXML(entrancecontents, "bearings", maxItems = 1, context = context)
         url = getXML(entrancecontents, "url", maxItems = 1, context = context)
         if len(non_public) == 1 and len(slugs) >= 1 and len(name) >= 1 and  len(entrance_description) == 1 and  len(explorers) == 1 and  len(map_description) == 1 and  len(location_description) == 1 and  len(approach) == 1 and  len(underground_description) == 1 and  len(marking) == 1 and  len(marking_comment) == 1 and  len(findability) == 1 and  len(findability_description) == 1 and  len(alt) == 1 and  len(northing) == 1 and  len(easting) == 1 and  len(tag_station) == 1 and  len(exact_station) == 1 and  len(other_station) == 1 and  len(other_description) == 1 and  len(bearings) == 1 and  len(url) == 1:
-            e, state = models_caves.Entrance.objects.update_or_create(name = name[0],
+            e, state = Entrance.objects.update_or_create(name = name[0],
                          non_public = {"True": True, "False": False, "true": True, "false": False,}[non_public[0]],
                          entrance_description = entrance_description[0],
                          explorers = explorers[0],
@@ -140,13 +160,13 @@ def readentrance(filename):
             for slug in slugs:
                 #print("entrance slug:{} filename:{}".format(slug, filename))
                 try:
-                    cs = models_caves.EntranceSlug.objects.update_or_create(entrance = e,
+                    cs = EntranceSlug.objects.update_or_create(entrance = e,
                                              slug = slug,
                                              primary = primary)
                 except:
                     # need to cope with duplicates
                     print(" ! FAILED to get only one ENTRANCE when updating using: "+filename)
-                    kents = models_caves.EntranceSlug.objects.all().filter(entrance = e,
+                    kents = EntranceSlug.objects.all().filter(entrance = e,
                                                  slug = slug,
                                                  primary = primary)
                     for k in kents:
@@ -161,6 +181,8 @@ def readentrance(filename):
                 primary = False
 
 def readcave(filename):
+    '''Assumes any area it hasn't seen before is a subarea of 1623
+    '''
     global entrances_xslug
     global caves_xslug
     global areas_xslug
@@ -196,7 +218,7 @@ def readcave(filename):
         entrances = getXML(cavecontents, "entrance", context = context)
         if len(non_public) == 1 and len(slugs) >= 1 and len(official_name) == 1 and len(areas) >= 1 and len(kataster_code) == 1 and len(kataster_number) == 1 and len(unofficial_number) == 1 and len(explorers) == 1 and len(underground_description) == 1 and len(equipment) == 1 and len(references) == 1 and len(survey) == 1 and len(kataster_status) == 1 and len(underground_centre_line) == 1 and len(notes) == 1 and len(length) == 1 and len(depth) == 1 and len(extent) == 1 and len(survex_file) == 1 and len(description_file ) == 1 and len(url) == 1 and len(entrances) >= 1:
             try:
-                c, state = models_caves.Cave.objects.update_or_create(non_public = {"True": True, "False": False, "true": True, "false": False,}[non_public[0]],
+                c, state = Cave.objects.update_or_create(non_public = {"True": True, "False": False, "true": True, "false": False,}[non_public[0]],
                          official_name = official_name[0],
                          kataster_code = kataster_code[0],
                          kataster_number = kataster_number[0],
@@ -218,7 +240,7 @@ def readcave(filename):
                          filename = filename)
             except:
                 print(" ! FAILED to get only one CAVE when updating using: "+filename)
-                kaves = models_caves.Cave.objects.all().filter(kataster_number=kataster_number[0])
+                kaves = Cave.objects.all().filter(kataster_number=kataster_number[0])
                 for k in kaves:
                     message = " ! - DUPLICATES in db. kataster:"+ str(k.kataster_number) + ", slug:" + str(k.slug()) 
                     DataIssue.objects.create(parser='caves', message=message)
@@ -233,11 +255,11 @@ def readcave(filename):
                 if area_slug in areas_xslug:
                     newArea = areas_xslug[area_slug]
                 else:
-                    area = models_caves.Area.objects.filter(short_name = area_slug)
+                    area = Area.objects.filter(short_name = area_slug)
                     if area:
                         newArea = area[0]
                     else:
-                        newArea = models_caves.Area(short_name = area_slug, parent = models_caves.Area.objects.get(short_name = "1623"))
+                        newArea = Area(short_name = area_slug, parent = Area.objects.get(short_name = "1623"))
                         newArea.save()
                     areas_xslug[area_slug] = newArea
                 c.area.add(newArea)
@@ -247,7 +269,7 @@ def readcave(filename):
                     cs = caves_xslug[slug]
                 else:
                     try:
-                        cs = models_caves.CaveSlug.objects.update_or_create(cave = c,
+                        cs = CaveSlug.objects.update_or_create(cave = c,
                                   slug = slug,
                                   primary = primary)
                         caves_xslug[slug] = cs
@@ -265,9 +287,9 @@ def readcave(filename):
                     if slug in entrances_xslug:
                         entrance = entrances_xslug[slug]
                     else:
-                        entrance = models_caves.Entrance.objects.get(entranceslug__slug = slug)
+                        entrance = Entrance.objects.get(entranceslug__slug = slug)
                         entrances_xslug[slug] = entrance
-                    ce = models_caves.CaveAndEntrance.objects.update_or_create(cave = c, entrance_letter = letter, entrance = entrance)
+                    ce = CaveAndEntrance.objects.update_or_create(cave = c, entrance_letter = letter, entrance = entrance)
                 except:
                     message = " ! Entrance setting failure, slug: %s letter: %s" % (slug, letter)
                     DataIssue.objects.create(parser='caves', message=message)
diff --git a/parsers/imports.py b/parsers/imports.py
index e2a6224..e07d8fd 100644
--- a/parsers/imports.py
+++ b/parsers/imports.py
@@ -18,9 +18,7 @@ import troggle.parsers.QMs
 def import_caves():
     print("-- Importing Caves to ",end="")
     print(django.db.connections.databases['default']['NAME'])
-    # wrap the entire import in a transaction
-    with transaction.atomic():
-        troggle.parsers.caves.readcaves()
+    troggle.parsers.caves.readcaves()
 
 def import_people():
     print("-- Importing People (folk.csv) to ",end="")
diff --git a/settings.py b/settings.py
index 15f139f..a8bff2e 100644
--- a/settings.py
+++ b/settings.py
@@ -127,7 +127,9 @@ INSTALLED_APPS = (
 )
 
 # See the recommended order of these in https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/2.2/ref/middleware/
-MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES = (
+# Note that tis is a radically different onion architecture though it looks the same, 
+# see https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/2.0/topics/http/middleware/#upgrading-pre-django-1-10-style-middleware 
+MIDDLEWARE = [
     #'django.middleware.security.SecurityMiddleware', # SECURE_SSL_REDIRECT and SECURE_SSL_HOST # we don't use this
     'django.middleware.gzip.GZipMiddleware', # not needed when expofiles and photos served by apache
     'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware', # Manages sessions, if CSRF_USE_SESSIONS then it needs to be early
@@ -137,8 +139,8 @@ MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES = (
     'django.contrib.admindocs.middleware.XViewMiddleware', # this and docutils needed by admindocs
     'django.contrib.messages.middleware.MessageMiddleware', # Cookie-based and session-based message support. Needed by admin system
     'django.middleware.clickjacking.XFrameOptionsMiddleware', # clickjacking protection via the X-Frame-Options header
-    'troggle.middleware.SmartAppendSlashMiddleware' # doesn't seem to be working...
-)
+    #'troggle.middleware.SmartAppendSlashMiddleware' # needs adapting after Dj2.0
+]
 
 ROOT_URLCONF = 'troggle.urls'