Life Is Sweet

Although I sometimes grumble on this blog about being too busy, when I reflect on our life at the moment I realise that we're leading quite a privileged existence. After a pleasant Easter Weekend when we managed to cycle to Orford and back, it was a quiet start to the week on Tuesday when I took the car to Bury St Edmunds for a service and then took my recent finds to the County Archaeologist for recording (the silver tag is going to the Treasure people at the British Museum). 

I got back early enough to spend a couple of hours out in the fields again and found this tiny Elizabethan silver half groat dating from around 1590 as well as a number of other interesting bits and pieces.

It was then off to London on Wednesday for King Lear at The National. I bought the tickets as a surprise for Marion who loves the play. I loved the meal at The Terrace restaurant but , although I could appreciate Simon Russell Beale's bravura performance I can't honestly say that I enjoyed the show - it could have been in Polish for all I got from it. But it wasn't my night and I'm pleased to say that Marion was totally moved by it. We're going to The National again next week and I expect that A Taste Of Honey will be more manageable for a Philistine like me.

We stayed overnight at the Ibis near Blackfriars Bridge. It's just a chain hotel but it's near the theatre, the bed was comfortable, the room was clean and the service was very efficient - recommended for an inexpensive stopover.

Yesterday we headed for the British Museum for The Vikings exhibition. Despite the crowds it was a fascinating exhibition and well worth seeing. We got to the museum an hour before our slot and, as a metal detector user, I was delighted to see the Crosby Garrett Helmet (above) one of the best detecting finds in recent years on display. It's even better in the flesh than in the photos - a truly magnificent object. I can always live in hope of matching it. When we got back home there were three certificates from the Scottish Treasure Trove unit thanking me for donating my somewhat less significant recent Scottish finds to St Andrews Museum.

After the museum we met up with son Paul and took our granddaughter Catherine to the super playground Coram's Fields which is a short walk away. After an hour's play we ended the day at Spitalfields Market where we had a good meal at Canteen before heading back to the station and a train back to Ipswich.

With another relaxing weekend around Framlingham planned and plenty of things going on again next week, life really is sweet.