Hadriana's Treasures

Celebramus, ergo sumus! We party, therefore we exist!

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Wed, 30 May 2012 19:22:00 +0000

This is a photo taken of the Queen and Prince Philip and the well known local footballer, Alan Shearer, amongst others at Alnwick Gardens, June 22nd 2011. My thanks goes to a friend, Lynn, for providing this marvellous photo. (Direct link to Alnwick Gardens here.) [Nearby Alnwick Castle was a setting in some of the Harry Potter films.]

We were all invited, my friends and I, as part of a party to celebrate the achievements of Northumberland's volunteers and carers. The Queen was there at the invitation of the Duchess of Northumberland, who is Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland.

It was a very enjoyable day and a good time was had by all. It was nice to dress up for a change and the weather held good at least whilst the Queen was around...

We, at Hadriana's Villa, have a few tenuous regal connections....my husband, Nigel's father (who is still hale and hearty), spent part of World War II guarding Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret at Windsor Castle. Our daughter, who likes lots of stories relating to Kings, Queens, Princesses and Princes...loves to get him to recount his memories of those times.

Nigel, during his days at the Barbican in London as House Manager, looked after all manner of Royals when they attended receptions there. There is one particular story which he will not tell - at all, at all (such is his devotion to the Royal Family). Needless to say it was all swiftly resolved thanks to his superb organisation...

and talking of organisation....I imagine that there are going to be a few Diamond Jubilee parties over the next few days and as such we'd all like to wish everyone an exhilarating Jubilee weekend! Look forward to hearing your stories over the coming days and weeks! Party on!

celebramus, ergo sumus!

We party, therefore we exist!

Epic Epiacum's Big Launch Day

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:32:00 +0000

We had a fantastic and wonderfully sunny day/evening up at the Village Hall to launch Epic Epiacum Ltd this last Tuesday (May 22nd). Elaine Edgar is the owner of a farm near Alston (just up the road from here) called Castle Nook/Whitley Castle (Epiacum). There is a link to a local paper, The Journal, here which describes Elaine's plans for Epiacum and here in the Hexham Courant.

"The name Epiacum is possibly a contraction of epi-acumen meaning 'surrounding the point', which could refer to the fort's outstanding tactical position surrounding the summit of a small hill. The modern name means 'the castle in the white clearing'"This is quoted from the excellent website Roman Britain.The name, Epiacum, is debated ...it could also been the property or estate of Eppius - a Romanised Celtic/British name.

Elaine is "the wife of a farmer" (her words) and sitting on their farm is an unexcavated Roman fort.
I first got to know Elaine as we are Governors for the federation of local primary Church of England Schools. Through those meetings we got chatting and given that she has a Roman fort at her fingertips...I naturally got interested!

"Whitley Castle, or Epiacum, at Castle Nook Farm has not been explored by archaeologists apart from one small dig in 1957. The foundations of the fort's buildings are preserved, including the barracks, commander's house and bath house. Elaine Edgar claims it is the "best preserved roman fort" with everything "lying intact". She said, despite being unexcavated and "virtually unknown", the fort is "very visible in the landscape"." (Quoted from the BBC article.)

Through the Area of Natural Beauty North Pennines I started to attend the guided tours and walks that have been (and still are) taking place around the fort. Paul Frodsham, is the main archaeologist, who works for AONBNP and he has been instrumental in setting up a volunteer led programme for budding local archaeologists called 'Altogether Archaeology'. Through this programme they have been conducting molehill surveys at the fort. I had to miss last year's as I was committed elsewhere but I did manage to attend one day this year. I found some shards of pottery. Other people have found some other artefacts too which show up on this BBC Look North short film here of that molehill survey day.

Elaine very kindly invited me to join the steering group which is advising the Directors of Epic Epiacum earlier this year. It's been Elaine's vision to create a visitor centre at Epiacum to welcome all visitors there, improve access and tell them more about the farm, the landscape, the history, the fort and much more besides. (The history is not all Roman as there are tell tale signs in the landscape which date back to the Bronze Age.) Through her unstinting efforts Epic Epiacum Ltd has just been awarded some money from the Heritage Lottery fund to make the fort more accessible to school parties and tourists as well as the many walkers who follow the Pennine Way footpath around the margins of the fort. By creating improved access and interpretation facilities we hope that future visitors will be able to appreciate just what a unique and astonishing place this is (quoted from EH website).
Paul Frodsham has also been working with *Stewart Ainsworth of Time Team fame and English Heritage. As such the fort has now been extensively surveyed by English Heritage and its reports begin here. *Stewart's first contact with Whitley Castle was over thirty years ago. He has stated that he enjoys being in contact with this part of the world for the warmth of its people and for the richness of an apparently bleak landscape (when it is anything but!)...he is shown in two of the photos above in the cap and blue jacket.

There are many things I could tell you about Epiacum/Whitley Castle but for now
I'll restrict myself to these:

the fort has seven defensive ditches (!!!) - that's a very high number...
the fort/farm sits on a Roman road called the Maiden Way
the fort was there (most likely) to exploit the mining of lead and silver
the fort/older farm steading was the birth place of Northumbrian historian, John Wallis/Wallace, in the eighteenth century. Apparently he stated that being born on a Roman fort inspired his love of history...

Anyway returning now to recent history (last Tuesday night)..the launch to the local community and a wider audience in the evening was a resounding success! Many thanks, Elaine and everyone, for creating such a wonderful atmosphere, presentation, organisation, buffet (as provided by the very scrumptious Blue Sheep Catering of Alston)!

Looking forward to helping you now and in the future!

PS - A new website is being created for Epic Epiacum and you can follow Elaine on Twitter @epiacum
You can also become a Friend of Epiacum to be invited along to special events and training opportunities. Ask Elaine for more details!

Great Expectations at Great Chesters

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:34:00 +0000

Great Chesters (Aesica) is a great little fort. It sits on farm land along the line of Hadrian's Wall. So it can be officially termed a 'Wall fort'. I've not been back for ages and must do so some time. Here are some pictures of it on the internet which I have not studied yet but look interesting: here.

This is (I'm told) the top of the strong room popping out of the greenery (as in photo above). It has an air of neglect which adds to its charm. In my head I've nicknamed it "The Miss Havisham Fort" on Hadrian's Wall. This link in Wikipedia describes it in more detail. A hoard of treasure was found in the West Tower of the South Gate in 1894 and I quote from there:

Excavations were carried out in 1894, during which the ramparts were cleared. The west tower of the south gate was found to contain a hoard of jewellery, which included an enamelled brooch shaped as a hare, a gilded bronze brooch described as a masterpiece of Celtic art, a silver collar with a pendant, a gold ring and a bronze ring with a Gnostic gem. During this excavation the headquarters building (principia) was partially uncovered, together with its vaulted underground strong room. A barrack block was also found to the south-west of the principia.
In 1897 a bathhouse was discovered, 100 yards (91 m) to the south, east of the branch road to the Stanegate. It includes a dressing room, latrine, cold room with cold bath, dry-heat room, warm steamy room and hot steamy room.

As far as I can recall all/most of the jewellery from the hoard is on display at The Great North Museum in Newcastle. It is there as I have looked at it very recently. It is wonderful to behold.
The Great North Museum is free to enter which is an absolute bonus.

There is this interesting short film created by the British Museum (3 mins.) here which also talks about the complete border around the Roman Empire as created by Hadrian. His stone wall in Northern Britain played a part in his grand plan of protecting/limiting the Roman Empire at its very height.

There is a very good Timewatch BBC programme on Hadrian's Wall (if you have 48 minutes to spare). It gives you an extremely good overview of 'Life on the Wall' in the times of the Romans.

Frozen ripples

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Sun, 20 May 2012 10:33:00 +0000

Amazing what patterns we can see in the ice. This was taken on Cycle Route 72 near our B&B a few months ago. The weather is improving (just!) Our son is refusing to go swimming in the local outdoor swimming pool at Haltwhistle. It's fantastic once you get in....it's just that nippy bit in between the pool and the changing rooms. Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!

Brocolitia bathed in light

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:03:00 +0000

This fabulous photo was taken at Brocolitia (Procolitia - is the local landowner's preferential spelling) , Carrawburgh (pronounced Carrawbruff) or even Badger Holes according to one author (Anthony Riches). It's an altar - part of a copy of a Mithraeum, a temple to Mithras. Another replica Mithraeum - temple to Mithras - can be seen at The Great North Museum in Newcastle.

David is holding an exhibition of his excellent photographic work at The Moot Hall in Hexham next week this time sharing the space with Ann Sheppard - http://www.ann-sheppard.co.uk/ - who paints beautiful botanical watercolours.

David and his wife, Tania, are good friends of ours! If you can - go and visit - it will be well worth your time!

(Sorry for the huge dip in blogging. Been rushed off my feet. Two friends have recently nudged me back into blogging again. :-))

Haltwhistle Summer Carnival

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

The sunnier days are already making us (as a family) think about Carnival days. Haltwhistle has a carnival every July. The town gets dressed up (in various forms) and parades down the High Street and out on the lower road past the petrol station (the old A69). Each year it gets better and better.
You can see more photos here of the carnival. When it has all paraded past and we've got lots of photos everyone heads down to the fields where the fun fair is set up. The children adore it! Fingers crossed that we are in for an exceptionally sunny Summer.

Having said that...no hosepipe ban for us as yet! :-)

Hadriana's Four Wynds' B&B/Hadrian's Wall Short Films

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:04:00 +0000

I know I have been incredibly quiet of late and realise that my New Year's Resolution of blogging each day has gone for a complete and utter Burton. Mea culpa! My fault! Things have got incredibly, incredibly busy with the B&B, Four Wynds; my putative company "Hands-on-Latin" and I'm running around in circles. More of which anon.

You might be interested in these short videos (above) which I made with Hadrian's Wall Heritage and Endemol in the last couple of years. (I've been dying to show you them but I've now got the green light from HWH to do so now. euge! Hurrah!) I'm a volunteer guide for Hadrian's Wall Heritage. I'll also be placing them on my sidebar here on the blog as well.

I'm almost ready to launch my guiding/language course company called "Hands-on-Latin". is all about teaching the links between Latin, the Romance Languages and English using the Roman remains in this area. I will be teaching/guiding indoors and outdoors. I'll also be teaching Latin too via courses and inscriptions. I'm hoping to get the company up and running over the next month or so.

Last things to do...create a website and write the course outlines...and then I'm practically ready to go!

If you are in the Hexham area tomorrow - I'll be on a stand at the Northumberland Leaflet Fair at Wentworth (next door to Waitrose and the Leisure Centre/Swimming Pool). The big supermarkets in Hexham are at the bottom of the town. I'll be there with Sue Wardle, a Blue Badge Tourist Guide, who's a good friend....The doors open at 11 am and the day finishes at 4pm. Come and say 'hello'! I'd be delighted to see you there. :-)

vale! Bye for now! Hadriana

P.S.: There is a deliberate (or not so deliberate!) factual error in the middle film. The Roman coins found by a workman in the Roman quarry on Barcombe Hill (above the fort of Vindolanda) date, in fact, to Hadrian's reign - and are not, as I said, "Pre-Hadrianic". Still kicking myself over that one...but hey! "Nobody's perfect!" ;-)

Nocturnal Girlish Giggles 'n' Clanking Chains at Naworth Castle

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:01:00 +0000

I am most grateful for the kind invitation to make a guest post on a blog I've followed since I first discovered how to 'follow'.

I'm Helen Devries, otherwise found hiding behind the soubriquet of the Fly in the Web on my own and other people's blogs, long time resident of rural France and now settling in to Costa Rica, but in this post I would like to recount my mother's wartime memories of the Borders...centred on Naworth Castle, Brampton, Gilsland and Lanercost Priory.

Mother, like many other women, was emancipated by the war, as had been a generation of women in the previous one. She found the bounds of Army discipline far more bearable than the constraints of female upbringing and still speaks of her time serving with the ATS with pleasure.

Early to join up she spent the first part of the war in Winchester...being wowed by David Niven who was, I think, serving with the Greenjackets...learning how to shoot -'take one with you' being the motto of the time when invasion was feared to be imminent - and being instructed how to blow up a German tank with a Molotov cocktail, instruction of whose value she was and still is sceptical.

Later in the war she served in London, making radios for the French and Dutch resistance, both in Europe and in their overseas colonies, working in a glass roofed building while doodlebugs fell nearby, targeting the railway lines to the North.

However, it was in the North that she spent the middle part of the war years, at Naworth Castle and what follows are her reminiscences.

She was directed to Naworth, which was to serve as an army logistical training centre, and her party arrived in the dark, seeing nothing but a looming structure, dark against the night sky.

They were billeted in two rooms in one of the towers...one room above the other, and settled down amidst much giggling about haunted castles and clanking chains. The temptation was too much....all through the night she and her friends were kept awake by sounds of whistling, moaning and clanking from the room above and her room berated their colleagues over breakfast...only to be told

'We thought it was you!'

They were promptly rehoused in huts in the castle grounds, where the only hazards were cows clustered close to the huts for warmth and stray cats giving birth to kittens in the beds.

The blackout being in force, there was a problem every night with a light showing high up in the old tower...though no one could find access to the aperture involved and she also remembers one room that dogs would not enter.

She remembers too seeing a portrait of Belted Will Howard, and visiting the chapel in the top of one of the towers where this recusant nobleman maintained a Catholic chapel in the Elizabethan period, together with a priest hole. She was told too that there was a tunnel from the castle to Lanercost Priory.

She explored the area when free....and still remembers taking a lift from a local gamekeeper, only to find the van full of crows which he was supplying to a local pub to eke out the meat in time of rationing!

The Howard family were strong on temperance, buying out licences and setting up temperance hotels, but the Army being the Army, pubs, proper pubs, were to be found! She remembers one where the cellar was down a long flight of stone steps and every time beer was ordered the elderly landlady would stump down to fetch the beer in a jug.

She remembers two in particular...I think in Brampton, but I am not sure...the Ring of Bells and the Coach and Horses. In one of these the landlord had a parrot which could imitate the sound of the brakes of the Carlisle bus pulling up outside, and, being a parrot, it had a good sense of timing. Some minutes before the bus was due to arrive...not too many which might have aroused suspicion....it would perform its party piece and men would be gulping down beer and rushing for the door...only to return a few minutes later, cursing the bird!

She visited Lanercost Priory...by road rather than by tunnel....and fell in love with Gilsland, the old spa town...but one of her walks closer to home led to a strange experience.

She and a friend were walking alongside a stream, where there were a lot of cherry trees in flower. It was warm and sunny, a lovely afternoon. She began to feel oppressed and then frightened...she could no longer hear the stream running, she found breathing difficult. She looked at her friend who was clearly in the same state and they turned and ran back to the castle.

The cook, a local woman, gave them a cup of tea and told them that the area where they had been walking was known to be haunted...some sort of massacre connected with the '45.

Mother is not and was not psychic...but she can still, at 96, remember the sense of terror she felt under those beautiful cherry blossoms.

She tried to visit Naworth twice after the war...once in the fifties and once in the eighties....but with no success.

It was private property and no one was willing to let her revisit it.

Cirencester - Corinium - Amphitheatre

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:43:00 +0000

We visited Cirencester on our way back from holiday last year and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. I had never realised that it was the second biggest city after London in Roman times. We had a trip over to the amphitheatre (as you can see above). Some more photos of Cirencester and that structure are to be found here. They are well worth a look. A 360 degree view of the amphitheatre is here.

We loved the city - in fact everywhere! Beautiful place and the history of Cirencester is fascinating. We only had time to look round the Roman bit of Corinium Museum - we were glued to it. We must go again!

I'm dashing and not doing justice to the place. There is masses to see there and the mosaics are out of this world. Will write about it again.....

@carolemadge , my Twitter friend, who has stayed with us at the B&B, has been very wonderful and allowed me to link to her Corinium photos here and here . I'm indebted to her as I am having great difficulty uploading photos at the moment...and hers are much better. What a wonderful lass!

In the meantime: enjoy!

Hoarfrost Hike

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:38:00 +0000

Walking down our road in Longbyre

The Ditch to the right of Thirwall Castle is the Back Ditch of Hadrian's Wall and to the Right - is the outline of the Ditch known as the Vallum. The Wall itself would have been somewhere in between

Walking on Broken Ice

Thirlwall Castle


Scooting along

There was a deep hoarfrost this morning. The children cheered up after feeling a bit 'peaky' so we got them out on their scooters and got us and the dog walked at the same time. We are very lucky to live in a really beautiful area. We walked along Cycle Route 72 which is just over the railway and runs past the Reiver (Raider) Castle called Thirlwall Castle. The Castle is built with stones from Hadrian's Wall. Thirlwall means 'throw/hurl' down. Did later generations hurl down Hadrian's Wall or did it happen in Roman times?

I love this whole area. I'd love to examine it bit by bit. There are so many lumps and bumps, marshy, boggy regions. I'd get out the Ordnance Survey Map and the bible to Hadrian's Wall 'the Collingwood Bruce' to piece the jigsaw together. Where does the back ditch go? Where does the Vallum go? Where did the Wall go? Where were the milecastles? Can I/we see anything else? Who else has left his/her mark? What happened with the railways? The mining? I want to know more and more and more.....

More photos to come. Tomorrow I hope.

P.S.: I'm going to be busier today than I thought. Teaching Minimus Latin tomorrow. Fingers crossed I can post some more photos on Tuesday. Many thanks for your comments so far... Many thanks. Hadriana xx

The City of London - some idle thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:33:00 +0000

Following on from my last post - I was talking about this whole banking crisis thing again with a friend today. I began to wonder out loud..what if 'The City' decamped to say Paris, Frankfurt or maybe Switzerland? A lot of bankers threaten to move (if their salaries and bonuses are reduced) don't they? I might be wrong but the City of London wins out due to:

1. Possibly the UK's business tax regime.
2. Time zone (that's why it is situated where it is after all) - due to Greenwich Mean Time
3. Our linguistic skills (again predominance in English).
4. Our tolerance to cultures coming here to live.
5. London - world class for culture, sport etc.
6. Flight connections worldwide.
7. Interconnectedness across the financial sector i.e.: insurance/re-insurance/banking/dealing/broking/securities/custody/marine/fund managers/ hedge funds and so forth.
8. Sheer number of foreign banks which have a base here.
9. It's worth bearing in mind that it is the whole package which draws international companies and banks to London.
10. Experience of staff of banks and financial companies based in London and across the UK and world.
11. It just takes one bank to make the first step on bonuses and pay then they'll all do it. I cannot understand it. After all - they would be able to slash their wage bill massively. Surely that would help their profits and re-capitalise the banks and their balance sheets. It is a "no brainer". (To use a term that used to bounce around in meetings.) It'll gain massive backing from 'the people' en masse all around the whole world.
12. Banks becoming ethical and lending again to small/medium/big business will help kick start economies....and will allow them to regain credibility....
13. Availability of office space.
14. There are lots and lots of silly, little things which are keeping the banks here. Maybe it would be difficult for them to move....always worth a thought....

Or am I being naive? I'd like to believe not!!! :-) Be pleased to hear your thoughts! Many thanks and hope you are keeping well. Hadriana :-)

P.S.: Been having a further think and know that the Swedes resolved their banking crisis. Sounds as if we can apply their solution to us and the rest of the world. Take a look!:
http://seekingalpha.com/article/311268-the-swedish-solution-to-the-debt-crisis

New Year Rebooted & The Short Story Competition Regained

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:36:00 +0000

I start this off without any photo as I usually do. Computer running slowly so it proves to be a problem. Internet connection is wonky. IT people are called with wonderful help from @MrsShelk on Twitter.

Aha! It has worked. Not sure whom to credit here...so apologies to the person who took this photo....it might be Sandra Myers again.

Anyway I need to reboot my New Year's Resolution of blogging and tweeting every day. I am also well behind on my Minimus Mouse tweets @Minimus_Latin so a huge guilt complex sets in. I'm not going to whinge...hopefully everything will be fixed shortly. Might be a bit kinder to myself once it is all running perfectly again and try to resolve to blog/tweet every few days or just when it is humanly and technically possible.

What I really wanted to talk about was..........The Daily Telegraph Short Story Competition. You can join the club and learn some writing tips or you can write your short story (max. 2000 words) and send it in to the Telegraph by the end of each month to storycomp@telegraph.co.uk

I am hugely pleased to say that I have discovered another fantastic author through reading about this...James Joyce and a story from 'The Dubliners'. Here's an example of one of his stories here . It looks as if the Telegraph can't reproduce online his story which totally and utterly entranced me. I had bought one of his books before many years ago called 'Finnegan's Wake' but it defeated me...may have another go at it...

As usual I've not got much time to write but two of my favourite short story writers are F Scott Fitzgerald and Saki. Each sublime in their way.

I'm sure you've got a short story inside of you. Go on! Give it a whirl? What have you got to lose? Good luck!!!!

Let me know how you get on if you do go in for it - alternatively just let me know who your favourite short story writers are...I always like to learn more.....

Toodlepip. Hadriana.

Stargazing Event on Hadrian's Wall

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:32:00 +0000

Sadly the event is cancelled due to cloud cover:Wednesday 18th of January 2012: Cawfields, time: 7pm - 9pm. Rescheduled to 11th March same time. Witness some of the darkest skies in the country by joining us (this is all organised by Northumberland National Park) at the Cawfields site, near Haltwhistle for an evening of Stargazing in the Northumberland National Park. For directions go to the following Northumberland National Park PDF. Cawfields is marked A on the map.

Links: http://www.newcastleastronomical.org.uk/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/thingstodo/activity/stargazing-12/occurrence/55323
http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/hadrianswall/text.asp?PageId=185

P.S.: It is weather variable...so check first before venturing out. Check the links for info & phone numbers. The Milecastle Inn opposite Cawfields has organised some food for £2 a go on the night itself.

Beachy Bude

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 10:28:00 +0000

We spent our Summer Holidays over in the West Country last year. Here's some of us on the beach at Bude...you can see that the weather was baking! Nevertheless we had a great time and caught up with some very good friends who live just up the road. More West Country Visits to follow...

96 and counting

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:19:00 +0000

There's my grandfather (above) - 96 years old today! Happy Birthday! He's sat beside Hilda who worked for him and about whom I've blogged here. Hilda was a lovely person and so is my granda.

I'm lucky enough to speak to him every day/week as he lives with my parents. He's still doing his crosswords, watching Countdown and enjoying his sport on TV.

I must recount some of his memories some time. His recall is fantastic. Just today he was telling me how he got demobbed in York when he was 30 (he'd fought out in Burma in World War II). Didn't fancy the standard issue demob suits so got a smart blazer and trousers instead! He served with the Border Regiment and kept being called back to Barrow-in Furness Army Base but managed not to sit around in the army ranks (once the war was finished) as he had his fish and chip shop to run. This was during the time when lots of soldiers were waiting to be demobbed i.e.: allowed to leave the army officially. Apparently you got 'demobbed' according to when you were drafted into the army. FIFO = First In First Out. He was in unit 26 or 27 or so he said. Must check which.

I've always got on with him. He's a meticulous man and very practical as well as being very intelligent. Started work at 14 as a butcher's boy. Self employment runs in the maternal side of my family so he got his own fish and chip shop (following in the family tradition) as soon as he could. Made plenty of money that way. There must have been hundreds in South Shields alone. It was the only type of fast food available in those times. I remember going to his fish and chip shop on Saturday lunchtimes with my other grandma. I remember Hilda working there too.

I love listening to his stories. He always tells me of the size of the cod that was landed at South Shields' quayside just after the war - enormous - because the fish had been left to grow and grow for years and years.

At one point his family had a general store...stories of being a boy and licking the home made ice cream from the wooden vats on the counter...

What it was like to fight in the war...in the jungle...there's a not very nice story which I won't repeat here. A war time accident. Weapons being acidentally used/fired on our soldiers on our side. 'Friendly fire' as it's called now. He's matter of fact about it all: "When it's your time to go. It's your time to go."

I'm/we're hoping it's not his time to go for a good few years yet. Not sure the Queen sends a telegram now but, with luck, he should receive Her Majesty's equivalent.

Good on you Bob! Here's to you, let's hear more of your stories over the coming years! gratulationes! - Congratulations on making it to 96 years' young!

Much love and hugs from your granddaughter and the whole family xx xx xx xx

P.S.: Before I forget - he also told us yesterday that if my mother hadn't been born in January too..he would have been called up to fight at Dunkirk...and maybe all our lives would have changed!
He also also told us that he had paid a deposit for a house elsewhere in South Shields and was not told that the army paid a soldier's mortgage when he was away fighting. He lost the deposit (£100) on the house and the family moved in somewhere else. That DID change their lives and therein lies a whole other story...to be continued....

Ghostly January at Featherstone Castle

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:06:00 +0000

This photo is of Featherstone Castle which is not far from here again taken by the very talented Sandra Myers.

Some more wonderful photos of the castle can be seen here. Lots of the castles created and built around here came about in the Reiver period. It's a shame that touristically we do not shout a bit more about the Reivers. There is lots and lots to say about that period...

People argue that the period of the Reivers started when the Romans "left" i.e. from AD410 onwards and continued until the 1700s when the Union of the Crowns brought back the rule of law in these parts. So that's a heck of a long time. It was our "Wild West time" when anarchy, mayhem, thieving and murder ruled.

We get "bereaved" and "blackmail" from that time and many more words.

Castles and/or Bastles (from 'bastille' - French - fortified place/prison) were built (often) from stone taken from Hadrian's Wall. Lots of the castles (built by/to defend various local Reiving families and clans) are all over the countryside and due to the troubled background give rise to various ghost stories.

I've taken this information from http://www.medieval-castle.com/haunted_castles_england/featherstone_castle.htm :

"One well-known ghost story which is attributed to this fine old Castle concerns Abigail Featherstonehaugh who lived in the late 17th century. The story goes that she was in love with a boy from the local Ridley family but that she was due to marry the son of a neighbouring Baron in a sort of arranged marriage which was probably at the behest of her father Baron Featherstonehaugh. Apparently as was the tradition, the wedding party, all with the exception of Baron Featherstonehaugh who would oversee the banqueting arrangements, left for a hunt following the wedding. Legend has it that as the bridal party was riding through the estate there was an ambush possibly set by the spurned lover from the Ridley family. Although the new bridegroom fought gallantly, all the wedding party were killed in the affray.

As midnight passed, the Baron, sitting alone, heard the sound of horses hooves arriving outside the castle and it is said that the door opened following which the ghosts of Abigail and the rest of the wedding party entered making no sound and passing straight through solid objects.

It is said that the ghostly wedding party is seen again each year on the 17th of January on the anniversary of the tragedy."

It's well worth reading the whole page from that website. The castle is still in use to this day and is set in some splendid grounds.

'Featherstonehaugh' is pronounced as 'Fanshaw' (!!)

Halloween at Alnwick Castle Gardens

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:32:00 +0000

OK. OK. I know these are not very seasonal - but Nigel got some good photos (as above).
BTW - I've also added "Warm Wellies" to my sidebar. The 'ads' I put on my blog are not sponsored...these are local products tried and tested by my family. All are very enjoyable. We love them to bits. Be nice if 'Warm Wellies' created by some lovely people over at a farm North of Brampton (not far from Hadrian's Wall) did them for grown ups too! I think I will start nagging (in the nicest possible way)!
New Year's Resolution - to post something, anything to my blog each day...even if it is just a photo with a caption. It won't necessarily be restricted to Roman stuff. There is plenty in these parts beside the Roamin' Romans....watch this space! :-)

A Very Happy 2012 to you all!

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 10:36:00 +0000

Hope all the roads, fields and paths, you have traversed this past year, have been interesting ones. They may not have been straight forward but I believe there is something to be gained and learned from each and every experience - be that good, middling or bad.

Let's hope next year has lots of wonderful things in store for all of us.....Wishing everyone a peaceful, productive and pleasing 2012!

All the very best, Hadriana xx xx

P.S.: Very many thanks for all your comments. They are always much, much appreciated.

P.P.S: Blog post photo credit (isn't the photo superb?) - comes from the very wonderful Sandra Myers

Sooty Santa Salutations to you all!

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:19:00 +0000

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a peaceful 2012! (We had a brill time on the Sooty Santa Express over at Ravenglass in the Lake District. The best Santa and elves ever!)

Sooty Santa Saturnalian Salutations to you all.................!

Love from Hadriana xx xx

Smidgeon Pigeon Post

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:49:00 +0000

This is to prove that I am still alive! Hoping to post again soon (at least before Christmas)...my blog has gone a little flat just like this delightful couple in the above photo.

In the meantime wishing you: Happy Christmas Parcel Wrapping/Card Writing/Shopping/Partying/Mince Pie Eating and so forth!

>>>>>>>>>>>Back soon! (said very hopefully) Hadriana xx xx <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Eats shoots & leaves - eheu! Alas! The New Blogger Interface

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:19:00 +0000

Well folks....salvete! Hello!

Sorry about the latest hiatus (delay/pause) in my blog posts. I promise and then I don't deliver. (Flippin' horrendous!) I don't like doing that but sometimes Life gets in the way.

I'm in the process of transferring stuff from one house to another (the Guest House). When it's all completed I'm hoping normal service will be resumed...

In the meantime....

Having played around with the new Blogger Interface and its different layouts...I have kept (perhaps a tad boringly) my 'old' look. Hey! I'm nothing if not keen on all things historical!!!!

'Blogger' has already riled me because its grammar is suspicious to say the very least. Within minutes of me clicking on the new design element/interface I noticed that they, the designers, have written the following:

Hadriana's Treasures's blogs

Spot the deliberate (or not so deliberate) mistake?

Answers on the back of a postcard please (or a writing tablet for that matter).....

I think I am turning into Lynne Truss and on that note..I do declare that Blogger eats shoots & leaves (me cold) too!

What do you think, O Fellow Bloggers, of the new Blogger Interface?

PS: I am incredibly sorry but I cannot display ' My followers' on my blog as the Gadget simply will not work - in any shape or form. I'll keep trying occasionally to see if it will work....! :-)

Pompeii Photo Extravaganza

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:11:00 +0000

Nigel and I at Pompeii

Pizzeria/Restaurant (slap in the middle of Pompeii) but served good food and much required!

Me/Hadriana at Pompeii near the Forum

Plaster cast of one of Pompeii bodies

Plaster cast of poor, chained up dog

Another plaster cast body surrounded by amphorae (jars)

Onsite museum/storage area

Temple to Apollo (Sun God)

Inscription on a handbasin in the Forum Baths

One of the bathing areas - Forum Baths

Decoration on ceiling in one of the bathing areas and the tops of the terracotta Telamons (the figures) in the tepidarium (warm room)

The famous house of the Faun

Examples of mosaics on columns (in National Museum of Archaeology in Naples) - up close they are fabulous!

Look at the carved huge stone blocks! - reminds me of masonry on Hadrian's Wall

Vesuvius - that world famous volcano

Vesuvius again

Our guided group - Mariano, the guide, is in white with his back to us

Looking out over one part of Pompeii (the oldest residential district - region VI - the part we saw)

Pompeii bike scheme map

Inscription on a Monument in The Street of the Tombs

Funerary Monument on the Street of the Tombs

The Street of the Tombs

Phallic symbol (built into walls, buildings, drains to bring good luck/ward off the evil eye)

Mosaic floor (I got obsessed by the different types of floor patterns)

The Macellum (see below)

The Macellum - a covered foodstuffs market area

Looking at the bottom of an oven in a house/villa

Inscription on edge of The Forum

Edge of The Forum

The Forum

The small or covered theatre (The Odeion)

The Gladiators' Barracks

The Great Theatre (open but could be covered with an awning)

Going through the photos and the books again as I add captions...I'm once more struck by how much is here. We have many more photos but it is hard to convey the impression of what is actually there. We saw many, many villas, streets, water tanks (on the edge of each sector/street), shops, bakeries, theatres, barracks, baths, signs, mosaics, huge artefacts, temples, the forum, the basilica (these last two - formed the centre of civilian life), shrines, latrines, ovens, city gates, arches, tombs, rude inscriptions, posh inscriptions and yes - a brothel (queues galore!) and so on...

We were, in fact, at Pompeii for one whole day - walking almost non stop for seven hours. I'm glad I was wearing boots. The streets are/were quite high as they allowed for all manner of rubbish to flow down the streets (including water) during Roman times - hence the stepping stones.

I had quick glimpses of things. Pompeii does need repeated visits to try to make sense of it all. It is enormous and is a city. No doubt about it. I wanted to go and see the amphitheatre but at the end of a very hot, sunny day...I knew that I could not make that. So we made do with the two theatres which are spectacular. There were many villas which I missed seeing. Lots of the baths were closed - for restoration and/or a much needed rest. Apparently about 2.5 million people visit Pompeii per annum (each year)...that figure does not surprise me in the slightest. There were plenty there the day we were there and it was 30 degrees in the shade.

It was busier in the morning and the crowds thinned out over the day. There were many guides there...each had their different styles. Some with umbrellas, sticks and so on. Some with microphones attached directly to sound systems which their group could listen to. Others had the site's own auto guided system (which most museums now have).

I was very amused by seeing a restaurant in the middle of the site. Apparently Bill Clinton ate there when the G7 visited. (A special garden outside the restaurant was created for that occasion.) Nevertheless after hours of walking, walking and sight seeing - it was much needed and did, indeed, sell delicious food amongst other things.

I enjoyed seeing it all. Furthermore the excitement of having seen it has still not faded. It just makes me want to investigate further and know even more about the Romans. It all helps me imagine in my head what Roman life must have been like although when I compared Pompeii to Herculaneum (which was covered by mud and not ash by the eruption of Vesuvius) in 79AD I'm convinced that Pompeii is much bigger and posher than Herculaneum. Each has its different points and contrasts. Each teaches us variations on a theme. There are at least two sets of photos that I want to put on this blog some time soon to demonstrate something.

Pompeii is worth a visit. If you can - read up about it beforehand. It's an assault on the senses - in the best possible way.

Good Pubs in North East England

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:22:00 +0000

Please see recent Telegraph review of pubs in the UK.

Ones of note (especially) in this part of Northumberland are:

The Feathers Inn - which has just won RSPCA award 2011 for the Best Pub and Best Gastropub in Britain and strangely not included in The Daily Telegraph Review of UK Pubs.
Carts Bog Inn
Lord Crewe Arms

Will write more about pubs anon. Thought you might be interested in reading about these ones!

Mariano's Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 14:55:00 +0000

Mariano, the guide, is wearing the white hat talking to our group

Looking inside the tomb

Vesuvius glowers in distance

Street plan of Pompeii - click here It shows you how massive the place is.

We went in via Porta Marina (main entrance) and bought our tickets. We waited for an English speaking guide who was collecting a group of us together - his name was 'Mariano' and we became thus ' Mariano's Friends'.

The place was massively busy. The train from Naples was absolutely packed out. It turned out that there was supposed to be a public strike that day (against the cuts) but, thankfully, it did not affect us.

Mariano took us through Pompeii through Quadrant VII (if you look at the street plan), through the forum and up into Quadrant VI up to the Vesuvian Gate (where the tomb of the potential gladiator

Caius Vestorio Prisco) is located. (Apologies about the change of font and text size - I'm using my laptop in another location and it has gone bananas!) Please try and click on his name as you will get the accompanying pictures and explanations with the tomb. We had to stand on stone pedestals to get the photos up top.

My battery power is fading on the laptop. Enjoy the photos. Be back soon! Hadriana :-)

Trip to Pompeii and impressions of Naples

noreply@blogger.com (Hadriana's Treasures) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 09:00:00 +0000

This is a typical shot of looking down a street in Pompeii. I got there - finally!!!!

The trip was a 10th Wedding Anniversary present to ourselves and the first time we'd managed to travel away without the children (who are now 8 and 5 years old) for more than a day or two. So in many senses - it was absolute bliss!

I have always wanted to go there and for some reason I never thought I would manage it. (I can't explain why....no logical reason...but it seems as it is literally lost in the mists of time.) So how does one actually get there?

We got a cheap and cheerful flight out of Liverpool to Naples. We'd booked to stay at a B&B in Naples so we would could get to The National Archeological Museum of Naples (official website is here) quite easily as well as visit Pompeii and Herculaneum. We also ended up visiting 'Underground Naples' as well.

Naples can seem intimidating as its reputation for crime goes before it. It is very busy but once we got there (there is a dedicated bus service from the airport - takes 20 minutes) it was all very lively and friendly. A tad chaotic maybe but exciting nonetheless. (We did not experience anything bad whatsoever and we were there three/four days.)

The city is covered in graffitti and covered in rubbish but looking beyond that the buildings are magnificent and the people are very friendly. Interestingly there is a Spanish feel to the place. It was under Spanish rule for a few hundred years so this all intrigues me. I would like to know more.

The weather was 30 degrees plus ( the same as the weather here at that point) but, as I hadn't set foot in Italy since 2008, it was very welcome to have the mixture of the sun, the people, the culture, the language, the cuisine, the architecture and just generally everything combined....I was in heaven!

(I'm going to push myself to post a photo each day with a comment. I'll try to give a flavour of Pompeii and Herculaneum. To be honest I am still digesting the two sites. They are pretty big and need repeated visits to fully understand both places. I'm also trying hard to get my business Hands-on-Latin up and running over the next few days/weeks at the same time. Time is not in great supply - as ever!)