Among the finds was a medieval hoard of 17 coins discovered by Roland Mumford in December 2012, while metal detecting on farm land in Wenvoe.

The hoard is made of five gold and 12 silver coins and includes a half-noble, four quarter-nobles of Edward III (1327-77) and principally groats (4d pieces) of Edward III.

That hoard dates to between 1365 to 1370 with the oldest coin discovered being from the 1290s and the most recent date from the 1360s.

An archaeological investigation was undertaken by National Museum and PAS Cymru archaeologists, with the support of the landowner and the assistance of the finder. Because no signs of settlement were found, this deposition of a significant sum of money remains a mystery.

The money would have been the equivalent of around two months’ wages.

Another hoard including two bronze artefacts, thought to be dated to the Late Bronze Age around 3,000 years ago was also declared treasure.

They were identified as axes after being found in Llancarfan, in the Vale of Glamorgan, by David Harrison in October 2013, while Mr Harrison was metal detecting on farm land.

One was a complete axe, the other a fragment.

The fragment had been wedged into the socket of the complete axe immediately before burial and were found near to each other in the corner of a field.

They are thought to have been buried during social and ritual ceremonies.

Another find of a small gold pendant which is thought to be dated to the first half of the sixteenth century had been found in St Donats by David Hughes in November 2011.

The pendant was made up of four circular sockets that would once have held beads, pearls or semi-precious stones. They are fastened to a small circular back-plate in a cross shape. The sockets of the pendant are decorated with a gold twisted wire that can be matched to Tudor dress hooks and pins.

Other finds included a 14th or 16th century signet ring which was found by Michael Gerry in August 2013 while metal detecting in Sully.

A gold ring with the inscription “such is my love” was found by David Hughes in April 2013 on land at Llantwit Major.

Fragments of a silver devotional ring were found by Mark Lambert in April 2013 on land at St Athan, that is thought to be dated to the fifteenth or early sixteenth century.

Fragments of a silver badge in the form of a cockerel, bearing the motto Si deus nobiscum – meaning If God is with us – were found by Mark Newbury in September 2012 at Pentyrch.

A 17th-century silver dress pin was also found by Robert Lock and Joseph Cartwright in August 2011 on land at St Athan.

Author: Ruth Mosalski | Source: Wales Online [April 22, 2015]

Emergency supplies: A box full of cans of beer stands in the mud this morning
You've got to laugh: Hayley Davenport manages to keep a smile on her face as she carries her guitar through the mud. Left, another festival fan is more than prepared for the expected wet weather
More than 177,000 people are expected to attend the festival in Pilton to see the likes of U2, Beyonce and Coldplay perform.
Unlike last year's sun-drenched festival, music fans have packed woolly jumpers, waterproofs and wellies as they brace themselves for autumnal temperatures and regular downpours.
Barefoot bravery: Katie Featherstone and Lucy Loretto arrive in the mud clutching their festival gear
Nearly all donned their wet weather gear as as the damp conditions threatened to cause a repeat of the 2007 mudfest.
Weather experts even warned revellers making their way to the annual bash that they may need to brace themselves - for hail.
Met Office forecaster George Goodfellow said: 'The weather for the period of Glastonbury Festival is looking very unsettled but we could see the most intense showers on Thursday.
'When we get these intense showers at this time of the year we can see hail, which is a possibility for Glastonbury.'

Carefree: A festival goer laughs as he arrives at the Glastonbury Festival site with a dirty face - and the fun hasn't even begun
The Met Office has also warned night temperatures will drop to as low as six degrees - while heavy rain is already turning the 1,100 acre site into a mud bath.
A spokesman said: 'It's not going to be a typically wet Glastonbury but it won't be like last year's either.
'We're expecting some heavy showers for the first two days but it will gradually improve and while Sunday won't be that bright it could be quite warm.'
Determined: Two festival goers have a steely look on their faces as they battle through the wind and mud
But the weather is unlikely to put off excited festival-goers who will turn Worthy Farm into the south-west's third largest city after Bristol and Plymouth.
James Beal, 25, from Bristol, is making his fourth trip to Glastonbury and spent last year's festival basking in the heat wave.
He said: 'This year's event will be brilliant, regardless of whether it's wet and windy or sunny and bright.
'I think it's impossible for the weather to put me off, I'm here for the music and the atmosphere.
'I can't wait to see Beyonce; I hope Jay-Z makes a guest appearance - that would be amazing.'
Some revellers will be enjoying the festival fun in rather more luxurious surroundings than others, however.
Popping up next to the Glastonbury Festival is the latest venture in posh camping - deluxe tents which cost up to £1500 for the weekend.
Festival-goers with fat enough wallets can spend the weekend in safari-style bell tents with double beds, valet parking, wooden deck flooring and hot showers in an upmarket encampment just outside the festival.
And for those who need a pick me up after a hard night's raving, the so-called pop-up hotel offers full English breakfasts to guests.
Missing the point? The luxury on offer at the Pop-Up Hotel just outside the festival site
Event organisers are employing around 1,600 staff to look after the event, which is now in its 40th year.
Thousands of acts from local unsigned bands to the world's biggest rock stars will be appearing on stage over the five-day festival.
Taking centre stage on the famous Pyramid this year are U2, Coldplay and Beyonce while Morrissey, Primal Scream and Tinie Tempah are also expected to draw huge crowds.
Lesser known acts will perform on the 100 other stages and performance areas.
Wet weather gear: In scenes that could be repeated this year, a discarded pair of wellies lie at the exit of Glasto' 2009
Compare and contrast: Brollies provided a different kind of protection for last year's festival as sunshine beat down on gig-goers
Festival organisers are dedicating six per cent of the event's revenue this year to keeping the place clean and tidy.
The site will have 20,000 rubbish bins colour-coded for recycling, enabling the festival to recycle more 400 tonnes of waste.
This is being co-ordinated by 160 'green police' who patrol the vast site ensuring people don't drop litter or urinate in the stream.
A team of 950 people will clean up rubbish every morning and ensure the 4,600 toilets are acceptable to use.
How to walk onto the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival 2011

A drive around Glastonbury Festival Site 18/06/11

source : dailymail

VIA Wellies and winter coats will be order of the day as weather looks grim for Glastonbury

It's a fleece off: A nervous Ci tries to stand his ground as the flock approaches him
Now Ci’s reaction to the flock borders on the ridiculous. When faced with the woolly bullies, he simply turns tail and flees.
Owner Jane Lippington, 54, has become so exasperated she has given up using him as a working dog.
‘I have tried to use Ci to herd the sheep and get them in the right place lots of times but they are just too scary for him,’ she said at the 200-acre farm she runs at Langridge, near Bath with husband Donald, 62.
Can't we talk about this chaps? The sheep surge forward and Ci prepares to make his move
'Collies are very instinctive and they want to work the sheep and Ci wants to do it but he is terrified of them.
‘If they run away from him he will go after them and act like a proper sheepdog.
‘But the moment they turn and face him he runs away. Sheep can be quite aggressive if they think they have the upper hand – they stamp their feet and gang up and act like an army.
‘Now they’ve worked out that he can’t push them around because he is too soft.
‘He might be the worst sheepdog in Britain but there’s no way we would be without Ci, he’s part of the family.’
I'm out of here: Ci runs away from the flock as they claim victory
'Sheep can be quite aggressive if they think they have the upper hand - they stamp their feet and gang up in numbers and act like an army.
'When that happens Ci gets intimidated and runs off.
'The only way to make it work is for me to get behind them first and shoo them so they run away from you and then Ci joins in. It just means a lot more work for us to do.
Jane Lippington says she needs to give up trying to use Ci as a working dog
'He might be the worst sheepdog in Britain but there's no way we would be without Ci, he's part of the family.'
She added: 'I took some footage of it simply because I thought it was funny.
'But somebody told me I should put it on YouTube because it is quite unusual.
'I don't think he would get very far on One Man and His Dog, he's more suited to You've Been Framed.'
Sheep dog terrified of sheep

source: dailymail

VIA Sheepdog that gets the collywobbles every time he goes near... sheep

Desperate measures: Site workers try to suck mud from the market areas close to the Pyramid Stage in an attempt to dry them before the main event begins tomorrow
In for a penny... Tom Wilder, 17, from Kent, gets into the festival spirit and performs a dramatic slide in the Glastonbury Festival mud
Diving face down through Britain's biggest mudbath, teenage reveller Tom Wilder ensured the Glastonbury cheers started early.
Egged on by his mates, 17-year-old student Tom, from Kent, performed headlong dives on demand to cheer up arrivals trudging through the sodden 900-acre site.
Countless efforts left him caked in mud from head to toe, with dairy farm sludge stuck in the braces on his teeth.
But he declared with a grin: 'If I run out of clothes, I'll just do it naked.'
His dives received roars of approval from hundreds of onlookers along with the group of friends he was camping with.
Best friend Callum Burgess, also 17, said: 'I'm supposed to share a tent with him but he can sleep outside. Look at the state of him.'
Clouds cleared over the Pilton hills last night, but the rain returned this morning and is due for a reprise later today - the best weather is not expected until Sunday.
Tent city: Aerial view of the Glastonbury Festival taken today. Over the course of a few days Glastonbury becomes the home to thousands of party goers creating a temporary town twice the size of the city of Bath
More than half the ticket-holders for the sold out event will have squelched their way to the site by tonight.
This year's event sees U2, Coldplay and Beyonce headline.
Treacherous conditions: Festival goers traipse through the mud around an ice cream van at the Glastonbury Festival
But early arrivals' efforts to secure prize camping spots were confounded by yesterday's monsoon-like conditions.
Hundreds of tents were flooded withing a few hours as torrential downpours began shortly after gates opened and fans began streaming in.
Campers hauling their bags and beers along the slippery thoroughfares were even told to pitch tents on hills to escape the worst of the wet conditions.
Marc Saunders, 31, from Bath, pitched his tent in driving rain with his five-year-old daughter Sam and wife Sarah.
He said: 'We say it's "go hard or go home". We're thrilled to be here, the place is magical - even in the mud.'
Go hard or go home: Muddy revellers chill out at the stone circle during the evening celebrations at Glastonbury last night
Another early arrival, 19-year-old James Street, from Belfast, was caked in mud from head to toe after slipping in a puddle.
He said: 'I'm drenched, obviously. But it's great just to be here with my pals. Legendary place, legendary line-up.
'We're not interested in the headliners - there's so much more to see.'
The first of the main acts take to the Pyramid Stage tomorrow, when the wet weather is expected to return.
Among a host of theatrical events at the site will be Glastonbury's own version of La Tomatina.
Other new elements for this year include The Spirit of 71 stage, with acts that played at the festival 40 years ago.
Beyonce, who fell in love with the Somerset festival after watching husband Jay-Z perform three years ago, is believed to have cleared her diary to party in Pilton over three days.
Rapper Jay-Z is even money with bookmakers Ladbrokes to join his wife on stage this Sunday.
NOW WATCH THE MET OFFICE'S GLASTONBURY WEATHER FORECAST

source : dailymail

VIA Glaston-buried: Fans drown in sea of mud and the music hasn't even started yet

Surprisingly, I miss the smell of mothballs and rotting, moldy fabric. I miss how cold and dark it would be on a hot, summer day. But what I miss the most is the amazing surprise each box would be as uncovered some amazing suit made in Paris or a box just overflowing with heirloom styled petticoats. Do you know how much restraint it took me not to try anything on? lol! Yes, big no-no indeed!

The San Fransisco Museum is having a exhibition on the great couturier Balenciaga. Now, I honestly only knew of this designer in high school from the infamous Balenciaga motorcycle bag that all my friends covereted. Now everyone has a copy hanging from their arm. It wasn't until my great discovery of couture that I realized how beautiful his work was.

Back from spring break and now overwhelmed with work...

I have three major papers to write this week and not much on the sewing front has been completed. I've been knitting a bit, a row here and there. Sometimes I get quite a lot done in a sitting, but then sometimes I maybe knit just a row before my hands get tired. Though, over break I was super excited to finish up my first ball and move onto the second.

Happy Memorial Day

Last night my father invited me to a BBQ up in the mountains. I got my kitchen supplies and drove as fast as I could. There is something about the mountains, the air is crisper and the colors are more vibrant. I made my spicy barbecue bean burgers and an anti-pasta salad. We had the traditional corn on the cob, which we left on the grill too long and blackened on the bottom. I took some shots of the farm valley between my father's home and my mothers on the drive back, I just missed the sunset but it still is just as beautiful at twilight. Soon, around July and August, the fields will be lite with fireflies and I promise when it happens I'll take plenty of pictures.

So, everything is unpacked and I'm back to work...

I can officially call it summer. However, most of my peers won't call it summer until Memorial Day. What a perfect time to start on some cotton, floral frocks! I just finished Simplicity's 2250 by Cynthia Rowley. I did a few adjustments, such as doing a muslin lining, omitting the tie, and elastic in the ruffles. All the fabric manipulation in the top isn't visible in the white cotton. I do think it would show better in a dark color where you can see the contrast if you're focused on that detail. It's intermediate, at best. The top takes a bit of finesse doing all those tucks. It resembles a bit of a puzzle piece, it took a bit of marking and basting. But, if you have patience and can follow directions it might be the best challenge to a experienced beginner.

The back ruffles are a great detail...

You might be able to tell that I only attached the zipper to the underlining. It's something we do at work all the time when there is a light overlay like organza or chiffon. It keeps it nice and light, doesn't add bulk, and makes the zipper sit well when you're using a lining.

VIA There are things I miss working in a costume archive...