Time to catch up

27 11 2010

Salve All,
With the end of the year in sight and the Winter Watch Parades and Saturnalia fast approaching its long overdue the catch up on our adventures this year.
CHESTER ROMAN FESTIVAL 12th / 13th June
One word. “ AWESOME”
A massed parade of the soldiers and civilians of Deva Victrix, VIII Augusta, Legio II Augusta, VI Victrix Eboracum, the Britons of Deva Sempre and their allies and as always the stunning and talented dancers of “YA RAQS”
Crowds wandered through the fantastic roman buildings of Legio II Augusta, in Grovesnor Park, recreating the atmosphere of life in Deva two millennia ago.
In the afternoon around four thousand people crammed in to the Amphitheatre to experience the spectacle, thrills and blood spills of the recreated Roman Games.

CHRISTLETON FETE 26th June
Fantastic weather and an extremely fun, attentive and interactive crowd made this , whilst one of our less usual, but most enjoyable events.
BACAS 17th July
A long and extremely nerve wracking journey down to Bath on board a last minute booked mini bus with a very dubious braking system. Christened “Delilah” by those who endured the rollercoaster ride and at least one very “creative” emergency stop performed by the Kamikaze pilot that is our Centurio, with the protection of the Gods we arrived safe.
Once again a warm welcome from the BACAS staff despite the cold and unsettled weather soon had us sampling a few drinks in the magnificent 12th century pub in Norton St Phillips before bedding down in one of the farm buildings.
We awoke the next morning to find that the Gods had not abandoned us and had blessed us with a break in the weather a great audience and a reunion with our extremely impressive Celtic friend Drew, who came along to give balance to our presentation with his interpretation of the Britons.
BERSHAM HERITAGE PARK 1st August
A local gig which was our first for Bersham Heritage but almost certainly not our last. Again not a common sort of event for us but with the great support of the lads of the VIII Augusta an enjoyable event for all concerned.
BEESTON CASTLE SOLDIERS, GLADIATORS, DANCERS 21st / 22nd August
The grounds of Beeston Castle, with the brooding ruins of the Castle itself on the crag high above us, evokes a setting of awe and mystery that is a perfect counterpoint to the intensity and violence of our Gladiator display.

Thrill and Spectacle blended with the grim reality of bloodshed and violent death.

MORTON IN MARSH 4th September
Turning away from home turf we again hit the road for another none period venue, the festival showground at Morton in Marsh. A rather damp and cold campout but the event and people made it all worth while. In our off duty time the superb market town and its people proved welcoming and hospitable and the later part of the evening sharing jokes, anecdotes and ribald insults around the camp fire, a fitting preparation to a nights sleep that was interrupted every fourty five minutes by the generator of a nearby refrigeration unit spluttering into life with the decibel level of a V8 engine with no silencer attached.

DROITWICH SPA SALT DAY 11th September
Without the guiding hand of our Centurio but with the able support of some of the guys of the VIII Augusta a small detachment was dispatched to Droitwich for their Salt Day. To the great amusement of the locals some of the lads engaged in a kayak race along a stretch of the canal which proved such a success that it may become part of the event next year.
WIGAN MARCH 18th September
An interesting day in Wigan with the VIII Augusta comprising a parade, audience interaction and the vibration and combined weight of fully armoured legionaries bringing one of the escalators to a sudden and juddering halt.

SPECTRAL LEGION CHESTER 30th October
Halloween saw a group of spectral soldiers marching fourth in support of the Hospice of the Good Shepherd’s event down by the river in Chester.

CAERHUN ROMAN FORT 19th November
This event at the actual site of the fort saw nearly one hundred and twenty school kids experiencing Roman history at one of the most stunning period sites we have attended.
Parading towards the fort with the ranks of child legionaries following, possibly the first representatives of the legions to the site since it was abandoned, was an experience that is hard to explain. As we marched each hoped that the spirits that were watching would be proud and approve.