18th March 2011, 10:39 PM
What I'm looking for, is a way of explaining archaeology's value to my parents. My Mum spent twenty minutes at Stonehenge once and thought "it was a bit small and not very impressive". They watch Time Team and are occasionally interested. These are the kind of people who pay taxes and we need them onside. I believe they were once termed "The Man on the Clapham Omnibus".
Taking my parents as an example:
They'd be only too pleased to see the back of PPS5, so that argument's going to cut no ice. You should've heard the earache I got when friends of theirs putting an extension on a social club building, had to shell out for a watching brief that found absolutely nothing. I'm still recovering from the tinnitus.
In my county, the council is planning to axe school lollipop ladies/men. How can we justify keeping local authority archaeologists? Nobody will die if they're not there.
Effect of the what on the what now? I feel another earache coming on.
What's the CBA? Does it do Meals on Wheels?
We need to focus on things that might matter to non-archaeologists and we need to be able to justify our existence in relation to other threatened services.
Taking my parents as an example:
Quote:Potential loss of PPS5
Quote:Erosion of local authority archaeologists
Quote:Effect of localism on PPS5, if it survives.
Quote:Loss of CBA funding - not exactly a Big Society move!
What's the CBA? Does it do Meals on Wheels?
We need to focus on things that might matter to non-archaeologists and we need to be able to justify our existence in relation to other threatened services.