Nothing Cheap About This Hoard

So this weekend I escaped the confines of the office 9 - 5 for a morning outing to the Museum of London to see the Cheapside Hoard.

Now before I get carried away and tell you which jewels I would love to add to my personal collection I should probably give you a bit more background. Firstly what is a hoard? Well according to my trusty dictionary a hoard is a collection of large amounts kept hidden, secret and safe. There have been many hoards found over the years across the world, but some of the most exciting have been in the UK and the Cheapside Hoard is one of them.

Discovered in 1912, the hoard, is one of the greatest finds of 16th and 17th Century jewels and precious stones in London. The Elizabethan and Jacobean treasures were uncovered in a cellar in Cheapside which prior to the Great Fire of London, was home to some of the greatest goldsmiths in Europe. According to Curator Hazel Forsyth, Cheapside in the 17th Century was the equivalent to Bond Street with shop after shop selling beautiful handcrafted jewellery to men and women of the era.

The question is why were these gems hidden? Who hid them and why were they left behind and never recovered?

Cleverly put together, the exhibition attempts to piece together this mystery whilst also shedding light on the significance and fascination gems held for Londoners during the period they were hidden. As you weave through the rooms you learn about some of the key sellers and buyers in the jewellery world, but you also learn that these gems are not just for decoration. Many believed that jewels held "powers" to cure and heal. For example onyx lifted the spirits whilst emeralds deflected the plague. I don't entirely believe that we should store so much faith in their healing properties, but never say never.

The background to 16th and 17th Century life is fascinating, but it's the opportunity to see the hoard up close that got me excited and let's just say you are spoilt for choice. Whether you like emeralds, sapphires, rubies, pearls or diamonds the collection has them all. Not only did the hoard contain the precious stones in their natural and polished states, but there were also hundreds of highly decorative necklaces, buttons, earrings and charms from the period and even some antique items dating as far back as the 1st Century. You can't help, but be mesmerised by the intricate detailing and care taken by the jewellers to create these beautiful things. My particular favourite is the emerald watch which I would absolutely love to own. The detail is exquisite and the gold face of the clock contrasts beautifully with the dark green of the emerald.

So do we discover who owned the Hoard? Well some believe it was hidden by a soldier who went off to war whilst others believe it was hidden by jewellers and then forgotten about during the fire. I guess it's down to our own imagination to figure it out.

The exhibition closes on the 27th April so you are running out of time to see this great collection. To book tickets visit www.museumoflondon.org.uk. 

If you think the Cheapside hoard is impressive, check out these other treasures that have been discovered on British soil.

The Staffordshire Hoard - Over 3,900 pieces of early Anglo-Saxon treasure were discovered near Lichfield in 2009. The collection is worth £3.29 million
The Cuerdale Hoard - One of the largest findings of Viking silver outside of Russia. Around 8,600 items were discovered by workmen in 1840 in Lancashire
Sutton Hoo - Recognised as one of the most famous finds discovered in England, the site excavated in 1930 revealed a 27m long ship along with a wealth of treasure. It is also believed that the skeleton discovered with the boat may have been a King
The Hoxne Hoard - In 1992 around 15,000 Roman coins were discovered in Suffolk. It's the largest hoard of Roman gold and silver ever found in the UK
The Fishpool Hoard - Discovered in Nottinghamshire in 1966, this treasure trove consisted of 1,000 coins dating from around the reign of Edward III

The Bear Necessities

So this weekend I returned to Estonia (client) to immerse myself in the nature of the beautiful country and potentially get up close and personal with bears! 

Okay maybe face to face with a bear isn't the smartest idea I've come up with to date and I expect I'd pass out if I ever came across one. So what's my experience to date? Well the closest I've been to one is at a zoo which wasn't very close at all and my knowledge of how they act mainly comes from films and cartoons - the bear who lost his hair to John Candy in The Great Outdoors springs to mind.

Anyway, Estonia isn't all just about bears! There's plenty to see and do and with 50% of the country covered in forest you are likely to discover some form of wildlife whether its wolves, foxes, deer, elks, eagles or owls.

On this particular journey, we were trekking through the Soomaa National Park - a park well known for its fifth season. Yes we traditionally only have four seasons, but the fifth season is a natural event where the park floods after the snow and ice melts and Spring approaches. Normally you have to travel by canoe to get around the park however; snow was scarce in Estonia this year so you could easily walk through the trees and venture around the park. But you'll spot constant reminders that you should in fact be shoulder deep in water!

Aside from attempting to find signs of bears, our guide helped us to explore the park and open our minds to the local nature. Firstly we enjoyed a cup of tree. Yes, I drank the sap from a birch tree which had an oddly sweetish taste to it. Then we donned bog shoes to bounce our way off the beaten track in Kuresoo Bog before we finally got back to the mission in hand. 

We found signs of life including scratch marks on a tree, but sadly we didn't see any bears. Apparently speaking like David Attenborough won't seduce or tempt them out of hiding either. So we just jumped in our canoes and paddled downstream for lunch.

The Soomaa National Park is open all year round and if you are keen to see catch a glimpse of the nature on offer in Estonia check out these cool nature cameras here. You never know what you might see.

In case you do come across a bear whilst you are walking in the woods here are some tips from the Mother Nature Network should you ever need it:

1. Bears are shy of humans, unless they see you as a threat to their cubs. Make loads of noise to alert them to your presence

2. You might think running is the solution, but a bear can reach speeds of 30mph when chasing prey. Instead back away slowly and if it starts to follow stand your ground

3. If the bear charges hit the ground and adopt the foetal position and protect your neck

4. Playing dead is often the best solution. Even if it walks away remain still for at least 20mins as bears often linger in the area even if they think you are no longer a threat

5. As a last resort, fight back by aiming punches at the nose and eyes to get away from them. This is generally not advised and playing dead is the best option