Five years ago today, myself and my ex-partner’s three kids buried four jars around the garden, containing notes and drawings and things that represented our lives in that moment in time. We then drew a treasure map, and decided that we would dig them up on the 26th March 2016.

The weather is terrible, but we went out in the rain in our wellies with a spade, and Luc and I dug up our capsules. The girls will be around later next week, so they will dig theirs up then.

Mine was easy to find, as I had tucked it into the hollow of a tree, and then placed a tribal metal face to protect it.

Luc’s was a little more interesting to find! We knew which tree it was, and roughly where, but in no time at all, the spade hit a rock. A giant rock. That didn’t move. A little bit confused, we dug around it, and gradually it started moving.

All the while, we were questioning whether we really would have placed a giant rock over the jar! We had to get a crowbar in the end, to help us ease the rock out, which had actually become attached to the tree root! We managed to lift it out (how we put it in there five years ago, I have no idea) and then with a little more digging. we found Luc’s jar. Phew!

Muddy and wet, we hosed the jars off, and then came back in to reveal the contents. Luc was only seven years old then, so his jar contained adorable drawings of the things he liked at the time. And a message from his sister!

My jar contained lots of bits, including three lucky stars I had tucked tiny notes into, a haiku, an affirmation card, my lucky golden cat, an almondy tart label, (I loved it!), a Lindt white chocolate wrapper, the February calendar, and a lucky penny!

I also had a note in there about me at that time as well as some pretty wise advice to my 32-year-old self! The date on the note is the 27th February, because that’s when we created the time capsules, but we didn’t bury them until the 26th March.

Some of my predictions have come true, when we did this in 2011, I had yet to publish any books, and wasn’t anywhere near being a well-known author!

Would highly recommend doing this, especially with kids, as five years is a long time, and it’s fun to look back at what they loved! When creating it, they might not understand why it’s fun or important, but when they dig it up, it’s like time travelling back to that moment.

Just don’t place massive rocks on top that will get entangled in tree roots!