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2005
Open Day
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SEDGEFORD HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH PROJECT
Weblog Open Day (Sunday 17th July 2005)
Pauline Fogarty
This year’s Open day was a fantastic success! Unlike last year, the sun shone down all day and visitors were able to see excavation on the trenches and re-enactment of Saxon, Viking and Norman life.
There were loads of children’s activities and as ever the
archaeological sandpit proved a firm favourite! There was also the opportunity
for children to try on a Saxon costume, have a go at ancient writing and sort
genuine finds from the dig. Visitors were able to see diggers on site all day (a
fantastic experience for our basic trainees – whose first day it was on site)
and be given a guided tour round the site.
Our Saxon, Vikings and Normans came together to kidnap some of the
archaeologists, who were held to ransom – raising £100 for SHARP. Our living
history encampment was active all day with regular combat displays – no easy
task when the weather was that warm!
In the marquee we had plenty of activities. We had iron age face
painting – another firm favourite with the young ones. There was a book stall,
on which more money was spent than intended by the diggers. We had delicious
cakes on our cake stall and the first opportunity for people to buy our SHARP
2005 T-shirt from the merchandise stand. We also had some of our impressive
finds on display.
We held raffles, in which the chance to spend a day digging on site
was won and the chance to sponsor a part of the site, to guess where the next
small find will come up. We had some of our more light hearted amusements such
as the pillaries and the most unique archaeological game of Torc-la!
There was also the opportunity for adults and children alike to learn
a bit about the Saxon population of Sedgeford from our human remains team –
this was, as ever, one of the exhibits which had people enraptured for hours.
The day was a magical event and incredibly significant from the
financial perspective of keeping the project going, for that I’d like thank:
the team and volunteers who helped in preparing and running the open day, the
Birmingham Vikings, Mercian Guard and Albini Household who brought the site to
life, the committee and friends who gave their support, the people from the
local area who ran various stalls and activities and last but by no means least
the visitors who made the day the event it was.
The SHARP team would like to thank Pauline for her dedicated work and enthusiasm in organising the 2005 Open day and helping to ensure it was such a success. Web Ed.
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2005
Open Day
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