Alston AD200 Gladiators, Bones and Pies

A wonderful write-up on the event at Alston a little while ago - Alston AD200 Gladiators, Bones and Pies  - there's even a picture of me (although you do need to scroll down to near the end!)  Thanks very much!

Busy July...

July has been quite busy.
 Loads of 'Family Man' sessions, including a whole day in a nursery for around 40 Dads and their children!  I've done evening sessions at Once Brewed Youth Hostel, school groups at Segedunum and Roman Army Boot Camp at Arbeia Roman Fort..  Last Saturday Victor the Veteran was finally promoted and awarded some medals

There was even a brief moment where I was asked to impersonate the Emperor Hadrian!  The event was Epiacum: ALSTON 200AD, a celebration of things Roman and Family Fun in Alston.  Victor the Veteran was asked to ride the South Tynedale Railway chatting about life in the Roman Army as the train made it's way past the Fort of Epiacum (Whitley Castle).  Perhaps I should have gone under the name of Titus the Tank Engine!!

As usual an Auxiliary with a camera doesn't really work, so I'm relying on others for some photos, including me launching a book - Hadrian and his Wall by Paul Frodsham.

Next weekend I'm off to Chilton Village Gala, to try my hand at a new activity - details will follow soon.

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.

Friend of Epiacum

One of the things I like about this line of work is the sense of continuity that sneaks up on you.  I have just become a 'Friend of Epiacum'.  In May 2010 is was lucky enough to be the Roman Army recruiter for Epic Epiacum (see blog post 27 July 2010) where over 200 local school children experienced this little known gem of a  Roman Fort.

Last year Cockfield Primary School who had been to Epic Epiacum, the year before asked me to visit their school and run a workshop.
22 May 2012 I was invited to the Launch of  the Epiacum Heritage, a volunteer run project that has come about because of the drive of Elaine Edgar

Stewart Ainsworth, of English Heritage and Time Team, has championed Epiacum for several years and told a 100-strong audience at the launch: “It is probably the best-preserved fort in the Roman Empire and a flagship for our project.” Mr Ainsworth, who is to be president of the Friends of Epiacum group, added: “Whitley Castle was at the hub of a thriving landscape and was vitally important..." (http://www.journallive.co.uk) 

The intention is to turn the site into a resource for schools and the local community.

The projects' website will be live in a few weeks at  http://www.epiacumheritage.org/  

Hopefully the project will continue to grow and grow and I wish Elaine and her fellow volunteers all the Very Best for the future.

Cockfield Primary School - 1 July 2011

The end of Summer Term provided an opportunity to work with one of the schools that had visited Whitley Castle as part of the Epic Epiacum event last year.  The current Year 3/4 class had just finished the Romans as a topic and wanted a workshop to reinforce their learning.  We made giant timelines, handled real and replica artifacts, imagined what life was like for the local tribespeople, the Brigantes, before the Romans came, we looked at how life would change and finally dressed up as Roman Soldiers discovered what it was like to drilled as new recruits.
It's good to begin to develop relationships with schools in this way and I'm intending to develop more workshops for schools, so watch this space...

Epic Epiacum

May saw a new venture to a new fort - Epiacum. Known locally as Whitley Castle, the fort lies on a hillside a few miles north of Alston, Cumbria and the site could well be described as the North of England's best-kept Roman secret. There have been just two recorded excavations, about 1810 a part of the bath house was exposed and in 1957/8 a trench was dug across the northern ramparts.

From the 18th to the 21st May 2010 over 200 primary school children visited the site. The living history event was organised by the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in partnership with Elaine and John Edgar, the owners of Castle Nook Farm and the land where Epiacum sits.

Firstly the children 'travelled back in time' using a train from the South Tynedale Railway. After a sort walk from the halt at Kirkhaugh up to the fort the children took part in a series of activities investigating the people who have been involved in landscape around Epiacum through the years. They discovered what life was like for the Roman soldiers stationed in the fort. Paul Mercer from the North Pennines Heritage Trust explained the lifestyle of the Miner/Farmer from the 18th Century. Archaeologist, Paul Frodsham and Naturalist, Heather McCarty brought the landscape up to date.

For Elaine Edgar of Castle Nook Farm, the event was the realisation of her dream of turning her farmland steeped in history into an education and visitor centre. She said: “This will be the first time we’ve had school groups visiting the Roman fort and bastle house. We’ve still got a long way to go, but the AONB Partnership events have got everything off to a terrific start.”

"Days like these stay with children forever and can inspire a lifelong interest.” Fiona Knox, Education Officer with the North Pennines AONB Partnership