Thanks for the praise Littlestone but the truth is all I've done is shot my mouth off publicly from the position of someone who has no personal or professional reputation to lose. The real work has been done by people inside and outside EH, archaeologists and non-archaeologists, who have been upset by some things that have gone on. I guess their role will never be revealed but they deserve to have their names on a plaque in front of the hill.

And what is the crux of the problem? Is it just that we're professional moaners? No. Its that EH have stayed secretive for seven years and not shared with the public. Plus, they have made some big mistakes, which is human, but never admitted to them or put them right, which is unacceptable in my view. Since some of these have involved the physical welfare of the hill they are more than unacceptable.

On that subject, I don't think we should count our chickens yet on the capsule. Winning an argument both intellectually and morally works in most arenas but I'm not convinced its enough in this case - which, if I'm right, will illustrate just how unacceptable the situation is. We'll see.

As for removing the door lintel, if it can't be done without a big loss of archaeology, so be it. But it would be nice to hear an expertexplain it wouldn't it? (Sounds familiar?) I presume a structural engineer's assessment exists, else why would it have been said? My local builder, name of O'Keefe, removed my living room chimney breast without causing a tenth of a millimeter of movement in the bedroom one above it.