1) I have become Convalescence Facilitator Extraordinaire!
2) We have been indulging in a hole host of recorded television programmes via our Tele-Box.
In particular we have been watching loads of Time Team and a new series called 'Pub Dig', or rather (to give it its full title) 'Rory McGrath's Pub Dig'. Initially we did not really take to it, however I am happy to report that this series has grown upon the folks here at Archaeosoup Towers!
The premise is simple: Rory, a hairy comedian and television personality who self-confessedly knows little about history and even less about archaeology has teamed up with 'biker archaeologist' and pottery supremo Paul Blinkhorn to traverse the country in search of historical pubs, ale houses and taverns. Such a sentence alone is enough to prick the ears of many an archaeologist, but Pub Dig doesn't stop there! As its name implies not only do they visit these wonderful establishments, they dig in the environs (sometimes the beer garden itself) to investigate the history of Britain through a pair of well established beer goggles.
So far, we have watched three episodes of Pub Dig and with each our appreciation of this new format is growing.
In the first episode they arrived in Chatham, the ancient Royal Naval hub to investigate the grounds of the Command House. The excavation was fairly successful, though they did make a huge leap from the artefacts recovered to a fully reconstructed warehouse and port in-let of the time of Henry VIII.
The second episode saw the team journey to Ye Olde Smugglers Inn, Alfriston, East Sussex where they were on the trail of smugglers and contraband substances ranging from gin to tea (both of which Mrs Soup appreciates and doubtless were she alive in the early C19th would either have been involved in criminal activity or availing herself of their services in order to procure them). This episode was fascinating. The team did not push the evidence too far, nor did they attempt to re-write the history of the area. Rather, they responded to the enthusiasm of the Inn's owner and helped to establish a story of more than 10,000 years of human occupation on the site. This was great news for the County archaeologist who was impressed with the work and was happy to share a pint with the team.
It is worth mentioning that in each episode the relationship between Pub Dig, the archaeological authorities and the community is clearly important. The team is eager that their work has a modest legacy for the understanding of the area and the viewer is brought into the world of the archaeologist. Rather than being beaten over the head with due diligence and self-aggrandising process, we are casually assured (and confident) that the team have proceeded professionally... and we are offered a pint at the end of the day.
Unfortunately we missed the third episode due to a technical fault with our Tele-Box (though we plan to catch it online as soon as we can).
The fourth episode of the season was filmed in Banbury (Yay, that place of the infamous cross). This episode was the most interesting so far and the reason we felt compelled to review the series. We were told from the outset that the Medieval town had been 'vaporised' by the English Civil War and that there had been no significant Medieval archaeology discovered in the area. With this in mind the excavation proceeded and was quickly halted at the 'Unicorn' pub by a errant water pipe. The team decided instead to concentrate on 'Ye Olde Reine Deer' towards the centre of the Civil War battle field. We would hate to spoil this episode by giving away the ending, save to say that some superb archaeological and buildings investigation led to the Medieval period in Banbury being re-instated.
Dispersed throughout each of the episodes are insights into the lifestyles of people in the period which is being investigated. These insights are brought to us via Rory in an entertaining and humorous way, though always with good reason. For example in Banbury they brought in some Civil War re-enactors to establish how accurate a musket might have been across the battle field (possibly effecting the function of the building in question). At no time does one feel patronised by the presenters, rather Rory is an interested and enthusiastic amateur who is guided through conceptual mine-fields by a reassuring, relaxed and informative Paul Blinkhorn. The viewer feels they are learning with Rory and that no one is brandishing their expertise with too much force or sobriety!
It is also refreshing to see a more constructive relationship between the 'time limit' on site and the work of the archaeologists. One gets the impression that there is not a frenzy of activity on the 'last day' in order to achieve a pre-defined conclusion. Rather we are shown when a trench comes to a dead-end without dramatic reference to the impending 'X day limit'.
'You must be Zen grasshopper' Paul Blinkhorn.
So far, here at Archaeosoup Towers we are much impressed with the realistic tone, goals and beer-lust featured in Pub Dig. We look forward to more Pub Digs as the series unfolds.
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| Paul Blinkhorn (left), Rory McGrath (right) |
The premise is simple: Rory, a hairy comedian and television personality who self-confessedly knows little about history and even less about archaeology has teamed up with 'biker archaeologist' and pottery supremo Paul Blinkhorn to traverse the country in search of historical pubs, ale houses and taverns. Such a sentence alone is enough to prick the ears of many an archaeologist, but Pub Dig doesn't stop there! As its name implies not only do they visit these wonderful establishments, they dig in the environs (sometimes the beer garden itself) to investigate the history of Britain through a pair of well established beer goggles.
So far, we have watched three episodes of Pub Dig and with each our appreciation of this new format is growing.
In the first episode they arrived in Chatham, the ancient Royal Naval hub to investigate the grounds of the Command House. The excavation was fairly successful, though they did make a huge leap from the artefacts recovered to a fully reconstructed warehouse and port in-let of the time of Henry VIII.
The second episode saw the team journey to Ye Olde Smugglers Inn, Alfriston, East Sussex where they were on the trail of smugglers and contraband substances ranging from gin to tea (both of which Mrs Soup appreciates and doubtless were she alive in the early C19th would either have been involved in criminal activity or availing herself of their services in order to procure them). This episode was fascinating. The team did not push the evidence too far, nor did they attempt to re-write the history of the area. Rather, they responded to the enthusiasm of the Inn's owner and helped to establish a story of more than 10,000 years of human occupation on the site. This was great news for the County archaeologist who was impressed with the work and was happy to share a pint with the team.
It is worth mentioning that in each episode the relationship between Pub Dig, the archaeological authorities and the community is clearly important. The team is eager that their work has a modest legacy for the understanding of the area and the viewer is brought into the world of the archaeologist. Rather than being beaten over the head with due diligence and self-aggrandising process, we are casually assured (and confident) that the team have proceeded professionally... and we are offered a pint at the end of the day.
Unfortunately we missed the third episode due to a technical fault with our Tele-Box (though we plan to catch it online as soon as we can).
The fourth episode of the season was filmed in Banbury (Yay, that place of the infamous cross). This episode was the most interesting so far and the reason we felt compelled to review the series. We were told from the outset that the Medieval town had been 'vaporised' by the English Civil War and that there had been no significant Medieval archaeology discovered in the area. With this in mind the excavation proceeded and was quickly halted at the 'Unicorn' pub by a errant water pipe. The team decided instead to concentrate on 'Ye Olde Reine Deer' towards the centre of the Civil War battle field. We would hate to spoil this episode by giving away the ending, save to say that some superb archaeological and buildings investigation led to the Medieval period in Banbury being re-instated.
Dispersed throughout each of the episodes are insights into the lifestyles of people in the period which is being investigated. These insights are brought to us via Rory in an entertaining and humorous way, though always with good reason. For example in Banbury they brought in some Civil War re-enactors to establish how accurate a musket might have been across the battle field (possibly effecting the function of the building in question). At no time does one feel patronised by the presenters, rather Rory is an interested and enthusiastic amateur who is guided through conceptual mine-fields by a reassuring, relaxed and informative Paul Blinkhorn. The viewer feels they are learning with Rory and that no one is brandishing their expertise with too much force or sobriety!
It is also refreshing to see a more constructive relationship between the 'time limit' on site and the work of the archaeologists. One gets the impression that there is not a frenzy of activity on the 'last day' in order to achieve a pre-defined conclusion. Rather we are shown when a trench comes to a dead-end without dramatic reference to the impending 'X day limit'.
'You must be Zen grasshopper' Paul Blinkhorn.
So far, here at Archaeosoup Towers we are much impressed with the realistic tone, goals and beer-lust featured in Pub Dig. We look forward to more Pub Digs as the series unfolds.
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