Wyre Archaeology Does High Gate Lane

No doubt everybody’s been following our latest excavation over at the forum. (Don’t blame me if you haven’t. You’ve got to keep your finger on the pulse with Wyre Archaeology because, when we get going, we don’t mess around.) So there’s little point in me rehashing our latest discoveries here.
However, this might be a good time to post some previously unpublished photographs of the event, just so that everyone who missed the occasion (mainly due to the European Football Final clashing with the meeting where everything was arranged) can see exactly what they’ve missed out on. (A crash course in how to end sentences with two prepositions, apparently.)

Let’s kick off with the photograph above showing (left to right) Chris Clayton, myself and David Ratledge. To be honest I’ve no idea what’s going on in this scene (or even when/why it was taken…although I do know that Joolz took it) but we appear to be attempting to pacify a spooked dumpy level. It was a hot day, this particular dumpy had been borrowed from the museum and is of great antiquity, and some of these older models can turn quite feral when they’re left out in the sun for too long. (Actually, Chris looks as though he’s performing the ‘sand dance’.)
Next up, below, again from left to right, Gary Thornton, Chris Clayton, David Ratledge and Ed Shone demonstrate the correct way to stand around a trench whilst the polish immigrant (out of sight at the bottom of the hole) does all the hard graft. Or something like that anyhow. It’s probably more likely a ‘rest and re-evaluation’ moment.

Thirdly, we mustn’t forget the female contingent, on this occasion represented by Joolz who, judging by the drawing frame, was about to create a diagram of the hedge. Note the can of Castle Maine Four Ecks (possibly Dandelion & Burdock) in one hand and the fag in the other. Joolz is sporting the latest Indiana Jones look with pigtails.

And onwards to the photograph below showing Ivan and myself contemplating the most effective way of digging within the parameters established by the pegs and string. Ensuring accuracy when starting a trench is paramount to the site’s success. Pity then that within ten minutes of starting, one of the strings had been snapped accidentally by the shovel blade, and within thirty minutes the other was broken too (a misplaced boot being the culprit this time) and half the pegs had fallen in the trench.

Finally, for now, Dave Hampson (as opposed to Holt as we previously wrote) (below) gets in a few practice rounds for the PGA Open. (Actually he might have been metal detecting, although there is something reminiscent of the opening scenes of M.A.S.H. in this photograph.)
As for how the excavation actually went and the results we obtained, there’ll probably be a full report appearing on this board as soon as I’ve compiled one.