Dr Ferris writes ...

I have received the following appetiser from Dr Ferris, edited slightly before publication to protect the innocent: "... I have two excellent pictures that would enhance Crickley Hill Man's current gallery ... but they are colour slides- do you have the wherewithall to deal with these? [Not yet: Ed - but it sounds as though finding the technology might prove worth our while, as I bet these aren't the only slides Iain's got] One shows a young Parker digging, resplendent in collarless white shirt, black waistcoat and dark serge army trousers with red material strip down the outer legs. Given our absurd obsession with novel clothing during one or two of the seasons it's a wonder we ever found time to fit in some digging. The other slide, again notable for its sartorial eccentricity, shows Phil driving a dumper truck while dressed in a brown velvet or corduroy suit - had he caught the dressing-up bug as well? ... last Saturday was most enjoyable: it would be good to see more diggers in 2009- hopefully your blog will bring them in." Let's hope you're right - I will liaise with Iain to see how we can get these (and other) slides into an electronic edition. PS: I recall that the cavalry trousers were acquired for a very modest sum from the Cheltenham Oxfam shop. In those days, it was a splendid place to acquire dinner jackets and parts of dress uniforms, probably because, as the retired military officers who lived in Cheltenham died, their widows and housekeepers sent their clothes to the Oxfam shop.