Launch of Hands-on-Latin tomorrow

A very quick post to say I'll be on a stand at the Hexham North Tourism Fair tomorrow

and I look forward to seeing some of you there!

It's the official launch of www.hands-on-latin.com

and really looking forward to it!

Hands-on-Latin comprises Guided Tours, Latin and History Courses (plus muddy boots!),

Holiday Spanish/French/Italian courses

combined with a large helping of fun, learning and laughter!

The website is a wonderful work in progress.

More information, .pdfs on the courses and tours will follow very shortly...........

Many thanks to you all for your help and support thus far!

Will write again soon to tell you how it went!

Hadriana/Catherine :-)

Twitter: @hadrianasblog @handsonlatin

ps - Wentworth Centre can be found beside Waitrose and the Leisure Centre/Swimming pool at the entrance to Hexham from A69

Four Wynds' Tales

[Photo 1] This is the view looking northwards to Longbyre (it means long or tall barn) taken a few days ago. The countryside is extremely green hued and fantastically luscious at the moment.





[Photo 2] This sign points out the course of The Pennine Way leading to Haltwhistle Golf Course (which is at Greenhead/Longbyre).

[Photo 3] Followed by a walkway, created by Northumberland National Parks, through the little wood and stream at Longbyre.

[Photo 4] This photo is taken looking westwards towards Gilsland and the North Ditch which I have been convinced (for ages) was the Vallum. North Ditch does not sound as grand as the "Vallum". "Fossa Septentrionalis" is a bit of a mouthful when all is said and done!

[Photo 5] This last photo was snapped this morning over at Walltown Quarry when we fed the ducks. They enjoyed the mist, drizzle and nosh. (And that was just the children.)

These pictures are all taken around/near our B&B, Four Wynds. Let me tell you of some recent tales:

An Argentine planned his trip to Hadrian's Wall this Summer using Facebook for over one month. He decided to walk the trail from West to East. A Chinese lady planned her trip for over one month using Facebook. She elected to walk the trail from East to West. Both arrived at their chosen B&B one night and went online using the free wi-fi facilities (shameless plug). The Argentine logged on and wanted to touch base with the Chinese lady whom he'd befriended through Facebook. "Where are you?" he asked her. "At a B&B called Four Wynds." She replied. "So am I" he immediately typed back. They, then, came downstairs and embraced much to the amazement and amusement of my husband.

Last night also staying with us was the following: an Australian (over 60s) table tennis champion; a Scottish guy (4th from top in the over sixties national (UK) swimming league) who is coaching the lady who is running the whole of the Pennine Way - 268 miles in 7 days! (For more info go to:http://www.justgiving.com/Kym-Hatala-runs-for-Orangutans) That means she is running a marathon and a half each day. They, very gladly, rested their sore feet. Hubbie also got to chat to some other sporty guests who had dived in Hurghada, Red Sea, many, many times. (Hurghada was Hubbie's old stomping ground. He was SO happy to reminisce.)

Last weekend a lady stayed with us so as to meet up with her walker friend who was doing John O'Groats to Land's End plus a chap who walking the same route from the opposite direction. By coincidence they landed up at the B&B that same night.

In May as I drove around the area I twice met Swasie Turner and his Royal Marine comrades who were out collecting money on his behalf as he wheeled himself along the 108 mile route. Apart from all the money Swasie is raising for charity he will also be reporting back to Sustrans who is responsible for the cycle routes in/around Hadrian's Wall and beyond. He will say how wheelchair friendly the route is. Should make for some interesting reading no doubt! Read more about his endeavours here and here.

This all goes to show what a small and incredibly interesting and cosmopolitan world we live in. And very happy we are so to do!

Illuminating Hadrian's Wall Followup! Get your fix here!

I must admit that I'm feeling quite flat today after all the excitement at the weekend. So to cheer myself up I've been looking around at various sites to see what everyone has been posting about The Hadrian's Wall Illumination:

Here's a slideshow at Flikr which shows the helicopter flying over: click here

and an incredibly long one here. There are about 450 odd photos. You can fast forward through it. I didn't get all the way through it but I did spot a few photos of one of my neighbours sat in Greenhead village. The ones towards the end of the Roman soldiers over at Bowness look fascinating.

I liked a good slew of them over at Facebook: Illuminating the Wall. Click here for those.

I couldn't download it but there is a 30 second aerial footage of the night here.

A very impressive 7.5 minute Illuminating Hadrian's Wall film at You Tube can be found here. It's my favourite and very mesmerising!

Righty ho....now onwards and upwards...What's next for me? Two courses organised by Hadrian's Wall Heritage Ltd. They run a whole series of them each Spring for owners of local businesses and I've got one tomorrow at The Great North Museum on Latin inscriptions. The next one is on Monday about the Mithraic temple on the Wall. A couple more follow in the next month or so.

After that I blow the dust off my Vindolanda notes. I've got to kick the memory back into action and think about how I do my tours there for the Easter hols. They're in the process of a £6 million renovation both at Vindolanda and The Roman Army Museum. I'll have to get myself down both places to take a look. Can't wait!

(I'll also be continuing to write up my banking reminiscences just as soon as I can...)