The bucket hut builder

Another Rebecca Chambers shot of the 1988 sequence in which other people watch Steve Vaughan constructing the hut to keep the buckets. John Gale and Joanne Milroy supervise ...

Reunion 2003?

Lydia Savage thinks these reunion pictures which show the site walk and the picnic are from 2003 or thereabouts. C-H-M thinks they may be a tiny bit more recent than that, but is not sure. It's certainly not 2009, 2008 or 2004. Anyone definitively remember? Surely either Richard's shirt or Noakesy's shorts might provide secure dating evidence. JP's denims could come from any year between 1972 and today so they're no help. Many usual suspects feature.

Identity parade 1980

From the Behan archive, some of the usual suspects line up for what was, I suspect, a 'Mr Crickley' ceremony. Back row, L to R: Jim Gale resplendent in a smoking jacket, Mike Taylor, Training, John Parry. Front row: left side of Arwel Barrett's face, C-H-M in black tie acquired from the Cheltenham Oxfam shop and Mark the Clerk. From the length of my beard and the comparison of the colours in Mike's scarf with other dated photographs this was probably taken in 1980. It was certainly before the performance of the Below Average White Band which led to the untimely demise of the piano ...

It was a shed for buckets, honestly, ...

Some time during the 1980s, Arwel Barrett looks on as John Gale, Steve Vaughan and Joanne Milroy construct what I was assured by Rebecca Chambers was a hut to keep buckets in, even if it does look like a privy. Well it actually looks as though Steve and John are building it while Joanne watches, sorry, supervises ...

Ullenwood crowd

A group shot outside the mess hall at Ullenwood, belonging to Corky Gregory, taken during the 1981 season. L to R: Rowena Dutton, Terry Courtney, Julie Lancley, Jane Dineen, Julie Fissenden, Corky Gregory and Mike Taylor. "Is that Ros's mini in the background?", asks Corky.

Hut circle

From Anna Behan's 1979 collection, though she cannot have been the photographer as she is featured. L to R round the circle Ros Cleal, Jo Bacon, Terry Courtney, Bob Alvey, Phil Dixon, Richard Savage, Frank Green, Jim Gale, Anna Collinge, and Paul Noakes. C-H-M assumes this must have been taken from part way up the photographic tower as the perspective exceeds any angle that could have been achieved from the top of a spoil heap.

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

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.

The Crickley Chronicle No 22

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."

Dig unearths ancient times

My thanks to Joanne Milroy who writes "Last year - at the 2008 Reunion - Pauline Dumbrill gave me a file of newspaper cuttings and other material that had belonged to Don Mickley who had served as Chairman of the Friends and had recently died. Here is a feature in the Cheltenham AdMag to mark the famous Royal Visit to mark the 20th Anniversary of Crickley. Very bizarrely when I was scanning these articles in on the heavy duty office scanner - one of my colleagues said "Crickley Hill?....my sister dug there." Perhaps someone remembers an Imogen Bush in 1990/91 - I work with her sister Magdalen. There was an Imogen in earlier years - who was Julian Thomas's sister, I think - but this seems to be another one."

"HRH the Duke of Gloucester visited the Crickley Hill Archaeological Dig, on Monday, stamping the royal seal of approval on 21 years [sic] hard digging. After arriving by helicopter the Duke was presented with a replica bronze cape pin found on the site [Really? Why wasn't it with the rest of the finds?] and was then shown around the excavations by Dr Philip Dixon who is the director of the project. During his tour the Duke viewed a mysterious long mound on the hill, believed to have had a ritual purpose in prehistoric times, a sacred circle and a cremation burial site. He also talked to supervisors and volunteers about Iron Age remains and watched them sift through the soil for fossils or pottery. [Iron Age fossils?] "As an architect, the Duke was particularly interested in the type of houses they lived in,"His visit is indeed a tribute to the 4,000 volunteers who have worked on the dig for 21 years." The Duke said "This is a very interesting project which has brought so many people together and at the same time it builds up our knowledge about our prehistoric forebearers [sic]." [Eh?] Crickley Hill, a nine acre site has rewarded archaeologists with a range of finds over two decades of work. Among the finds have been the earliest battlefield in this country, dating from 2,500 BC, a neoloithic [sic] causewayed enclosure, a Bronze Age ceremonial site and two Iron Age hillforts and a Dark Age Chieftain's settlement. [Each of those finds must have been a struggle to get into a plastic finds bag. I wonder where Richard found some big enough ...] This year's excavations, which began on 1 July, will concentrate on two areas of the hill. At the western end of the site the dig team will try to unravel the history of the prehistoric long mound with its related sacred circle and burial site. to the east of this the team will also be investigating the remains of an Iron Age village which dates from 700BC to 450BC. The dig, which this year is sponsored by the Cheltenham and Gloucester Building Society, is open to the public every day except Thursday."

Photo captions:

The Duke hears something of the long history of the site from dig director Dr Philip Dixon and area supervisor Sue Content

The Duke learns something of flint working from archaeologist John Gale

Worker meticulously mark every find and carefully sweep away the dirt as the Duke poses some searching questions of his own [Groan ...]

The Duke admires a memento of his visit, a replica Bronze Age pin

A woman happy with her posthole

Here's a lovely picture of Julie Gale (Fissenden as she then was) looking very cheerful about her posthole, forged tang trowel to the fore, camera in the background. This is one of a group of pictures Corky Gregory entitled 'People in postholes' and, she thinks, is probably from the 1978 season, or thereabouts. Julie's proving that it is possible to work hard whilst prone on the ground.

It must have been blowing a Gale: limestone in motion ...

A curious perspective on the Gale family in this 1990 Phillpotts photograph: Julie's legs are top left as John throws a palm-sized piece of limestone into a bucket, which the Chronicler has captured in mid-air. John looks as though he's been buried up to mid-calf of his right leg and is patiently digging himself out, piece by piece.

The Open Weekend 1980?

From the angle of the shadows it looks as though Anna Behan took this photo during the afternoon teabreak during the Open Weekend in 1980. In the foreground, L to R, Philip, Dixon, Julian Parker, Jim Gale, Jane Dineen, Bernie Dawson. In the background I spy Richard Savage's Volkswagen bus of sainted memory, many grockles, a marquee (doubtless erected for a small exhibition and to provide refreshments to said grockles) a camper van with the roof up and the shelter. Behind the marquee is the hornbeam tree, unless I am mistaken.

Tea break 1987

Framed by boots belonging to Steve Vaughan and Simon Bacon, John and Julie Gale look cheery enough in spite of the damp in this 1987 Phillpotts tea break picture. Even the find hut looks soaked through.

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.

Why were all the desks outside?

And here is an altogether mystifying tableau from Dr Phillpotts's album for 1983. The troops all seemed quite cheerful, left to right, ?, ?, Jane Fitt, Julie Fissenden, Ros Cleal, Dave Southwood and Nick Snashall. I'm inclined to think that this photograph was taken on a Thursday morning, based on the fact that nobody is wearing their digging clothes and considering the angle of the shadows. But I cannot account for the multitude of desks sitting outside behind them. Can anyone remember? I assume that the little bags attached to the line with clothes pegs contain Frank Green's soil samples.

The fence line in 1980

A slide from Dr Ferris's collection of the fence line of cutting N7: the diagonal view across the cuttings ends up, I think at about L9. I can identify some of the diggers: left to right, Dave Southwood, Rowena Dutton, Jim Gale and in the shade under the tree, I think, John Parry.

Raw blondes for breakfast

A mephitic manuscript has fallen into Crickley Hill Man's hot little hands: it is the Crickley Hill Song 1984.  For those who are keen I publish the full version in the scanned collage above. 

To give you a flavour, the chorus runs "Singing: raw blondes for breakfast/Tack up if you will/You can spend a wasted summer/on the top of Crickley Hill."  

I think my favourite verse is "There was Dafydd and Mad Blodwen/From the Legion of the Damned/They confirmed all JP's stories/Which are fabled in this land."

 Or perhaps: "Katey up from Cheltenham/The flaxen-headed sylph/She inspired young men with many thoughts/But most of them were filth."

The authors of this delightful ditty appear to have been principally David Southwood and Julian Thompson with some assistance from Dr Cleal.  As I wasn't at Ullenwood much in 1984 I don't know whether there was ever a public performance.  What are you writing, Julian?  You know it will have been performed.  Few are spared a mention: Dave and Sonia Hollos, John Parry, Ros and Julie, The Famous Five (who were they?), Naughty Nicky, Biggles, Clyde, Griff, Noakesy, Kris the Chronicler, Simon the planner, Richard Savage, Bryn, Terry, Sarah Squealpig, Bernie Dawson and Richard Bradley.

Steve's and Joanne's wedding 1990

Do diggers scrub up nicely? Judge for yourself from Steve and Joanne's wedding in May 1990 "with a crowd of reprobate gatecrashers. Left to Right Arwel, PWD, me, Jock Bruce, Joanne, John Gale, Julie Gale, Noakesie, Sue, Ros, Nikki, Chris Gingell, Dr K."  Yes ...

Stop standing about and do some digging!

Scene from CH 1980 L to R: Jo Stone, Gail Boyle, Julie Gale, John Boden and Ros Cleal. Actually my headline is probably unfair: it looks as though JB is the shop steward making the speech calling on the comrades to withdraw their labour but they may just have been waiting for photographs of the cutting to be taken.

CH 1980 bailing out the cuttings again ...

The misty dampness has been captured beautifully by Dr Phillpotts.  Hard to make out who's who, but I spy Arwel Barrett in the middle, improbably sporting a jacket, and Ros Cleal top right walking along the cutting edge headed west. Think it might be Jim Gale, two to the left of Arwel, with black belt and cap.