Sunday 25 September 2016

A National Treasure In London And Some Possible Treasure In Framlingham

We've had a relatively quiet week this week. After the long walks and bike rides we did the week before, we've taken things a bit easier and the only strenuous effort has been our regular classes at Fram Leisure where we are getting through seven or eight classes between Monday and Friday.

On Thursday we headed down to London.


We had tickets for the David Hockney portraits at the Royal Academy in Piccadilly.



The show still has a few weeks to run and it's well worth making a visit. The eighty-two colourful portraits are of the artist's friends and colleagues and, although most of them were unknown to us, the works are so full of personality that by the end of the exhibition it felt as if we had an idea of what sort of person each one was. We may, of course, be wide of the mark but Hockney's ability to convey this character makes the exhibition so fascinating. 

I made the most of the trip to London and had one of my occasional shopping sprees. There is a menswear shop in Framlingham now (and it's very good) but you can't really beat a visit to Selfridges. If you go, try the small tapas and wine bar in the basement (Harry Gordon's). We go whenever we're in London and it's great for a break from shopping.


I managed to stock up on essentials like underwear, shirts and t-shirts plus some posh swimming trunks.  



And some new footwear. The Tod's shoes are the comfiest I've ever owned whereas the fabulous blue pair of Doc Martens are agony at the moment. I'm following all the advice on the internet on how to break them in. Seems that it takes an average of a month before the blisters subside.


I said at the start of this blog that we hadn't had too much strenuous effort this week but when I wrote that I was forgetting about Friday. I couldn't have worn the DM's. We had two tons of topsoil delivered. Our soil is heavy clay and although we've been adding compost for three and a half years it's still quite heavy. So we decided that, after adding a ton of soil earlier in the year, another two tons would do the trick.


Four hours later and we'd shifted the lot. Marion then worked for another two hours digging it all into the borders.

Time to switch off now for those who couldn't care less what I've been finding with the detector. I had a couple of trips out this week while Marion was at yoga and visiting the Aldeburgh Food Festival. Here's what I found.

The joys of detecting within chucking distance of a road. Why do so many motorists think it's okay?

More lead to add to the lead box. 
A good complete bag seal from around 1600
A medieval penny

A fragment of a post medieval silver coin used as a pendant

John Capon Grocer of Framlingham's 1653 farthing

Reverse showing Framlingham Castle gates

Henry III silver penny


A medieval strap end spacer (whatever that is I hear you say)


Late medieval buckle


Hallmarked silver pocket watch engraved EH Smith 1901
Don't think I'll get it back working
Medieval vessel mend
This week's bullets and musket balls
Buttons and a few coins
What a pity. This fragment of gilded silver brooch is possibly early and likely to be classed as Treasure. I tried hard but couldn't find the rest which has probably been ground to pieces by the plough






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