And Now... the end is near!

[GnomeKing]

the environment, education, social services, culture, heritage.....and now this - KITTENS!!!

come on people...stand up and fight!!!

(serious though.....IRELAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...i rest my case)

[BAJR]

BAJR you'd get more sympathy from me if the job ads were your sole business. Clearly not the case.

Sympathy from Vulpes would be the world turned upside down. :0

However, serious point, I look not for sympathy, but would like to point out that BAJR is a full time job in itself.

I do other work (like being a digger recently) to make ends meet.

So unlike Vulpes, I don't have a permanent job.. like most of us out there - we work from month to month.

Getting an income from BAJR meant I could spend time on BAJR,

At the moment I have to concentrate on finding work.

The reason you have a BAJR forum to be on, is because somebody ( hmm who would that be?) took the trouble to make it. Think on Vulpes... where else would you have a place to complain about this place :face-confused:

Current discussions show a maturity of thought and reasoning... lets see if you can rise to it?

[deadlylampshade]

Constructive criticism should always be welcome. Letting off steam - well, we all need a place for that and if it wasn't for BAJR and this forum most of us would just chunter to ourselves, or at work and never be heard.

There is a lot of bitterness and despondency out in the big bad world of archaeology (some of it of our own making) but it isn't going to be helped by in fighting and back biting.

We've been given a voice so let's use it constructively!

PS - Hosty - offer still stands!

[Dinosaur]

They may not be advertising, but people out there are doing fieldwork and are employing diggers even at this time of year, a number of the people we phoned up this week were unavailable cos they already had digging jobs up to Xmas or beyond with other units. Things are a little slow at the moment but hardly apocalyptic? [as long as you don't work for EH or a council or rely on research grants...] :face-stir:

[Rich_cuk]

After some ranting earlier in the year, after 5 weeks at Wessex (*waves at those I worked with*) I find myself working in the north east Midlands, and have excavation work until at least Christmas and probably until spring. The company has just taken a couple of people on for a second project - so there ARE a few jobs about. We're not dead yet, it's a wee bit cold out there... but who cares...

[Carrickavoy]

Things are a little slow at the moment but hardly apocalyptic? [as long as you don't work for EH or a council or rely on research grants...]

well that's me f@*ked then xx(

Pardon the language but nothing like an expletive to express the moment...and punctuate a sentence.

[BAJR]

@Dino.. couple of wee points... a) archaeology is more than just commercial companies that are - in the main - holding steady, with work lined up. It is all the other elements that you don't seem to mind being cut to the bone. It reminds me so much

[Madweasels]

My work takes me between many of the sectors in our discipline, and never have I seen morale so low. It was bad enough seeing the effects of the banking crisis/recession on the commercial units, but now the awareness of recent coalition policies are - as we all know - stunning us into a state of rigid fright. But we must stay positive where ever possible. We must stay focused - if not for the sake of the nation's heritage but then for the sake of our own self-esteems. If it does all goes totally pear-shaped, don't let it be because we didn't do anything about it. Like it or not, pompous or not, we collectively ARE the custodians of the country's archaeology. Yes, we are all trying to eek out a living while working with archaeology, but tell me - if we were all sacked tomorrow would you all cease to be 'archaeologists'? Of course not.

We are being led at the moment by a bunch of ideological philistines. Their mantras are that we are to do more with less, that front line services are to be protected. That last phrase is one to focus upon - in time the 'are to be' will be replaced with 'should' and then with 'every attempt will be made to protect'. That is a forerunner, in my experience, of 'the need to prioritise front line services' and then we get into that game - how do we prioritise archaeology in today's society. Well, we might not be able to with the Coalition. They may just not be interested - but a few million viewers of progs like Time Team (like them or loathe them - the progs that is, not the viewers) can't be wrong. Question - how do we engage them? Perhaps we could do with a bit of payback from the producers of Time Team, who did quite handsomely, I believe over the last decade or so with a lot of cheap or free help from us lot. A programme championing the role of archaeology in the UK would not go amiss - especially on prime time TV under the banner of a Time Team title.

Anyway, don't want to be too down, but we are being hit - but let;s prepare for the next one. Why prioritise archaeology!

[Warren]

Hmm. It actually seems to be the opposite problem in Ireland. Lots of civil servants not implementing policies, failing to implement standards, allowing developers to conduct archaeological methodology, refusing to prosecute those that do not comply with old laws (the bits of the National Monuments Act that haven't been amended/removed in recent years) refusing to implement and control standards of work, and a dearth of work for the surviving companies who tender for fixed price contracts at ridiculous and unaffordable prices to push each other over the edge into the liquid fire of oblivion.

Is this what you meant by "Ireland: I rest my case?"

If you have only had 4-5 months with no work, be glad you're not an Irish archaeologist. Expatriation has been standard now for a couple of years, and is set to continue for several more.

[GnomeKing]

well spoken Mad and BAJR

Warren: that's interesting...meant more that overall previous Cuts have obviously not helped anybody...the whole economic ideology is wrong