15th December 2010, 05:37 PM
Dinosaur Wrote:One wonders how long the core team with the specialist local knowledge would last..... enjoyed working there years back, despite being in Essex
I also worked for Essex (mid '90s) and it is a sad day to find out yesterday, from the old unit manager, that it is being 'sold off'. Essex CC, despite being Tory, was one of the first counties to set up their SMR online (still not done where I live now) and the unit was bloody good at what it did for the archaeology of the county. All of the staff lived locally and the whole process of excavation was done within the county border, with artefacts staying in Essex. People with specialist knowledge have been working there for decades. All this was supported by local people and enthusiastic volunteers - with no one worried about losing their jobs to them, if you want to hear that. If not just stick your head somewhere dark and whistle. I was born and brought up in the south of Essex and it was grim in many ways. But it had a rich history to be proud of going back thousands of years, and many part of the county, and its villages, are as pretty as anywhere in the UK.