caldrail

I'd started a whole load of local bands, most of whom I really can't remember the names of at all. Bardiche was a typical period melodic rock/soft metal band I joined in the mid-eighties and eventually managed for a year or so but after Pete Farrar got the hump because I wasn't making enough profit to pay him an expected fee for his services, I kind of got disillusioned with running bands and looked for something worth joining. Then I found Red Jasper, a quirky sort of contemporary folk band. After a series of embarrasing gigs I pushed the band into rocking it up a little, thinking (correctly) that we'd get more attention. It was a strange circumstance really. In truth, Jasper was an uncomfortable mix and the members were all pulling it their own way. I got blamed for most of that but in all honesty we were all guilty. On the plus side, we played some high profile venues, got rave reviews in Kerrang, and were described as 'Jethro Tull on speed'.

Interesting point, but was the spread of education as prevalent in those earlier times as during the imperial period?

It's simple. but challenging. It's all about business skills. A&R men aren't interested in whether you're the greatest act ever born, only if they can sell you. They used to receive infinite numbers of cassettes in my day (its internet exposure too these days). One A&R man I spoke to had a big sack in his office full of the things - none were going to get heard. One band I know of packaged their demo in a custom made polystyrene brick (hand-painted) and it was all a waste of effort. The trick is to sell your band before the A&R man actually hears it. That first phone call is everything, and it helps to have friends in influential places. Other than that, you simply have to get lucky. For instance... Tony and I were heading for a gig in Bristol. The previous night we'd done a support slot at the Mean Fiddler in London. Over the radio, the DJ mentioned he'd been to a gig yesterday at that very venue. Both Tony and I leaned forward with baited breath, no longer interested in the direction the car was travelling. "Saw a Great Band" The DJ said. Yes... Go on... Please... We want exposure.... But it was not to be. He simply said the headline band were brilliant. Putdowns don't come any harder than that

Nay, 'tis General Neil. Well done Mate.

So the High Priest of Pop Idol destoryed my career too did he? Cheers Suz, now I know Noooooo! Suz has been turned into a Pop-Idol Worshipper by the Evil Codpiece! Repent, sinner! Seriously though if thats your impression of him then thats cool. I've only got his tv appearances to go by, and whilst his 'honesty' is no different from the cruel opinions of the entertainment business as a whole (believe me, I knew what people thought of our band!), I find it hard to like the mans personality. Well at least it wasn't me!

I must admit I simply assumed the phrase meant acceptance as a partner. That is what the epitaph implies. There is of course the possibility that the relationship was originally based on something more practical - such as a young girl in desperate need of foster parents. Nonetheless, the epitaph doesn't indicate a later marriage - it merely says they were together from that point, hence the conclusion by Shelton.

Agreed. However, the legions do not comprise a similar mix of people that you found in cities. They were from an entire region, with special attention to fit, active, aggressive young men. most of those wouldn't know how to read by virtue of their background (and the legions were for many of them a life of adventure away from the toil of manual labour - boy were they in for a shock! - or a way to make some sort of profitable living with a decent pension package) I also note that reading and writing was a prized attribute for legionaries - it made it likely that they'd be chosen for office duty , thus being assigned as immunes, and someone else can do all the labouring outside.

Child Brides The Romans entered upon marriage at a very young age; both partners might be in their teens at the time of marriage. It was not, however, unusual for a girl in her teens to be maried to a man considerably older than herself who had already been married once or twice before. Some girls were even married before they reached puberty. The following inscription, a first century BC epitaph found at Rome, tells us about Aurelia Philematium, who was married at age seven. "I was called, while alive, Aurelia Philematium, a woman chaste and modest, unsoiled by the common crowd, faithful to her husband. My husband, whom, alas, I have now left, was a fellow freedman. He was really like a father to me. When I was seven years old he embraced me. Now I am forty, and in the power of death. Through my constantcare, my husband flourished." As the Romans Did - Jo-Ann Shelton Extraordinary. Notice the complete lack of any moral outrage or shame for a marriage that in our time would have police arriving in SWAT trucks. Granted, the above example is a marriage between two freedpersons, who are probably less concerned with the niceties of social ettiquette than the privileged, but then... Aurelia Philematium is described as a good girl. So clearly, her behaviour offset any criticism of what might have seemed even then a dubious marriage. Does anyone have any other examples of these matches?

During my high octane, non-stop, action packed lifestyle as an unemployed job seeker, I occaisionally get a few moments to myself in which to relax. Yesterday was one of those, so in an uncharacteristic bout of feet-up laziness, I sat back and switched on the television. Hey, they've added some channels sonce I last watched telly. So I discovered this music channel showing all the hits from the eighties. Wow. This is so nostalgic. Phil Collins still had hair. Adam Ant still had warpaint on his face. The only way was up, and the cast of Neighbours had applied to be pop stars. Comparing music between then and now reveals just how empty music can be.today. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks music in the eighties was better. It isn't nostalgia at all - there was a genuine upbeat feel to the decade. Even the angry punks were happy gobbing at each other. Heck, I still believed I could be a rock star back then. That's how optimistic we were. Of course we didn't have Simon Cowell to puncture our dreams back then. I therefore deduce that Mr Cowell is single-handedly responsible for destroying music as we know it. He is the anti-christ (Sorry Ozzy, love the music, but you're only the Prince of Medium Greyness). Anyway, I spent a happy few hours remembering where I was when songs first came out. I cannot believe how much time I'd spent in pubs. Talking of music, yesterday afternoon I heard a brass band out in the street. What's that all about? All the traffic outside was at a standstill, and it turned out to be a parade of some sort, loads of kids in uniforms. It's just as well they held the parade on the Sunday, because... Weather Report of the Week The weather girl popped up on the screen and smiled sweetly for the benefit of the viewers. Why is Britain always beige? Haven't we got a more vibrant colour? Whatever happened to Cool Britannia? Oh hang on... The map is turning blue from midnight onward... "Yes" Said the Weather Girl in happy mode, "I'm afraid the weather is going to get worse from this point on". Rain. Buckets of it. Just in time for Monday morning. You just can't beat British weather can you?

I'd have to bow to your superior experience there. It just seems that after the withdrawal of colonialism, the local tribes have rubbed each other up the wrong way and spurred on by the value of natural resources and the influence of arms dealers. After all, the abortive coup in Equatorial Guinea was about nothing more that profit from natural resources. One aspect of African strife that I notice is the lack of ideological struggles. Although the Cold War supported one side or another as they did elsewhere, the issue was always something more corrupt. Perhaps though my image of Africa is sponsored by the media. It does seem to be backed up by the accounts of mercenaries I come across - but again, they operate in dangerous areas anyway.

I think we'd realise how undramatic and ordinary life would seem to be. Historical events would seem to happen quickly too. Battles however would be drawn out affairs where nothing much happens except a lot of milling around and noise.

Good luck with your book. Although the period is a bit later than your own chosen one, you really ought to get hold of this book to describe the experience of visiting Rome... http://www.unrv.com/book-review/five-denarii-a-day.php

There's a strange phenomenon that takes place when Swindon gets bad press. You suddenly find hordes of people who say "We like it." Swindon has tried ceaselessly to reinvent itself ever since the railworks closed. Out with the old, in with the new, oops we made mistake, look at our brand new plan. In fairness, the pace of beautification is increasing. The victorian pidgeon nets are vanishing, plans to reintroduce the canals throughn the town center are in place, and architects impressions of wide pedestrian areas between tall glass buildings regularly put on display. It's not all plans and ideas though. There's an italianate influence in the new architecture. You can't help feeling that the town planners took a holiday in Tuscany and discovered the outside world really was prettier. The biggest problem with Swindon though is exactly what it always was - the people who live there. Another cannabis farm was uncovered by police in a house half a mile from mine just the other day. Graffiti Mice are breeding and leaving lots of territory markers on any available surface. Supermarkets are now refusing to deliver in some parts of Swindon in the evenings. On the way to the libraray today I passed a group of four men arguing about who the girlfriend belonged to, and it wasn't calm polite exchange. Motorbikes blast along any straight road with engines howling, often with front wheels in the air, regardless of situation. Kids gather on streets and everyone, including number ten buses, have to go around them. The alleyway behind my home has become so filled with discarded windows, piano's, bottles, exercise machines, childrens toys, cardboard, sofa's, and the occaisional mattress that someone has now decided that throwing their rubbish into my front yard is a good idea. This is what I mean about our local population. They seem to want this urban degradation around them as it's their natural habitat. I guess they would say "If you don't like it, go somewhere else". That attitude, above all else, is why Swindon will never be beautiful. Speeding Fine of the Week A granny has just been fined for speeding on her moped which has a maximum speed of 8mph. That's the trouble with speed camera's, they've left the police without anything to do.

Less tax? I'd keep quiet if I were you. One of our politicians might read this

If your travellers are accused of theft they get dealt with accordingly. They might not be able to continue to Rome as the authorities wouldn't want thieves walking around at large. That said, why would a Roman magistrate believe a wild accusation? If you stole the animals, wouldn't you still have them? Be careful of witchcraft. The Romans are a superstitious people. Nothing else will generate false accusations as the knowledge you dabble in such things.

The Opening of the Library has become a daily ritual in my life now. It's almost assumed religious significance as I enter the Temple of Bookworms and quietly wait for the monks guarding the lower chamber to unlock the fold-away doors to the Inner Sanctum upstairs. Not any more. yesterday the guard, whom I've not seen before, opened the coffee bar and told the faithful that they'll just have to walk around the staircase. What? Have we erred? Are we being punished for our sins? Groan. Oh well. Like everyone else I joined the throng ambling around the stairwell. AM was there, and as always, whinging, though I have to say this time he had a point. Once upstairs I sat down at my usual cubicle and began logging on. AM stomped past me on his crutches and making sure I heard, loudly proclaimed that "These limey's just don't get it." Trust me, AM, I got it a long while back. You were the bloke who used to bully people off your favourite PC. I suspect you were no different when you were serving in the armed forces in your youth, which you like to make a big deal of. That's why I don't listen to you. There are heroes and casualties more deserving. Celebration of the Week Saint George stood outside the library in his medieval armour, looking quite magnificent in his crusader style helm and surcoat. Now there's a legend that the good Sir Knight fought a dragon at Uffington, a few miles away to the southeast, so I guess our town has every right to majke a big thing of his birthday. George was standing there in front of me almost fifteen feet high. Big lad. Poor old dragon never stood a chance.

Whatever the bankers did the world will recover from. Most nations will do so nicely. Unforunately, Gordon Brown, whilst Chancellor, made himself look good by the expedient of borrowing huge sums of money without drawing attention to it, so he always had money to make easy budgets or be generous for good causes. That's why he was so keen to pressure Tony Blair to honour his deal and step down, before the crap hit the fan. Alistair Darling, our new Chancellor, was slescted to take the fall for Gordons shenanigans. H'ell be given a sinecure sometime in the future for his trouble, so that Gordon Brown can walk away smelling of roses. It's also worth noting that Gordon Brown has not stood for election - he was given the job of Prime Minister by virtue of Tony Blair. The problem though was that the economic downturn occured. Britain has borrowed more money in the last administration than ever before in total. We are in debt up to our eyeballs and all the government dioes is borrow more. While other nations will be recovering we'll be struggling for decades with mammoth debts and taxes, not to mention paying for an olympic games that are supposed to demonstrate what a great country this is. Why is Gordon Brown doing this? Why is he deliberately destroying our econimic viability when clearly this level of borrowing is suicidal? There may be any number of explanations. Is he an idiot? Is he trying to seed the voting market with angry poverty-stricken socialists? Is he trying to ensure the Conservative party cannot effectively demonstrate efficient government? Is he trying to deflate Britain for a political subjgation? Whatever his motives, the bankers in America are not to blame for those.

It seems the pilum was italian in origin and that it was used very early on as a javelin by legions. The long thin stem is available in archaeological record. Apparently the biggest criticism of the pilum was it's slow flight, which made it possible for enemies to dodge the javelin if they had room and enough wits. I believe Caesar made similar complaints of the gauls. Marius introduced the two-pin style to introduce a tactical advantage to compensate for the pilums failings. His methods weren't universally accepted and the two-pin pilum (which had obvious vulnerability) did not survive against the traditional pilum.

There was no official enslavement of visitors - only illegal trading did that and then only if they thought they would get away with it. Other than that, a 1st century brit could indeed visit Rome if he wanted. So come on down and see the sights! I'm sure there's plenty of merchants who'll sell you everything you could possibly need.

It is a sobering thought given how solitary my life has become. Your experience in african villages is interesting. In the news we see strife. One man complained and eventually got government aid so the bandits turned up to take it away. Then the army turned up to chase them away and took everything he had left (don't know which country, but it was africanish). Nonetheless, I keep seeing footage of children in the appalling poverty of the countryside and lo and behold they're blissfully happy and playful. Until they're old enough to buy an AK that is.

I would do but I don't have it. All we need to know is whether he specifically mentions a soft iron shank or not. By referring to a 'bending' shaft, it doesn't rule out the twin pin version. I'll dig up Michel Feugeres book on Roman weaponry tonight and see what he says. He uses a lot of archaeological evidence to back up Roman sources.

I like quoting this, but the film Three Kings has an interesting sequence where the men are stopped by the rogue special forces guy and he asks them "What is most important?" They look stupid for a minute then he says "Necessity." I do understand your point. We become accustiomed to our luxuries and devices. My world has shrunk enormously since I became a pedestrian for instance. Life without a computer at home would be unbearable! I think though this subject tends to be viewed from the perspective of the individual. Thats not really the right way to see it. Humans are social animals, and unless we're part of a co-operative tribe, the back-to-basics experience can be a lot tougher. I remember on the tv news a wanted criminal was caught after he'd tried to hide out in the woods, armed with one of those special forces 'how-to' guides. He'd spent two weeks away from civilisation and was caught because he'd attempted to buy matches in a shop looking completely dishevelled. Rather like the Simpsons, where Homer falls out with Marge and lives in the kids tree house. After three hours, he's reduced to a wretched state. then again, regarding pace of life, mine has almost stopped due to unemployment. In fact, the authorities regularly kick you up the rear to remotivate your job seeking, or send you to obscure units where they try to renew your energy. It sort of works, but I don't think you're unchanged by the experience.

Romans were considered adults at 15. Women as young as 7 years of age have been recorded as married (though 12 or 13 was more likely). In the Roman world, you grew up a lot faster. You expect to be a grandfather by the age of 35.

Now that I've been unemployed for a year, I must face the Inquisition. It's a ritual designed to help me get back to work, though to be honest, it rarely makes any difference. They change a few conditions on my jobseekers contract and send me to a special unit where I can learn how to be a jobseeker again. There were a few us waiting for interviews. A woman walked up and asked if we were in the right place. The guy opposite me looked puzzled. "In the right place..." He mumbled, staring emptily into space. The woman walked away again muttering something about that being all right then. My scheduled inquisitor was a man called Brian. Is that a good or bad omen?. In the first floor office where I sat there was a complete absence of Brianoids and eventually he turned out to be a pleasant young asian woman. Some women just talk and talk don't they? Brian didn't draw breath once from start to finish. She was in such a rush to sort out my complacency. So after nodding agreement in between her bursts of non-stop chatter and fumbled keyboard presses, I signed up for a course in self-motivation. I'm going to have to start getting up in the mornings again. No, let's be positive. With a bit of luck, I'll manage to get a job before the lucky company goes bust in the economic downturn. Speaking of which... Budget of the Week We have a tradition in England called the Budget. It's that time of the year when the Chancellor rells us how much more expensive life is going to be. This years Budget is simply so entertaining that it makes The Charge Of The Light Brigade look like the most brilliant decision in military history. I won't bore you with the details - it's been on the tv news for two days now already - but you can't help feeling that the government have given up trying to solve Britains escalating debt, and decided instead to see how bad they can make it before they finally lose power.

So... basically what you're saying is.... they're no better off than me? Seriously though, the 'back to basics' lifestyle is great when everythings peaceful and the necessities of life within easy reach. Add some policial turmoil, a few chinese arms dealers, a famine, a long period without rain, one or two king rats, and you get hell on earth.