Keeping The Retirement Active

I saw a sticker on a car parked near ours the other day. "On An Adventure Before Dementia" it proclaimed. I didn't know whether to approve or disapprove of the mixed messages it conveyed - to live life to the full before the inevitable onset of decay is an admirable aim but to assume that we're all going to end up with dementia is, hopefully, wide of the mark. Our neighbour is almost into his nineties but still as bright as a button (as were those one hundred year olds still driving in a documentary last night) and, although both of us have witnessed dementia in grandparents I'm hoping that it's a problem that doesn't mar our retirement.

At least the sticker didn't announce "Busy Spending Our Kids' Inheritance" - I hate that one - so mean spirited. But we continue to eat drink and be merry as much as possible with a mindful eye on the kids' and grandchildren's futures and fill as many of our waking moments as we possibly can. 

I last blogged about the incredible performance of The Crucible at the Old Vic and was delighted that it was my most read blog since I found some Roman gold jewellery with the detector. It took me to over 100,000 hits. I know that's not many and some bloggers get twice that daily but it was a nice milestone to reach. Anyway, I'll be losing readers if I continue to waffle on like this. 

After that theatre trip and dinner in Soho, we did a bit of shopping for presents on Oxford St before heading back to the Apex London Wall hotel where we had a very comfortable night in a spacious and well appointed room with a wonderful bathroom. Being close to Suffolk's London terminus Liverpool St it was ideally placed for us. Slightly more expensive than the likes of Premier Inn it was worth the few extra pounds to have just a touch of luxury without being ridiculously extravagant - after all we were only in the hotel for a little over twelve hours.

In the morning it was time for some more shopping. I have only worn a suit once since retiring. On that occasion we took some of our family to a meal at a very upmarket London hotel with a fairly strict dress code but when I got dressed to go and put on the suit I found myself swamped. I had forgotten all about the weight loss a few years back and had to dine with the trousers belted up like a sack of potatoes. Fortunately the jacket spared my embarrassment and covered this unseemly spectacle. So when a wedding invitation arrived recently it was the signal for a new outfit. We went to Selfridges and I bought this really lovely suit by Paul Smith. I can get away with the slim fit now but no, I am not going to be wearing it with no socks and half mast trousers.

We've spent this week in Framlingham. Marion's been active with fitness classes and has been to three or four while I've been out twice with the detector again. Here's what I tipped out of the bag when I got home after each visit.

Here's what was left after disposing of the rubbish and scrap lead.

Even though I've searched this field about eight times now there are still plenty of interesting things turning up. Here are close ups of some of them.

A livery button. Haven't been able to identify the family.

Just a piece of lead but obviously one used for something  - will have to ask the archaeologist.

An Edward II Silver Penny 

It was minted in Durham and dates between 1307 and 1327

A crotal bell in perfect condition - it still rings. It's Post Medieval and probably 17th Century

Part of an old cloth bag seal

Another medieval penny - too clipped to identity 

A white metal (probably silver) name tag for E L Baines. Has a Victorian look to it.

Two more Charles I rose farthings.

Another unidentified lead fitting.

Another bag seal - this one has the initials TP and is probably 17th century.

A Suffolk trade weight probably 17th or 18th century

An apothecary weight with the symbol for one ounce (I think). This could date from the early 17th to the early 19th century.

A strap fitting - possibly medieval

A trader's token. This one is dated 1667 and was issued by William Smith of Yoxford. Sadly it's in terrible condition.

Terrible condition again but this is another local trader's token from the 17th century. This one is a farthing issued by Thomas Knights of Saxmundham. 

This lead scrap has the look of a fragment of a pilgrim's badge.

A door bolt slider - date uncertain.

Some people refer to the hobby as "Treasure Hunting". As you can see, there's certainly no treasure here but there's certainly an insight into what local people mislaid and, with the agreement of the landowner, I'm planning to make a display of everything from this particular field which will be available to anyone interested in local history and could even be loaned to the museum if they are interested. 

Wow...... Just Wow!

It's been many many years (55 to be precise) since I was last reduced to a quivering wreck at any event (apart from a couple of Liverpool performances). I was five years old and I can still remember leaving the screening of Old Yeller wailing because (spoiler alert) "that dog is dead". But fifty-five years later the same thing happened yesterday and my stiff upper lip disintegrated during the final moments of The Crucible at the Old Vic. I was not alone - during that final scene I scanned the faces of my fellow theatre goers and lost count of how many were distraught, clutching tissues or weeping openly in what was the most memorable piece of theatre I can remember.

Although that final scene was made unforgettable by Richard Armitage as John Proctor, this was not just a virtuoso performance. Each and every member of the cast was nothing less than outstanding in a play that drew its audience into its heart and held them mesmerised for over three hours.

We were exceptionally fortunate to have front row seats. And front row at The Old Vic is FRONT ROW as, if this photo had been taken during yesterday's show, my foot would be visible bottom left as I cowered whilst the young "witches" trembled together in front of me. It's easy to jump on the superlative bandwagon as all the critics have given this production five stars but, if you are a regular visitor to this blog, you'll know that we went to Simon Russell Beale's Lear at The National a few months ago, a piece of theatre that was similarly acclaimed, and I hated it. 

Like Thursday's visit to Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes, in The Crucible we saw another allegorical piece but in the film I saw the injustice - in the play I felt it. Absolutely wonderful. 

When the play finished and we pulled ourselves together from the emotional wringer that we had been through I asked the iPhone to recommend the best London restaurant that doesn't take bookings. It came up with 10 Greek St in Soho so we headed straight there. The play was a matinee so it was only about 6.30 when we arrived in Greek St and we were shown straight to a table - very lucky as those who came after us were put on a waiting list. It was a very very young place and we certainly felt our age but the service was great, the food delicious and the atmosphere buzzing - a great way to recover from our most extraordinary afternoon.

A Trip To The Movies At Last

This glorious summer does have its drawbacks - the near constant dry and sunny days have meant no time for cinema, one of our favourite pastimes. So, with heavy rain forecast yesterday, we took advantage of the break in the weather and drove to Ipswich for the 11.30 showing of Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes. It was good to be back at the movies and, for once, we sat through a pile of trailers that we hadn't already seen three times. Although the film is ostensibly about a clash between humans and apes in a dystopian not too distant future it is really an allegory on good and evil. The message that not all humans (for that read any aggressor nation you care to pick) are bad and that not all apes (for that read any victim nation or race you care to choose) are good was hammered home in a very obvious way. It didn't spoil the film but it did feel very much as if we were being given a history lesson. 

The film is visually stunning and the cgi apes quite convincing - a good way to spend a rainy Thursday lunchtime.

For the rest of the week we've been getting on top of the garden and Marion has been planning lots of new ideas for it for the next planting season. I've been doing a bit of my business mentoring but overall we've had a relatively relaxing week. We're off to London for the weekend to see the highly acclaimed The Crucible at the Old Vic. We've just discovered that the return trains tomorrow are stopping at Colchester and being replaced by buses so we're driving down to Colchester and travelling to London from there.

Having a relaxing week involves, of course, a few hours out with the detector. After searching the field I've been on recently I would expect the finds to start drying up but there are still plenty turning up.

This was what I tipped out of the finds bag last time. And here are some of the individual pieces.

Medieval Vessel Mend

Tiny Post Medieval Thimble

Charles I Rose Farthing

This one has me stumped. I am sure it is Medieval. Looks a bit like a dagger scabbard fitting.

A Late Or Post Medieval Jetton 

Don't Know What Percy Allen Of Framlingham Did. I Know That There Was A Shop - A Saddler Perhaps

A Damaged Queen Elizabeth Silver Penny

Another Charles I Rose Farthing

A Medieval Cut Half Penny Probably Henry III

A Mixture Of Bits And Pieces. The Bottom Left A Fragment Of An Old Silver Coin

There's nothing spectacular here but it's all very interesting and I will be taking it to Bury St Edmunds for recording in a few weeks time.

Visiting The FLO In Bury St Edmunds

I went to see Andrew, the local FLO (finds liaison officer) at the archaeology office in Bury St Edmunds yesterday. I took him all the recent finds that I've been blogging about for recording on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database. I used to record my own finds in Lancashire but the Suffolk unit insists on doing it for us which, though understandable (we aren't as knowledgeable and can make mistakes), does involve a couple of hours drive and a wait of six months before getting the finds back which must discourage some detector users from bothering to record.

Being retired, the trip to Bury is not too onerous and Andrew confirmed my identification of around sixty items and took them for recording. There were three bits that I hadn't been sure of and he identified these for me. 

This is medieval and probably a casket fitting

I suggested a medieval vessel handle - it's a medieval vessel leg

I wondered if this could be a Roman coin but it's a post medieval medallion

So, with only three uncertain identifications out of sixty plus items I could have saved the FLO a lot of work.

To make sure that it wasn't a wasted journey to Bury, Marion joined me and we had a good couple of hours looking around the town. We've been before but not for long - it really is a great place to visit with amazing Cathedral and Abbey grounds, plenty of shops and a great selection of places to eat and drink.

We had a coffee and sandwich at an old fashioned cafe with this view of the ancient church buildings and, after a good look around the old and new shopping areas, we went for a refreshing cold drink at the beautiful Angel Hotel.

We'll have to go for another visit when I've had a few more trips out with the detector.

There's A Mouse In Me Garage What Am I Gonna Do?

Well, obviously, to paraphrase  the words of my favourite band "I'm gonna fix that mouse". 

I went to pick up the metal detector from the garage yesterday when I noticed that the control box had a large chunk of rubber missing from the recharging point cover.

It didn't take the mind of Sherlock Holmes to work out what was responsible as Mr Mouse had left several small deposits by way of a calling card. We've had mice in the garage before when we lived in Southport and I can remember blogging about our middle class rodents when we baited the traps with Green and Blacks organic chocolate that comes at £2 per bar. That was amazingly successful so it had to be a chocolate lure again when Marion dug out the old humane traps. But the only chocolate we had in the house this time was Amelia Rope's hand made stuff from In Da Cottage here in Framlingham which comes in at an even more eye watering £5 per bar. Fortunately we only needed one square to bait five traps.

And, sure enough, the posh chocolate and these traps caught the culprit who is now hopefully enjoying his relocation to a stubble field near Saxmundham - there's a Waitrose there so he should be okay. I'll be leaving the traps out again for a few more nights but I'm trying peanut butter instead as that chocolate is too nice to waste on a mouse.

Fortunately the detector still works so I had a few more hours in the fields.

I went twice over the last few days and this is what I tipped out of the bag when I got back the second time.

I tried two different fields.

This came from field one (the scrap lead at the bottom came from both fields)

And this came from field two.

As I was in each field for about the same amount of time, clearly field two produced more finds. Here are some of the more interesting bits from each.

A very worn William III half crown from field one.

A nice engine turned 18th century button from field one.

A very old lead cloth bag seal from field two

This is a rare Medieval folded rivet - probably used as a pot mend - from field two. 

A Medieval cut half penny from the reign of Henry III from field two 

An unidentified but probably Tudor hammered silver coin from field two

A Post Medieval spectacle buckle from field two

A Medieval strap slider from field two

Unidentified lead artefact from field two 

A Gold Rose Ryal 33 shilling brass coin weight from the reign of James I 1612-1619 from field one (pity it wasn't the coin) 

Unidentified but this, from field one could possibly be my first Roman coin find since moving to Framlingham

A scabbard chape from field two - medieval or post medieval 

Probable furniture fitting from field two

Vessel fragments from both fields.

Post Medieval lead window came from field two

I realise that to many reading this these will be worthless scraps of metal but I find them all extremely interesting. I'm taking these and all the other recent finds to the county archaeologist in Bury St Edmunds tomorrow for recording.

It will be many years before one of these turns up as a metal detecting find but I was delighted to be given this silver outbreak of the great war commemorative £20 coin by our neighbour Wilfrid yesterday. Thank you Wilfrid - a very kind gesture.