Roman day in Arbeia fort

Published Date:
19 August 2008

By Paul Myles-Kelly

A ROMAN invasion of South Shields at the weekend was welcomed by history-hungry townsfolk.

Visitors
were transported hundreds of years back in time when the cavalry turned
out in force as part of a Roman Weekend at Arbeia Roman Fort in Baring
Street and Segedunum in Wallsend.

At the South Shields site on
Saturday, there were a series of free activities courtesy of expert
re-enactment group Comitatus, members of whom gave military and cavalry
displays.

There were Roman craft stalls selling leather goods,
Roman pottery workshops, cavalry horses, have-a-go-archery and
children’s entertainment.

Alisdair Wilson, manager for South
Tyneside Museums, said: “The Roman Weekend was a fantastic opportunity
for visitors to step back in time and see how Tyneside might have
looked in Roman Britain.

“With spectacular live action
displays and the chance for visitors to try their hand at archery, it
was an action-packed weekend.”

Roman road in Wales being destroyed

Aug 21 2008 by Matt Nicholls, Neath Guardian

OFF-ROAD vehicles are destroying a historic Dulais Valley site, council bosses have warned.

Despite a ban on driving along the Sarn Helen Roman road, near Banwen, illegal traffic has still been using the road.

There have been reports of fencing being cut and trees being uprooted to gain access to the area, fly-tipping and cars being set on fire.

The ban has been in place to keep vehicles away from the historic site between September 1 and May 31 each year.

It has now been now decided to extend the length of the ban to include the August bank holiday and the area it covers.

Chiltern Open Air Museum Roman display

Roman Military Research Society (http://www.romanarmy.net) will visit the Chiltern Open-Air Museum, 23-25 August
(http://www.coam.org.uk/Events/events2008/August2008.html), where ‘[t]he soldiers will present spectacular displays of Roman fighting techniques and displays each day. There will be opportunities to learn about Roman fashions with a fashion show performed by the Roman ladies!’.