Digging in Northumberland
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Digging in Northumberland one September 2023
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Digging in Northumberland three September 2023
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Digging in Northumberland two September 2023
DIGGING IN NORTHUMBERLAND
Barry Mead ‘HAPPY DAYS DIGGING IN NORTHUMBERLAND’
Barry joined us once again to tell us the delights of Archaeological Digs and in particular what he has been up to this year. Last time we saw Barry it was as a guide around Cresswell Towers, which we visited recently on a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon earlier this month.
Barry has become a good and entertaining friend to Whitley Bay Rotary and he didn’t disappoint on this Tuesday evening either!
For a change, we were meeting at Tynemouth Golf Club, which he loved as well… as the bar was in the room!!!
Once he was comfortable, he went on to tell us about some of the new sites he has been working on this year.
Barry loves the physical challenges of his Northumberland sites because: –
• Where else could you eat like a horse
• Drink like a fish
• Lose weight
He reckons that after 47 years he has got the hang of it now!!
Barry doesn’t bother with little trowels and the like for digging; no, he much prefers a big ‘ammer or even better a mechanical excavator!!!
So, what had Barry been doing these last few months?
Well, trying to avoid some appalling North Sea weather on Holy Island, working on a newly discovered 5th Century Church, possibly connected to Bede, which was probably his most rewarding dig this year. Moving onto Ashington and discovering Iron-Age Neolithic pottery on a housing estate to Biddleston above Harden Quarry (where most road chippings come from), to Redesdale where he unearthed glass beads, 2,000 years old that had somehow found their way to Northumberland.
He had also recently worked at Kentstone, (opposite Holy Island) and discovered a flintstone arrowhead some 5,000 years old and then onto to Belsay he had been digging and discovering ancient rock art some 4-5,000 years old.
But to conclude, he reckoned the best thing he had ever dug up was his wife who he met on a dig many years ago!!!
Rotarian Steve gave a vote of thanks and we all look forward to Barry’s return next year to update us on some even more fascinating activities in Northumberland.
Barry joined us once again to tell us the delights of Archaeological Digs and in particular what he has been up to this year. Last time we saw Barry it was as a guide around Cresswell Towers, which we visited recently on a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon earlier this month.
Barry has become a good and entertaining friend to Whitley Bay Rotary and he didn’t disappoint on this Tuesday evening either!
For a change, we were meeting at Tynemouth Golf Club, which he loved as well… as the bar was in the room!!!
Once he was comfortable, he went on to tell us about some of the new sites he has been working on this year.
Barry loves the physical challenges of his Northumberland sites because: –
• Where else could you eat like a horse
• Drink like a fish
• Lose weight
He reckons that after 47 years he has got the hang of it now!!
Barry doesn’t bother with little trowels and the like for digging; no, he much prefers a big ‘ammer or even better a mechanical excavator!!!
So, what had Barry been doing these last few months?
Well, trying to avoid some appalling North Sea weather on Holy Island, working on a newly discovered 5th Century Church, possibly connected to Bede, which was probably his most rewarding dig this year. Moving onto Ashington and discovering Iron-Age Neolithic pottery on a housing estate to Biddleston above Harden Quarry (where most road chippings come from), to Redesdale where he unearthed glass beads, 2,000 years old that had somehow found their way to Northumberland.
He had also recently worked at Kentstone, (opposite Holy Island) and discovered a flintstone arrowhead some 5,000 years old and then onto to Belsay he had been digging and discovering ancient rock art some 4-5,000 years old.
But to conclude, he reckoned the best thing he had ever dug up was his wife who he met on a dig many years ago!!!
Rotarian Steve gave a vote of thanks and we all look forward to Barry’s return next year to update us on some even more fascinating activities in Northumberland.
If you are interested in finding out more about Whitley Bay Rotary Club, please contact us either through Facebook or on enquiries@whitleybayrotaryclub.co.uk or by telephoning 07419 736989.
