Hoo? What? When?

Hoo; Sutton Hoo,Suffolk What; Archaeological Dig When; 1938

Sutton Hoo, an estate near Woodbridge in Suffolk is the site of two 6th/7th century Anglo Saxon cemeteries. In 1926 the property was bought by Edith Pretty, a very wealthy woman and intelligent woman. At the age of 43 she had finally married Frank Pretty, of Ipswich,  with whom she had corresponded for 25 years. They dreamed of excavating the barrows/mounds on their land. In 1930, she gave birth to Robert, but Frank sadly died three years later.

Edith was not deterred from the dream - she employed Basil Brown, a local amateur archaeologist to excavate the mounds. War was looming, and there seemed ot be no 'official' finance available for the project. Then Brown unearthed a Saxon ship - and the British Museum stepped in and took over. Some fantastic treasures were discovered. 

If you have heard of Sutton Hoo already, you probably know that much. If you don't know about it, and you have Netflix, you should really watch "The Dig", which was released last Friday. I won't give away any more...

It is brilliant. The stellar cast is headed up by Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan - and RF has worked incredibly hard to get a totally believable Suffolk accent**. Oh please do watch it if you get the opportunity!

After you have watched the film, [or now if you  know you cannot  get to see it]  you may want to follow this link which explains the historical details

And Sutton Hoo is now owned by the National Trust - their website is also a mine of information about the property, the excavation, the characters, and the film. [here]

I'm a sucker for a film with an intelligent plotline, based on a true story, celebrating all the best values- love, friendship, commitment, honesty, respect for land and for history, sharing of knowledge with young and old, joy and peace, hard work and just reward, and hope for the future...especially at a time of sadness, separation, and anxiety about what lies ahead. 

The Dig - definitely *****

** watch how Mr Fiennes became Mr Brown - sounding like a Suffolk excavator, and not a Dorset pirate here after Charlie Haylock "Suffolk-ated" the script