Hi everyone I hope you are enjoying the festival.

I’m Lynda and currently I am in the process of obtaining my masters degree in Archaeological Sciences from the University of Bradford. Like most people Covid-19 has changed my plans this past year with both finishing my undergraduate degree and starting my masters occurring during lockdown and stopping my plans to spend the summer participating in digs and attend TAG in December. Happily, however, a benefit of Covid is that I have been able to spend a large portion of my time attending conferences and seminars online that I normally would have been unable to attend in person including SR2A which was supposed to be in LA, the Kent Archaeological Society talks and the Current Archaeology conference. This has increased my exposure to a wider variety of topics both within the archaeology sector and outside of it and I am looking forward to future talks and conferences.

Like many, the Young Archaeologists' Club (YAC) was my introduction to archaeology and I am now honoured to hold the role as one of the assistant leaders of the Canterbury Branch which I have been a member of the since 2007. Unfortunately, like most YAC branches the Canterbury branch hasn’t been able to meet during Covid however we are currently liaising with the local archaeology groups and volunteer organisations we work with to resume sessions. I am looking forward to welcoming both our old and new members to meetings soon where I am sure we will have lots of fun.

Looking toward the future, in the longer term I am excited to undertake my dissertation as part of finishing my masters in January as well as continuing to assist with the YACs and hopefully participate in fieldwork.

Enjoy the rest of the festival.