Time Capsules
Time Capsules
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Discussion

The Gauge

Original Poster:

7,329 posts

42 months

Thursday 18th December 2025
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Anyone have knowledge of any of these ever being opened?

As a kid in the 70's I often saw TV programmes where time capsules were buried, to be opened one day in the future, Blue Peter etc. But in my 53 years of roaming this planet I have never seen anything about one being opened.

I know when Durham police knocked down their HQ & training centre and before rebuilding their new HQ they looked for the time capsule that had been buried when the original building was built, but they couldn't find it!!!



Spare tyre

12,531 posts

159 months

Thursday 18th December 2025
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The school I went to (I still live locally) buried one 50 years ago and forgot about it

A few weeks back a jcb dug it up whilst sorting some foundations out


I remember doing one in my parents back garden, a Nescafé jar with various bits in it, I suspect it’s all ruined now

When they die I shall dig it up (I’ll get in trouble if I start digging random holes now!)

Mr Penguin

4,655 posts

68 months

Thursday 18th December 2025
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Pretty sure we buried one in my parents garden around the millennium. Not sure exactly where though so probably need to dig up the whole flower bed to find it.

Blib

48,013 posts

226 months

Thursday 18th December 2025
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Here's a Blue Peter capsule being retrieved.


JoshSm

4,929 posts

66 months

Thursday 18th December 2025
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Biggest problem seems to be people struggling (or forgetting) to seal the things and make them waterproof, so you just end up with a box of soggy rusty rubbish.


Byker28i

90,927 posts

246 months

Thursday 18th December 2025
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I think everyones worried what was put in there from the 70's


K87

4,276 posts

128 months

Thursday 18th December 2025
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I buried one in my garden around 1999, without any special dig up date, thinking it might e found 500 years from now.




I had put in news stuff, coins, A drive disks, audio cassettes, A5 notebook, and other stuff





It was dug up by mistake 23 years later during a house extension, what a load of rubbish, News was all about Clinton and Monica, cassettes and A Drive disks that are no good to man nor beast.

The Gauge

Original Poster:

7,329 posts

42 months

Thursday 18th December 2025
quotequote all
Blib said:


Here's a Blue Peter capsule being retrieved.
Was hoping to see a jazz mag! smile

Warhavernet

1,486 posts

16 months

Thursday 18th December 2025
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JoshSm said:
Biggest problem seems to be people struggling (or forgetting) to seal the things and make them waterproof, so you just end up with a box of soggy rusty rubbish.
Even a sealed lead box can fail, I believe glass is the best container.

When the local war memorial was re-sited a time capsule from the 1920s was found inside the stonework.
It was in good nick, presumably because no rainwater had got to it, the contents were listed and photographed then put back in the capsule, resealed with some modern artifacts and placed back in the rebuilt memorial.