Melvadius Posted February 4, 2011 Report Share Posted February 4, 2011 I see they needed help for the critical part of the build last night - I must admit that the writing had been on the walls for several weeks about what they needed to do. The question I suppose is why the TV producers felt the need to only take modern builders with little or no experience of the basic skills that their Roman equivalents would have been well versed in. Indeed the builders involved in this project have had to learn a lot of basic skills that craftsmen working in restoration are very skilled in while some re-enactors also spend a lot of time researching and practicing them. From their resumes several of the team seem to have had financial problems with their previous businesses and in a couple of cases be long term unemployed - maybe it was because they were 'available' rather than necessarily 'skilled' that the team were taken on. The alternative is view is a possibly more cynical underlying intent on the part of the producers to have the builders make obvious mistakes and possibly some fail at critical tasks rather than an intention to have a smooth (ie uninteresting TV) build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DecimusCaesar Posted February 5, 2011 Report Share Posted February 5, 2011 I missed this while it was on TV but I did manage to catch up with it on Channel 4's homepage. It was funny, entertaining stuff. Unfortunately the video froze a few seconds after one builder went on strike after being given a row by his boss. He said he wouldn't return to the building site unless his boss gave him some cake. considering his tone it was hard to tell if he was being serious or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostOfClayton Posted February 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 I'm not sure if cake was involved, but he's now back on the job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaius Paulinus Maximus Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 For those who are unable to see this show or those who just can't be bothered to wtach the whole 6 episodes then check out this link to see what all the fuss was about................ http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2011/feb/16/roman-house-recreation-wroxeter ***SPOILER**** If you have been watching the show and don't want to see how it ended up then dont click on the link!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostOfClayton Posted February 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 Ah yes . . . that reminded me of another brilliant moment last week. For those who didn't read the above article, or see the programme, the builders painted a giant red graffito on the roof: "THE ROMAN'S [stet] HAD WHEELBARROWS" This found its way into the local paper, where it was read by the excitable Prof Evans, prompting him to hurry down to the site. They were in trouble, not for the graffito, but for not writing it in Latin. Also, the Geordie plumber sitting on the end of the eves with one leg each side of a giant phallus. Brilliant television! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viggen Posted February 17, 2011 Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 Ideal domus: the Romans liked colour and excess, according to Dai Morgan Evans, who dreamed up the Wroxeter project. Good taste is not a feature of a new Roman house that has risen, with much sweat and cursing, from a flat Shropshire field at the genuinely ancient Roman town site of Wroxeter: painted bright yellow and oxblood red, the building can be seen a mile off, The wall, which is 7 metres (23ft) high and stands on top of a metre-high mound, protects the remains of an real ancient Roman forum. "Colour, bling, excess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursus Posted February 17, 2011 Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 .... well, the red and yellow together doesn't look quite as bad as the article made it seem. Still, not exactly my own taste in color schemes ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostOfClayton Posted February 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 We should ship this thread over to 'Rome Wasn't Built in a Day' thread. Which should in turn be merged with 'Vale Pet'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DecimusCaesar Posted February 17, 2011 Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 The colours aren't that bad compared to the gaudy painted statues from Fifth century Athens. Sort of looks how I imagined a Roman Villa to look, based on pictures I've seen in books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ummidia quadratilla Posted February 17, 2011 Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 I like it. But then I once painted my family room/kitchen red (terra cotta) and warm gold/beige, a similar colour scheme. I'm looking forward to seeing it. Does anyone know if they furnished it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melvadius Posted February 18, 2011 Report Share Posted February 18, 2011 All three topics now merged as requested. (Emoticon in honour of a certain Geordie Builder/ Falklands vet ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alistair Forrest Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 I've now seen the whole Rome Wasn't Built in a Day series, and I'm glad to say I'll be passing Wroxeter sometime in the next few weeks during a visit to the UK. I'll pop in and find out 1) if the villa is still standing 2) if anyone has managed to deface the phallus 3) if the Prof has bowed to pressure on the wheelbarrow front. I'll give him a signed copy of my book Libertas (which has nothing to do with Wroxeter but everything to do with Caesar). He may find some boo-boos in it, thus stimulating further debate to be reported here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostOfClayton Posted December 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2011 For those interested, this is now being repeated on Wednesday nights at 2200 on More4. I saw the first one, but wasn't able to record it at the time. However, I'll be doing my level best to record the remainder of the series. If you haven't had chance to see it, and can't this time, let me know. To conclude with what struck me from the repeat viewing of Episode 1 - I'd forgotten how good it was. Roll on next Wednesday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ummidia quadratilla Posted December 9, 2011 Report Share Posted December 9, 2011 I like it. But then I once painted my family room/kitchen red (terra cotta) and warm gold/beige, a similar colour scheme. I'm looking forward to seeing it. Does anyone know if they furnished it? I'd forgotten about this thread. I saw the villa in May and was impressed by it. And I still like the colour of it. I even used a photo of the villa as the header on my website (www.romanfootprints.com) To answer my own question - no they didn't furnish it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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