The Augusta Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 OK - a quick update re accommodation. Four single rooms have been booked for the nights of 25th and 26th July at The Jesmond Hotel. So, having had confirmation from GPM, Pertinax and Caldrail (including myself as the other occupant), our rooms are now safe and booked. I am afraid that anyone else who wishes to come to the meet will have to sort out accommodation for themselves. Rooms are Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pertinax Posted March 26, 2008 Report Share Posted March 26, 2008 Thats fine , thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spittle Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 (edited) I drive up to my girlfriends in Newcastle every other weekend so I'd like to meet up with you all. Unless I can swap a shift I'll be working the night of Friday 25th and driving up when it ends at 6a.m. Saturday morning. Â The house I used to share with my girlfriend (the one she still lives in) is in Benwell, possibly the roughest estate in Newcastle! Despite this there are two Roman shrines within a three minute walk. The original statues have been taken to museums and replaced with replica's but the rest of the stonework is 'Authentic Legionaire'. Â Before moving to Newcastle we lived in South Shields where a Roman fort has been reconstructed and archeological work continues around it. Adam Hart-Davis filmed some of 'What Did the Romans Do For Us?' from there. Edited March 27, 2008 by spittle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Augusta Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 It would certainly be wonderful to see you, Spittle. Hope you can make it. We would not be starting our itinerary until the Saturday anyway. We have included a Friday arrival just so that we can get together and perhaps have a drink and a bite to eat, and it will be a nice way to welcome GPM, who could not make it last time round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augustus Caesar Posted March 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2008 Hi guys  Sorry I ain't been around in the forum etc for a while. The meeting was always on and as we know from Augusta the hotel is sorted. We are chatting via telephone this weekend to begin to finalise an itinerary so we will get back with that as soon as it is sorted out.  I will also PM Andrew Dalby who is looking forward to the meet from earlier contact with him. He says he wouldn't miss it but I now seek that final confirmation. If you read this before I PM you Andrew let me know.  It is a great shame Doc cannot come along so here's a quck shout to her from me... "Get yourself to our next meet otherwise we'll all swim over there and drag you over!!" Seriously, it should be a good event and maybe I will have learnt about photography on the Wall after I meet up with a professional photographer before our date with Hadrian. I am getting good advice on the use of filters etc and how to capture the 'best shots' for my Wall site. More on that when we meet.  So, if anyone else needs to confirm please PM Augusta who is organising accommodation. I'm glad we will have a merry troop stomping along the hallowed path of the Wall. Remember to buy yourself some sturdy footwear and bring a light waterproof coat - just in case. You'll all be aware of how quickly the weather can change on the Wall so do think about things in a sensible way where the weather is concerned.  More later... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augustus Caesar Posted March 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2008 For some odd reason the posts on THIS page didn't show up before I posted that last few words. So here goes for a reply to Spittle... Â Glad you're gonna make it. If we use the Hadrian's Wall bus to get to the Wall it will leave Newcastle at around 9am. The train to Hexham may be better and the Hads Wall bus from there to other parts of the Wall may suit. This will all depend upon the operators of this service who completely revamped the times last summer and wrecked days out with mismanaged crossover times with the service from Carlisle. Â Anyway, Adam Hart Davis brought a road show of What the Romans Did for Us to Segedunum when I was Treasurer to the Friends of Segedunum and I interviewed him for a goodhalf hour for our magazine. He is a very thoughtful and intelligent guy. His shoes are bizarre though!!! It is the Museum of Antiquities that house those two columns from the Benwell Temple. The vallum crossing is well worth a visit for anyone who wants to see it. However, we will not be doing that this time round. Â I hadn't realised you were a resident of our area in the past and you right about the programme being filmed at Arbeia. He also did a lot of the show from Segedunum too. It is one of his favourite historical sites in England, Segedunum. He loves the bath house!!! After a hot bath there wouldn't we all? I had the privilege to be one of the first to sample the heat when the baths were completed and before being opened to the public and I can say it was so hot you had leave the likes of the hot room after a minute or two. The Romans apparently would have done the same. I also saw the furnace in operation and this is awesome. The heat was unbelievable. Imagine working in that for hours a day!!! You wouldn't need a bath as the muck would run away because of the heat!! Seriously, this was all very educational for me and I will never forget how hot it was. If the bath house is operational nowadays the heat is deliberately kept down because it is just too hot. The protection on the wood windw frames just softens and runs down the walls and affects the painted rooms. Apparently this was a problem 2000 years ago too!! Â I waffle... while you are the meet Spittle no doubt a little chat about times gone by in the north will be the order of the day... Â Can't wait now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docoflove1974 Posted March 28, 2008 Report Share Posted March 28, 2008 It is a great shame Doc cannot come along so here's a quck shout to her from me... "Get yourself to our next meet otherwise we'll all swim over there and drag you over!!" Â Get me a full-time teaching position so that I can travel in the summer, then we'll talk! Â I'll be there in spirit...even if I have to have some Brown Ale during those 3 days to make up for things! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaius Paulinus Maximus Posted March 28, 2008 Report Share Posted March 28, 2008 It would certainly be wonderful to see you, Spittle. Hope you can make it. We would not be starting our itinerary until the Saturday anyway. We have included a Friday arrival just so that we can get together and perhaps have a drink and a bite to eat, and it will be a nice way to welcome GPM, who could not make it last time round. Â Thanks Augusta, the hotel sounds spot on and I'm certainly looking forward to the meet this time round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spittle Posted March 31, 2008 Report Share Posted March 31, 2008 For some odd reason the posts on THIS page didn't show up before I posted that last few words. So here goes for a reply to Spittle... Glad you're gonna make it. If we use the Hadrian's Wall bus to get to the Wall it will leave Newcastle at around 9am. The train to Hexham may be better and the Hads Wall bus from there to other parts of the Wall may suit. This will all depend upon the operators of this service who completely revamped the times last summer and wrecked days out with mismanaged crossover times with the service from Carlisle.  Anyway, Adam Hart Davis brought a road show of What the Romans Did for Us to Segedunum when I was Treasurer to the Friends of Segedunum and I interviewed him for a goodhalf hour for our magazine. He is a very thoughtful and intelligent guy. His shoes are bizarre though!!! It is the Museum of Antiquities that house those two columns from the Benwell Temple. The vallum crossing is well worth a visit for anyone who wants to see it. However, we will not be doing that this time round.  I hadn't realised you were a resident of our area in the past and you right about the programme being filmed at Arbeia. He also did a lot of the show from Segedunum too. It is one of his favourite historical sites in England, Segedunum. He loves the bath house!!! After a hot bath there wouldn't we all? I had the privilege to be one of the first to sample the heat when the baths were completed and before being opened to the public and I can say it was so hot you had leave the likes of the hot room after a minute or two. The Romans apparently would have done the same. I also saw the furnace in operation and this is awesome. The heat was unbelievable. Imagine working in that for hours a day!!! You wouldn't need a bath as the muck would run away because of the heat!! Seriously, this was all very educational for me and I will never forget how hot it was. If the bath house is operational nowadays the heat is deliberately kept down because it is just too hot. The protection on the wood windw frames just softens and runs down the walls and affects the painted rooms. Apparently this was a problem 2000 years ago too!!  I waffle... while you are the meet Spittle no doubt a little chat about times gone by in the north will be the order of the day...  Can't wait now...  A.C. I have never visited Segedunum! A terrible confession for a UNRV member who actually lived in Newcastle and still regularly visits. I'll try to make my way there before the meet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augustus Caesar Posted April 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 Ah... Segedunum is a great to visit. Especially the bath house. The museum is good too. However, for actual 'ruins' and reconstructions try and get to Arbeia (South Shields). The half reconstructed CO's House is awesome. The barrack block is splendid and the gatehouse - well... just go and take a look!! Whilst my loyalties lie with Segedunum (coz I live here!!) I still think Arbeia stands out very well but is one of the least visited forts among those with foundations on view etc. This is a great shame. Vindolanda, with all its excavations and finds of late, is spectacular. If only other forts were excavated like this!! Â Anyway, hope you like what you see when you get to Seggy!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Augusta Posted April 26, 2008 Report Share Posted April 26, 2008 Just a quick update - we have a new addition to our trip - a little shoot nurtured by yours truly. My son will be accompanying me to the Wall, as he can put the visit to good use for his college course. He is looking forward to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaius Paulinus Maximus Posted May 7, 2008 Report Share Posted May 7, 2008 It's with a heavy heart, but I'm going to have to pull out of this years trip to Hadrian's Wall, It's due to work commitments that are out of my control, I can't be certain that I'll be in this country at the time of the meet, so for that reason I'm going to have to give it a miss.  I'm bitterly disappointed to be missing out ......again!  Hope you all have a great time at the Wall and I'll just have to make do with your stories and pictures when you return from the Northern Frontier.  Sorry  GPM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augustus Caesar Posted May 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2008 Aahhh GPM... we will be sorry you are not going to make it but work must come first - as they say this is your bread and butter. We will do our best to tell decent stories of our campaign and will no doubt upload some fine pictures too. We will see you hopefully on a future get together. Â While GPM has dropped out it is nice to see another soldier recruited to the ranks... this is Augusta's son and we will make him very welcome. He has to promise to make lots of food stuffs and carry all the drinks as he is going to be the fledgling... Augusta, being a protective parent, will have it no other way!!! Glad he is coming along Augusta... I'll probably talk to you soon.... Â Still no word from Andrew Dalby so I will attempt to contact him... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursus Posted May 10, 2008 Report Share Posted May 10, 2008 Still no word from Andrew Dalby so I will attempt to contact him... Â Â Please ask him what his status is. We haven't seen him since before Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Neil Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 I might be able to swing things with work to get to this after all.. I know accommodation is all booked, but i've slept in the back of my transit many times before! I will know more in a week or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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