Tempus Fugit...

Time really does flee - the more literal translation of Tempus Fugit is 'time flees', rather than the more usual 'time flies'. The first recorded use is  in Virgil's Poem, Georgics  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgics if you  want to know more).

To round up last Autumn  -  quite busy, if a little wet and windy!

Heritage Open Days at Vallum Farm,
about 200 metres from Milecastle 18 on Hadrian's Wall

Gorgeous ice cream - check out  Vallum Farm

Epiacum,
 3 fun packed schools activity days in September

although it did rain a little...

Add to this plenty of Discovery Visits at Housesteads, a Pirate Day and celebration of Saturnalia at Bede's World.

Now I'm looking forward to 2013.

Records Smashed...

That's what they reckoned after the doors closed at Bede's World on Bank Holiday Monday!  The day had been given over to - Pirates and Pieces of Eight - Storytelling, Coracles, Bucaneer school, face painting and a Roman from the Classis Britannica there to sort out those Saxon Raiders, so busy didn't even have time for a photo.  Still the Photographer from the Shields Gazette was there...

Digging my way out...

Spent a pleasant day playing in the mud on Wednesday, Graham Taylor (Master Potter of Potted History ) is re-building a Saxon style pottery kiln at Bede's World in Jarrow.  Someone was needed to stand up to their knees in the mud and mix it up,

 

The kiln is the hole in the ground and there is a firebox  (the hole in the foreground) that feeds into the main chamber.  In use the kiln will be roofed over with a temporary clay covering with a small flue to draw the heat through the pottery stacked inside the kiln chamber.

The kiln still needs some work to thicken the walls, so weather and workload permitting it will be ready to fire later in the Summer.  I'll let you know when.