Dig Diary - Friday 1st September - Final Day

Friday - the last day.

 As I sit and write this diary entry I cannot believe the dig has come - and gone.   Again it has been a huge success and  on behalf of the  Staveley History Society I want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who has taken part and made this dig possible.

  It doesn't seem 5 minutes since Frank and I were up to our eyes in paperwork and filling forms in for the heritage lottery forms, then came the very anxious wait whist we waited to hear if our bid had been successful. Lots of coffee and sleepless night later   we had the green light and it was all systems go, it’s surprising just how much stuff goes on behind the scenes, and most of that credit has to go to Frank Robinson, who in my opinion has gone above and beyond to get this dig running, sincerest thanks Frank.

it also seems appropriate whilst we are on the subject of thanks to thank Duncan, Steve and Katherine, for all their kindness,, humour, wisdom and guidance. Not once have they failed to incorporate the needs of everyone, and their unbelievable patience is surely a credit to them all. Personally I cannot count  the amount of times I have said 'Steve/Duncan/Katherine have you got  a minute?' when they are clearly up to their eyes in contexts/trench plan's/taking levels/all three!  It has been a real pleasure working with them all, and I am sure that I can speak for everyone when I say that we have learnt so much from them.  Thanks guys.

I also want to thank Alan Perry who has been on site EVERY day and who is a *star *, HE has worked so hard in the site office, and thank you to Cynthia, Frank Ramskill and the others who have helped, signed in visitors made tea and supplied biscuits ;0)  Also thanks to Nick Roscoe, our web site man, thank you for everything - and for making sense of my jumbling late night emails.

 I have many happy memories of the site, and the people I have met, Linda, Dom, Tasha, Dave, Pat to name just a few, but also the favourite finds.  Mine personally is the flint bone scraper, I am a sucker for pre-history. I also have to mention the Frecheville glass seal that I know Paul Wilson is tremendously proud of, and all the other fantastic finds that there has been, as there are just to many to mention.

 ..Right to the last day (I knew I would get round to it eventually)  I  continued to dig in the medieval ditch, as it had been raining it had filled again with water, which had to be mostly sponged out, yes I was filthy and as usual the but of many jokes, I now seemed to have  acquired the name 'mud monkey'.  Why do i seem to get the dirty wet muddy trenches? The same happened last year, I shan't make no comments about a 'pig in 'muck'' (though plenty of others did and wasn't as polite!!)  Never less I dug, mattocked and worked hard all day and found not one piece of dating evidence. Typical Eh?

I think others had more luck than me, and we had loads of volunteers but to be honest I was so busy working and slogging away (cue violins) I didn't get a chance to see what was going on everywhere else  I know Dunan, Katherine and Steve were very busy recording the trenches.

We stopped work at 4 o'clock and gathered in the 'mess' (and it was!) for a bite to eat and a cheeky glass of vimto (red or white?) and we bid our goodbyes.

Already our thoughts are going forward to next year - myself, Steve, Katherine, Duncan and Alan, had a 'business meeting' (At the Elm Tree ;0) ) to discuss if we could do anything next year.....So watch this space!

Again a million thanks to everyone who has worked hard and visited the site. Without all the volunteers giving up their free time and putting in all the hard graft - whatever the weather then there would never have been 'Hall or nothing' - which brings me to the conclusion, what did we find?   The website will be updated as we get reports back, and when we know, you will know so don't forget to keep checking the website for updates.

    Cheers m'Dears!!

Rachael Siddle