They have started work on the programme, and have a team of volunteers working on site on Thursday of each week. Considerable progress has already been made on preparing the trenches and walls for the re-burial of the artefacts.
The older volunteers who have been responsible for the design, digging and construction of the project have all acquired new skills, new experience of team working and a new sense of community initiative and responsibility that they will take back to their own local communities.
“One member of the team, recently retired and widowed, has become very involved with the project using his knowledge and skills in the building industry to lead others in the construction of the flint walls and floors of the ‘villa’. As work has progressed he has led other volunteers to explore the difficulties in the laying of mosaic floors, experimenting with different techniques to find solutions: For instance, how to mark out and lay the tiles; trying different mortar mixes to achieve a speedy and level working surface. This volunteer has just returned from a visit to Herculaneum and Pompeii, his first holiday alone since becoming widowed.”