1982 work scene

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.

Catbashing, sorry, lump hammering exhibition

Was it time for that baulk to come down? It looks as though Gail Boyle went at this bit of cat-bashing with such verve that everyone else stopped to watch her demonstration. This 1982 episode was captured for posterity by Dr Phillpotts. L to R: Big Les, Gail, Tony and Rhian Locke. Stop press: Dr Phillpotts advises that Gail is using a lump hammer and not a catbasher to trim the baulk.

The Management thinks it through ...

How far shall we go down next? A huddle on cutting AXVII in 1982 as Big Les, Steve Vaughan, Mike Taylor, Phil Dixon and Terry Courtney chew the fat in this picture by Jane Dineen. They got the answer right, as this photo of Jane's I posted a few days ago shows.

Big Les then and now ...

A return to the Phillpotts archive for this shot of Big Les driving the dumper during the 1983 season: it may be an optical illusion but it looks as though the steering wheel is bent which would make it more fun to negotiate. John Parry tells me that Big Les sends his regards to all and was sorry not to be able to make the reunion: JP also sent the photo below of Big Les keeping an eye on us:

Er ... yes ...

What can one say? From Corky Gregory's album: was this a headgear competition? Big Les in his "Friends of The Guinness" T-shirt, Paul Noakes sporting an "Archaeologists Do It More Crickley" sweatshirt and in the middle, John Gale, who as Corky says hasn't got a special shirt but makes up for it with the hat. I'm guessing that this is c 1982.

Section through the 1982 rampart cutting AXVII

These two photos from Jane Dineen, when spliced together, give a superb view of the 1982 rampart cutting AXVII, viewed from cutting FA3(?ish). For a full account see pp144 to 149 of 'Crickley Hill, The Hillfort Defences' (Dixon 1994). P144 has two photographs which show the left and right hand parts of this photo. The left side, to quote PWD, is "the front face of the Period 2 rampart, built quite roughly on a deep turf and chipple bed, and left untouched and partially ruined during the later rebuilding of the defences during Period 3a and 3b". The right side is "the front face of the Period 3b rampart, after removing the tumble and soil, showing the corner of the rebuilt defences, with a short gang length. A gang break is visible ... the collapse of the end of the bank has led to the spreading of the second gang-length southwards."

I think I can see Iain Ferris, Mike Taylor, Terry Courtney, Jim Irvine, Steve Vaughan, Big Les and Bernie Dawson but do my eyes deceive me? Update: yes they do: Mr Boden said "You can't see Iain Ferris 'cos he wasn't there that year." Dr Ferris said "That's not me and I'm deeply hurt that you could think I would ever tuck my trouser-bottoms into my socks." Sorry.