Minimus at Hexham Book Festival and Hands-on-Latin new website

Image - Copyright David Taylor

salve(te)! hello!

The Barbara Bell talk at the Hexham Book Festival went tremendously well - as did the tour of Vindolanda site and museum in the afternoon following the talk. Barbara got practically everyone in the audience involved. Even F, a reluctant actor, became a phenomenal Whiskers 'Vibrissa' cat. There was a super Minimus mouse and an excellent version of Lepidina. It was really good fun and everyone enjoyed everyone's performance.

Barbara also visited local first schools Greenhead, Henshaw and Herdley Bank the day before her talk. We were all involved in rousing renditions of Senex (Old) Macdonald throughout the day. The children loved the singing - even in rounds! The children all got excited learning about Minimus - the Latin Mouse...what he and his family at Vindolanda get up to...

There had been a big lead-up to the festival and I hadn't quite realised what goes on behind the scenes. Our thanks go particularly to the organisers of Hexham Book Festival (Susie and Gil), all at The Vindolanda Trust and Headteacher and Staff at the three schools. All the friendliness and superb organisation made everything go smoothly. gratias maximas vobis agimus! We thank you very much!

The reason for the absence from my blog is that I've also been working very hard on getting my new business 'Hands-on-Latin' up and running. The website is ready too (I will keep adding to it and tweaking it in various places). Maybe you'd like to take a look?: www.hands-on-latin.com
Your thoughts and feedback would be most welcome.

I'd like to offer a huge, huge thanks to local husband and wife team - David and Tania Taylor - for helping me with the website. I'd never have managed it without them. David's a wonderful photographer (whose images I often use), excellent with technology and Tania is superb with words. They make a great team.

I got to know David first through his amazing photos and then his wife, Tania, (almost by accident as she uses a pseudonym for her wonderful writing) on Twitter (I tweet as @hadrianasblog and @handsonlatin) and hey presto! a working relationship was created with the pair of them. They've formed a business to help other businesses get started. You can check them out via Twitter @WordsPhotos and their new website www.wordsphotos.co.uk David's photographic work can be found here: www.davidtaylorphotography.co.uk

A thank you too to Alison Raimes at WhistleArtStop based in Haltwhistle. She's a mover and shaker doing a lot for Art in Haltwhistle and the Tynedale area as a whole. Alison was the one who helped me a while ago and kickstarted me in starting to set things up. Anne Lawson - my business adviser - has been a massive source of strength, wisdom and recuperative cups of coffee as well.

Hey! This is turning into an 'Oscar' speech but....it all goes to show....how many people are there in the background...willing others on.

And what's the Latin motto for my inspiration? 'Carpe diem' - Sieze the day! which maybe a little overused but it encapsulates everything I believe in. Just get on with it!!!

vale(te)! for now and toodlepip! Hadriana/Catherine :-)

Brocolitia bathed in light

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. :-))

Photographing Hadrian's Wall - my own experience

Looking back at English Heritage Buildings (including education room)

Looking out at the long walk up to Housesteads

Wooden stairs (modern) within fort showing how steep it is/was inside the fort

Looking out over vicus - civilian village beside fort

Famous bath house at Housesteads fort

One of the drains at Housesteads beside bath house

Drains and water tank (look at how eroded the top of the tank stones are - soldiers: washing, cleaning & sharpening knives)

Peaking through a pipe outlet on water tank

Ditto - as above

Inside the water tank

Chamfron (rounded) edge of fort

(as above)

Other side of bath house

Julie of HWH Ltd taking a photo of the workshop attendees (i.e.: us)!

The one day workshop yesterday at Housesteads Roman fort formed part of  Hadrian Wall Heritage's "Know your Hadrian's Wall Country" (click on the link to take you to their Facebook page) and was a follow-up to one which was held in February but we were rained off...

It wasn't the most brilliant of days yesterday but we managed to grab some shots in between showers.

Roger (who is a well known Hadrian's Wall Photographer) had given us some tips and advice as to how to take some better photos. So we were told about "thirds, leading lines, framing" and so on. I've been on a photography course before but unless I am out there taking photos every day it is easy to forget even the basics. Luckily Roger liked my photos and gave me some ideas to make them even better...

I like taking photographs and know that I still need to know a lot more e.g. under/over exposure in certain conditions, what type of lens to use etc. etc. I'd love to do more courses some time in the future.

Roger Clegg is known for his moody atmospheric shots of the Wall. His distinctive photos were used for the Hadrian exhibition at the British Museum in 2008. Click here for his website.
David Taylor whose photo of the Wall at Walltown I use on this blog's header photo - is very generous with his advice, enthusiasm and time. Click here to see his work. Other excellent local active photographers are:
Joan Thirlaway
Sandra Myers
David Prakel
Graeme Peacock

Joan lives in nearby Gilsland. She is usually out every day taking photos and Twitters actively. Sandra's photos of local wildlife and scenery are amazing. David Prakel lives in Haltwhistle and I've been on one of his super photography courses. He's written extensively about the subject and offers courses from his base in Haltwhistle. Graeme, I know less well, but again a great photographer...Check them out! Of course there are many more...but these ones are my favourites.

I won't say too much here about Housesteads fort...it will be a subject of another blog post. People ask..."Why go to one Roman fort when they were all built the same way?"...Well, each one is different and unique. The Roman builders had to work with what they had got...so were forced to modify and adapt forts to try and fit the current plan/layout of a fort. So...try and go and see them all! Housesteads is very famous for its bath house...it also has a hospital and there are some splendiferous views from it because it is so high. It sits right on the line of the Wall....

Which photos have you taken...of which you have been particularly proud? Of  what? Where? How? Why? Please tell me more...

Bye for now! Valete! Hadriana :)

P.S.: Roger Clegg and other local photographers have an exhibition currently showing at The Biscuit Factory.