What are those children doing in that graveyard...?!

Only good things, I promise!

This was the essence of the conversation that took place on a bus which passed by St Mary's Church in Bedford on Saturday 20th October. Fortunately a well-informed traveller was able to reassure her fellow passengers that they shouldn't worry, the children were engaged in a legitimate activity, in fact they were recording the gravestones for posterity!

Our chief advocate trumpeted the glories of Saturday Archaeology Workshops from the last four years to such an extent, that by the time they reached the bus station, the whole top deck knew all about SAW!

Recording the memorials for posterity.

This was the second phase of the St Mary's Church graveyard memorial survey, so far we have completed about two thirds of the whole outdoor area, with the memorials inside the church to record as well. When completed, the results will be kept  by Albion Archaeology as the official record of the state of the memorials in 2011-12.

So don't be alarmed if you see children with fluorescent vests saying 'SAW' hanging around in graveyards, they're just preserving history!

For more news on what SAW as been up to in the last year go to our Gallery and for a sneak peek of what's coming up in 2013, go to our News page.