The youth hostel kitten
I was digging in the shade of the trees at the centre left
Clocked in for 2 nights at the youth hostel. Bed was quite good. (The hostel doubled up as the village hall: hostel for the summer and a hall in the winter. The male dormitory was the body of the hall and the common room was the stage. The warden said she would close the stage curtains if there were men in bed and ladies in the common room, but I seem to recall that there very few people there.) I took sandwiches, tin of beans, tin of meat and a tin opener. Bought a small packet of corn flakes and one of rice crispies at 4d (£0.017) each. Dairy was next door.
(Looking through the photos, I see I took as many of the kitten at the Youth Hostel as I took of the actual "dig".)
| The youth hostel kitten |
I was digging in the shade of the trees at the centre left |
On the Tuesday I went to get a "job" which I got in a few minutes. I was put on to digging with a trowel the foundations of burnt houses, and I found some bones and teeth, some bits of pottery which was burnt and some molten glass - looked like a bottle neck.
While I was there someone found a bit of pavement which had a bit missing but it looked good surrounded with mud. The dig was on TV and the chief of the digging - head of the London University - was interviewed. (I remember the camera man stood on the roof of a car with his camera on a tripod. At one point, the sound man shouted "cut" because he was hearing some unwanted sound - this turned out to be the film getting crunched up inside a film cassette on the camera.)
(The picture (right) is an official archaeologists excavating the mosaic floor)
It was a boiling hot day and we were all digging with our ears wide open for the call for tea break. Tea - which cost 10d (£0.04) at Edinburgh Station and 5d (£0.02)at York - cost 2d (£0.008). Tomato and tinned meat sandwiches cost 2d. £ biscuits cost 2d.
In the evening I went round the cathedral, many parts of which is built out of stones from the camp.
The next day I went back to my aunt's home to tour London.
Please feel free to contact me by e-mail at elliottsimpson@hotmail.com
January 2006