Jody Joy

Tonight it’s the Hudson’s Ale House, back when I was young it was the Tally Ho!

They were digging for six days! Time to really implement the system to significantly reduce any financial reward if detectorists do this. It seems like the only way to get the message across

Live and Let Live on a Friday night

Pet hates for reviews anyone? Mine has to be the review that is written based purely on whether the reviewer feels a book has sufficiently cited their own work…

Sarsen

The colours of the Wiltshire landscape this morning were just stunning

Downland: art and the archaeological imagination in Wiltshire - Wiltshire Museum Opening in October 2025, this exhibition will feature the landscape and archaeology of Wiltshire, and includes new works by Rose Ferraby. There has long been a hunger to discover the secrets of the Wi...

Just back from Devizes and the opening of Rose Ferraby’s new exhibition Dowland at the Wiltshire Museum last night. Still buzzing - it’s such a fantastic show. Thanks to @lesleymcf.bsky.social for being such a great travelling companion

www.wiltshiremuseum.org.uk?exhibition=d...

West Kennet long barrow and Silbury Hill - they’re both still there!

Slightly grumpy by the attitude of some colleagues who see museum work (and workers) as somehow lesser. Museums are the public face of archaeology. Far more people will read exhibition text than will ever read a journal article. Also, curators are perfectly capable of conducting their own research

Nice evening walk in the park after a long day

Productive day off work. Two new bespoke bookcases made for the landing. Not quite square in places but does the job…

First world problem I know, but going for promotion can be such a demoralising experience. Just been told by a (well meaning) faculty member that (despite being on the same academic contract as all the other lecturers) I occupy a ‘fringe’ position in the University so promotion is more difficult…

On display for free @maacambridge.bsky.social alongside many other remarkable things. Please come and visit everyone if you’re ever in Cambridge

maa.cam.ac.uk

Impromptu storage container for various allotment produce

Roman Pharos at Dover

Fish and chips on Deal beach last night - I really love late summer

Pretty good

Anyway, this has been a longer thread than I intended but please read the book and do let me know what you think

britishmuseum.iro.bl.uk/concern/book...

From the original excavators, the scientists and conservators, the photographers and illustrators, the editorial team, the experts who’ve offered help and advice along the way, and yes the authors/editors, this type of book is the mainstay of archaeological research and should be valued accordingly

People can make what they want of the book - indeed, some reviewers have been far from generous - but I think more value should be attributed to the sheer volume of work that goes into producing a volume like the Snettisham book

It’s hard to reflect impartiality on something that’s been such a big part of your life for so long, but I am incredibly proud of what Julia and I achieved. Looking back, especially in the dark days of the pandemic when I was very ill, it’s a miracle we ever finished it

We also had personal and professional lives. For much of the time I worked on the book I wasn’t being paid to do so. In those 15 years, I started a new job, curated 4 large exhibitions and completed a major project on cauldrons. I also helped raise two children and suffered major health problems

It was a mammoth task. When I first started on the project much of the material hadn’t even been accessioned. Few objects were photographed or illustrated and the BM scientists and conservators were still working through the huge quantity of material, especially from Hoard F

Reflecting on the Snettisham book almost a year after the final manuscript was sent to the publisher. It was no ‘ordinary’ book. Julia and I each spent more than a decade researching, cataloguing, writing, coordinating scientific and conservation work and commissioning specialist reports

This really resonates with me too. 4 years on, I’d say I’m mostly recovered from #LongCovid, certainly physically, but I haven’t regained my old confidence in my work, especially my research and writing. I’ve also struggled with finding new projects. In part because I think I’m a different person

At the Bartlow Hills this morning. Always a very peaceful place to visit

View through binoculars. Large bird perched on a post is a white-tailed eagle

Terrible image through my binoculars but I promise there’s a white-tailed eagle out there perched on the post

North Sea

Holiday. Done the bog bodies for work now it’s up to the children where we go

The stunning Wadden Sea nature reserve. Seals somewhere on the horizon