Friday, October 30, 2009

Fixing the limo & Jane's fashion notes

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Anyone who dug at Crickley will recall Terry Courtney's passion for limousines: he rarely appeared with less than 2. Jane Dineen stands by highly amused in this Anna Collinge 1980 photo of Mr Courtney trying to get one of his limos going again after some mechanical or electrical collapse. Assisting Terry are Jane Fitt and Julie-Ann Souter and C-H-M in person. What I am doing trying to help is not entirely clear to me as my knowledge of car engines is not fantastic now and was certainly non-existent then. Maybe I was getting Terry to talk me through it.

Jane writes: "Me in 1980 demonstrating an early fascination with engines. Fashion notes: I think that's a black silk t-shirt that I eventually wore to bits, and a little purse (who was that designer with the lion?) that I still have. I don't wear flip-flops now but apparently did then (I guess Dr. Scholl's weren't easy to find in the '80s). I love the other Jane's pink overall/dungarees. And the ultimate accessory (even when momentarily disabled), the Vanden Plas limo." Lucy Loveridge supplies the answer: "I think Ann Klein used the lion as her logo back then. Very high fashion." Jane: "That's it!"

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Caption competition

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Crickley Hill Man is delighted to announce that a Mr T. W. Courtney, of Bishopston in Bristol, wins the October caption competition with this entry kindly enclosed with a photo of John and Ros which he took at the 2009 reunion ...

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

1982 work scene

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Early on during the excavation of the rampart cutting during the 1982 season: this Jane Dineen photo must have been taken on a chilly day as there are plenty of pullovers in evidence. Amongst others, Big Les and Steve Vaughan on the right and Terry Courtney in the foreground.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

From the ramparts, looking north ...

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From the ramparts under a very beautiful sky with fabulous light as it so often is on top of the hill: this photo was taken by Lara Unger during the 1990 season. It makes C-H-M want to be up there looking out over the Severn Vale.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Julie-Ann, Paul & wheelbarrows

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Julie-Ann Souter smiling happily for Anna Collinge, seemingly unware of the imminent approach into shot behind her of the excellent Mr Noakes, who appears, if you look closely, to be sleep-walking past the wheelbarrow park. Well his eyes are shut, anyway.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Looking back from dorm 4

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Fine shot by Mike Sims in July 2004 of the far end of the dormitories at Ullenwood just before they disappeared for ever. Rosebay willowherb (Epilobium Angustifolium) grows along side dormitory 4.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

A cheerful crew

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A dumper full of diggers: Sue Bauman (was Lee Jeffs) sent me this shot of Naomi Jackson, Sue, Sonia and Dave Hollos, Kate Gilbert and Mike Taylor (complete with his exceptionally long scarf). The grey dumper truck tells me this comes from the 1980 season.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Jim Irvine

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The 1984 season clearly reduced Jim Irvine to silent prayer. This picture was taken by Jill Hummerstone, presumably on a Thursday off. Can anyone recognise the church in the background?

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Griff

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Another portrait today, this time from Dr Phillpotts's 1985 Crickley album of Griff and, on the right, Ian 'Mad Blodwen' Rogers. I don't think I know how he acquired that nickname ...

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Noakesy

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Time for another portrait from a well-known Dutch studio: was Noakesy in training for the marathon in 1990? Here he is in vest and shades, atop Crickley, visualising his perfect run, captured by Eric van Dorland ...

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Lunch break 1972

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A solitary figure could not bear to leave the cutting during this lunch break photo taken by Lydia Savage in 1972. The postholes of the Iron Age longhouses are plainly visible in the foreground.

Concerning my post yesterday mentioning Elsie Clifford, Lydia writes: "
Mrs Clifford was a star. We used to take tea with her every August and explain the latest findings. She deeply wanted the Birdlip mirror to belong to a noble lady resident on the hill settlement but as you all have realised by now this was an impossibility. Her husband used to give her so many man hours of diggers as a present every so often and off she would go to Bagendon or Hucclecote. The Jane Marple of Archaeology, complete with garden and needlework. Two things which are probably not recorded anywhere on the Web: her ginger cake was unique and wonderful and extremely effective on cold days. Also her birthday was around the same day as mine. Only about half a century before. :) "

Monday, October 19, 2009

An Enclosure on Crickley Hill Gloucestershire



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C-H-M recently acquired, from a second-hand bookseller, a copy of an abstract of Elsie Clifford's 1964 paper in the Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society, inscribed on the cover "With love & many thanks from Elsie". It would be interesting to know to whom she sent it. The first part of the paper reads:

"An Enclosure on Crickley Hill Gloucestershire By E. M. Clifford, F.S.A.
From TRANSACTIONS OF THE BRISTOL AND GLOUCESTERSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, Volume 83, 1964

A SERIES of earthworks on Crickley Hill in the parish of Coberley Gloucestershire at an altitude of about 800 feet O.D. (Nat: Grid : Ref: ST935165) are not marked on the Ordnance Survey maps and no reference to them has hitherto been made. They originally formed part of the Ullenwood Estate. My attention was first drawn to them by the Misses Trafford in 1948 who then lived at Dryhill just below these earthworks and close to the site of the Dryhill Roman Villa, which was excavated in 1849 by W. H. Gomonde, the report on which was privately printed. (1) The Villa was described as a Villa Rustica, in contrast to the courtyard type Villa at nearby Witcombe, which had been excavated by Lysons in 1818. ( 2) Gomonde states that he opened a barrow nearby and that Lysons opened a long barrow, so called by Sir Richd Hoare, presumably the Crippets, but no account of either of these excavations was published. The Crippets, which lies less than half a mile to the north, is one of the largest long barrows in the Severn-Cotswold group. There are other round barrows in the vicinity, presumably of the Bronze Age.

The Early Iron Age camps on Leckhampton and perhaps on Birdlip are comparatively close, while the Crickley Hill camp almost adjoins the site under discussion. The coins from the excavation of the Dryhill Villa showed that there was occupation of the 3rd and 4th centuries A.D.; a notable find being a tile, which, it has been suggested, was stamped R(es) P(ublica) G(levensis) (3) and was therefore a product of the colonia of Glevum and might serve as a clue to its territorium. All the objects from the Gomonde excavation, however, are lost. (4)

ln 1951 Mr G. T. Harding also drew my attention to these earthworks and in view of the fact that the ditch was inside the rampart, with nothing to indicate their date and that there was what appeared to be a much ruined Bronze Age round barrow on the line of the rampart and filled-in ditch, I decided an examination would be justified.

Work began in August 1951 for two weeks and continued intermittently whenever weather permitted, until it was completed in 1952. As the owner, Mr G. Hewinson, was abroad, permission to excavate was given by his solicitors.

The earthwork on the south-west side forms the boundary between The Scrubs and Short Wood (5), the dividing wall being actually built on the rampart. On the north-west side the dividing wall follows the line of the earthwork and only at one point is the wall built on the rampart.
On the south-east side the Birdlip-Cheltenham road follows its general line and the east corner governs the line of a trackway or bridlepath which, before reaching Shurdington, becomes a highway leading to Badgeworth and beyond. The general line of the earthwork appears as a broad dark strip on the air-photograph. On the north-west side another bridle-way passes close to the outer side of the earthworks and runs from Birdlip across the Crickley Hill road and joins the just trackway north of the earthworks.

The earthwork on the north-west side runs for half a mile almost without interruption and it is only for a short distance that it has been partially destroyed by agriculture, when, at some unknown date, a small clearing in the wood was made. It has now reverted to scrub. The earthwork on this side as well as on the south-west is quite impressive and it is probably because both are in a dense wood that they have never been recorded. On the north-east side the rampart can be traced, although it has been and still is, regularly ploughed. An air-photograph shows it very clearly. In the south-east corner, cultivation and a well-used cricket ground have practically destroyed it. There is an entrance near the north corner, as marked on the plan, from which a trackway runs down to a spring below. It is immediately above the site of the Dryhill Roman Villa.

The area possibly enclosed contains approximately 100 acres.

(1) W. H. Gomonde. Copy in Gloucestershire Collection Public Library, Gloucester.
(2) Archaeologia xix pp. 178 ff Trans. BGAS, Lxxiii, pp. I ff
(3) EE, iv, p. 700 ; EE, ix p. 650 JRS, xlv p. 72
(4) Gomonde also illustrates an E.I.A. terret.
(5) The National Trust own 36 1/2 acres of The Scrubs, and Short Wood is owned by Mr W. G. Carter.
(6) Information from Mr L. Richardson."

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Limestone Brain?

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Griff tells me that this photo represents "the 1983 award ceremony for 'limestone brain', which was was taken immediately after [he] was awarded the equally-laughable title (one assumes!) of Mister Crickley". Can anyone remember what qualities and behaviour were needed to earn the dubious-sounding honour of "limestone brain"? I fear it does not sound kind. L to R, Messrs. Dixon, Noakes, Phillpotts, Savage and someone whom I'm afraid I'm not sure I recognise.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Cooks and diggers

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Today's snap is a 1976 Becky Sanderson (Spencer as was) shot of cooks and diggers at Ullenwood: L to R, Arwel Barrett avec beard, Ken Fussell, Simon Mercer, Sandy and Dave who was Ken's fellow cook.

This brings C-H-M to the culinary tip of the week. Dr Ferris asked for one that might not involve eating industrial quantities of poached eggs. Mindful that Dr Mrs Dr Ferris, a.k.a Dr Lynne Bevan, is a keen fan of fish as well as being lithics and small finds specialist, there are two fish related tips this week. First, don't eat fish in a restaurant on Monday. Fishing boats tend not to go out on the weekend and fish served on Monday has probably been around for a day or two. Second, when preparing mackerel for cooking, trim off the fins but leave on the dorsal fin. When the fish is perfectly cooked the dorsal fin will easily come off when gently pulled so it's a good way of telling it's done. Oh and put enough sugar in to make the gooseberry sauce not too tart.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Perfect colour co-ordination

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Mr Boden brandished his Pentax one day in 1975 and took this shot of Alice Pandrich and Clive Anderson in deeply colour-co-ordinated conversation during the 1975 season. Alice is probably wondering what's going on behind the shades ... I have suspicion that the man behind Clive whose left leg and arm can be seen may well be Andrew Powell.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

The management 1977

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During a tea break in summer 1977, L to R: Cameron Moffatt, Terry Courtney, Philip Dixon, Robin Hall, Mike Webb and John Howell. Looks like it was one of the rare chilly days. From Anna Behan's collection.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Demolition crew at Ullenwood

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Now that looks like a boy's toy with which one could have some serious fun. This photo, taken by Mike Sims in the summer of 2004, shows the demolition crew from Smiths, with their hydraulic grab, putting the boot into the huts which ran up the left hand side of Ullenwood from the front gate.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

An attentive audience

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Terry Courtney has not succumbed to the digital age but kindly posted me some of his photos of the reunion in July. Here is a fine shot of everyone listening to Phil's site talk on the progress of the post-excavation work, under some very splendid clouds.

Monday, October 12, 2009

A fine ewer & a catch-up on earlier posts ...

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Dr Ferris sends me an e-mail entitled 'Cool Hand Luke' and seems mildly dissatisfied with my 'Catering tip of the week': "Having now tried out Crickley Hill Man's tip for pre-cooking poached eggs, I can verify that it works a treat. However, I would not recommend any of his readers to eat 34 reheated poached eggs in one sitting as I just did. I now know how Cool Hand Luke felt. Maybe the next catering tip could be geared towards the domestic kitchen rather than the restaurant kitchen. Hopefully I'll be well enough by then to give it a try."

C-H-M needed some extra kitchen equipment in order to make sure that he can test whether or not his catering tips work so this afternoon involved a trip to Divertimenti in Brompton Road. Whilst engaged on that mission, C-H-M found a moment to nip into the V&A and found this rather engaging 18th century Mughal dark green nephrite jade ewer with enamelled gold poppies. Stylish way to add liquids to brews on the stove, I feel.

Arwel Barrett writes: "Perhaps you could provide hotel chefs with a tip on how to scramble eggs? I have had rock hard lumps, granulated sitting in a thin whey or barely coagulated looking more like congealed phlegm." Thank you Arwel: when I've recovered from your description I'll post a note on how to scramble eggs ...

Max Glaskin observes of
this post:

"Your memory for jokes is clearly phenomenal. Wibble I remember clearly although I have no recollection of one you have attributed to me about Moshe Dayan and a parrot and I'm not at all certain that I want to be reminded. [It's a very funny joke indeed, Max, but ultimately visual, which means it will have to wait until I see you. My skills do not extend to telling the joke on a webcam and posting on You Tube. Ed]

BTW, that formal dinner in 1977 was, I believe, a meeting of the heads of state who were engaged in a game of Diplomacy which was being held over several evenings. It led to all kinds of subterfuge and mistrust.

There was a boy who offered to spy on my rivals' plans for me, in return for Mars Bars. Bars and information were duly exchanged but, after I started losing territories unexpectedly, I learned that the boy had subsequently been "turned" by one of the other players who had access to a more toothsome selection of confectionery.

Jane (aka Wibble) may have come from the Wirral originally but I believe that her parents ran 'The Happy Return' in Chard."


Dr Phillpotts writes:

"Dear Chef Jules,

I hope you are enjoying your return to student life. In regard to a couple of recent posts of my photographs on the Crickley blog, Joe Stone's tool, on which Ros is laying a gently restraining hand, is actually an axe. She was trying to dissuade him from cutting down a tree in the middle of her cutting. The tree was removed later by Joe and Mike Webb; I think the picture of this has already appeared. If you look closely at the picture of Gail, you will see that she is wielding not a catbasher but a lump hammer; being a determined young woman she selected this to trim back the plates of limestone projecting from the baulk.

I saw Dr Dixon a few days ago at a conference on Dover Castle at which we were both speaking. He seemed on good form, although very busy with work projects, as am I.

Now get down in the kitchen and start rattling them pots and pans."


Further observations from J Arwel Barrett MD (Master of the Dosimeter):

"With the datum string and tape set up over the top, this looks as if Julie is following the "dig a bit and draw it" school of posthole excavation."

And:

"Is that Paul Noakes on his knees in the background of the top picture?"

And lastly:

"On coincidences ... I was trying to deliver a Christmas present (probably in 2004) to a friend in London who worked for a legal Headhunter but she had the day off. She arranged that I should deliver it to her boss at the office, one Cleo. I met her and handed over the present when she asked if I was the Arwel Barrett who had been at Crickley Hill in the mid-80s! She had dug with Dave Hollos on the Long Mound for a couple of seasons while a student. After my (boring!) meeting with the electricity industry I had lunch in a pub with them all and was recounting what a small world it was to a couple of the chaps. One, a Nick Trowell who worked for DTI at the time, remarked that it was indeed a small world as he had also dug at CH on Terry's Iron Age rampart cutting down in the National Trust part. Twice in one day."

That's enough coincidences. Ed.



Sunday, October 11, 2009

The Crickley Chronicle No 22


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Jill Hummerstone included with her photographs a couple of copies of the 'Crickley Chronicle', the newsletter of the Friends of the Crickley Hill Trust, which was edited by Lydia Savage. Today pages 1 and 5 from the Spring 1990 issue no 22. Page 1 asks the question "What are these people doing?" and page 5 provides the answer.

"February ...... The Friendlier Fieldwalking Survey

Earlier this year thanks to the permission of Mike Cuttell the owner of Ullenwood Court Farm, the opportunity arose to undertake a fieldwalking survey of the Crippets Field Long Barrow and its environs. This would be the last chance that anyone would have to carry out such a survey for some time as the field was soon to put to pasture. Hence we approached our task with a good deal of enthusiasm.

Our aim was to undertake a hacher survey of the longbarrow itself and to fieldwalk the surrounding area, along with that on and around the ploughed out round barrow which lies to the south of this. While one party strode into the undergrowth atop the longbarrow clutching the theodolite and a set of ranging poles, the remainder edged their way forward clutching their markers with a cry of 'Eyes down for a full house'.

Despite a brief period when we wondered whether flippers might not be a more suitable form of attire than walking boots all those who took part remained undeterred and the weekend was well supported. We managed to achieve all our objectives in the time allowed and satisfyingly, finds were plentiful. These consisted chiefly of flint (including a D-shaped scraper and a slug knife) and a smaller quantity of pottery.

Our 'friendly' flintophile John Gale will be looking at the finds in more detail and thanks must go to him and all the other friends who helped make the weekend such a resounding success."

C-H-M does not know what a 'hacher survey' is. Neither does Google. Can anyone enlighten him? There's a picture of a D-shaped scraper here. I could only find a picture of a slug on a knife as opposed to a slug knife so will not trouble my readers with it.

Dr Ferris wittily illuminates:
"Making a hash of it: That's because the word is 'hachure'. A hachure is the symbol to denote slope; the thicker end of the hachure being the higher point. Thus one can use hachures to depict both banks and ditches etc very easily and clearly. C'est tout."

Saturday, October 10, 2009

A picture of concentration

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Noakesy very clearly engrossed in drawing his plan during the 1979 season, from Anna Behan's collection. This must, I think be the southwest corner of cutting AXVII, since the rampart and Barrow Wake are in view.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Corky didn't take this photo ...

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Or at least I don't think she did, though she sent C-H-M the picture: auto-release cameras were moderately-unheard of in the late 1970s when I suspect this portrait was taken. Dr Cleal might be my bet for the photographer, but either she or Corky will set me straight.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

When I go Elsan-cleaning ...

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The late posting today was caused by C-H-M having been up & out with the lark at 6.45 and then carrying out his first duties as "plongeur" for the evening class at Leiths, after a long day over a hot stove. First cuts and burns have been sustained, but nothing remotely serious. C-H-M earned the cost of three days' bus and tube fares. Eat your heart out, Eric Blair. But at least C-H-M's endeavours were remunerated. Above is the 1977 edition of C-H-M, surprisingly cheerful as he was snapped by Anna Behan (Collinge) on the way to empty the Elsans. Without pay.