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After having read and heard many times that there was not going to be a Deva Roman festival this year, I was somewhat surprised to see reported in the Cheshire Chronicle local paper that the sixth such event had taken place last week!
Can anyone shed any light on the matter I probably would have gone if I had known?
Graham.
"Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream" Edgar Allan Poe.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
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The problem is, Graham, you search the internet and next year's is listed as being in June on one site, but July on another. :?
My folks were telling me about a shop in Chester that sells Roman gear and other historical items. I dare say that shop will know what happened and when the next one is, and be more reliable than the council. I'll get their details for you.
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
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Quote:My folks were telling me about a shop in Chester that sells Roman gear and other historical items. I dare say that shop will know what happened and when the next one is, and be more reliable than the council. I'll get their details for you._________________
Hi Jim
I know that shop of course as Chester is only 15 minutes away. In fact I looked at some of the websites of groups who had been to the event in the past and none of them had it listed and I was also told by another re-enactor that the event was not on this year. There is at least one member of the Chester Roman tours group on RAT, perhaps he might have an answer.
I live in Flint a town where nothing happens and yet I also managed to miss two events by CADW staged at Flint castle. Neither were advertised before the event and nothing before or after was mentioned in the local paper and no one in the town seemed to know anything about the shows. I hope for the re-enactors sakes that someone actually turned up to see them. I only found out weeks later by picking up a CADW leaflet in Snowdonia last week!
Graham.
"Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream" Edgar Allan Poe.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
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Amazing. Perhaps they were promoted on the local council websites (it's not there on Chester's but it's after the fact now) and so the councils have done the unsurprisingly dumb thing and not bothered with print advertising. :roll:
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TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
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Hi Jim
I would not have thought it was any Councils job to advertise local events like these. In the case of Flint castle CADW have responsibility for the site and I would have thought been responsible for advertising the event themselves by contacting the local press and media etc.... However they seem to have thought that advertising the event in small print in leaflets not available locally was sufficient.
In the case of the Deva festival even the members of the Chester based Roman Tours, one of whom at least is a member of this Forum do not appear to have mentioned it anywhere on RAT.
And so far Jim, it seems as if we are having a private conversation!
Graham.
"Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream" Edgar Allan Poe.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
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Quote:I would not have thought it was any Councils job to advertise local events like these.
Fair point, but they do seem to like to publicise pretty much every other event under the Sun on their website
I'm surprised the Edinburgh Tattoo's not there.
Quote:In the case of the Deva festival even the members of the Chester based Roman Tours, one of whom at least is a member of this Forum do not appear to have mentioned it anywhere on RAT.
Looks like everyone simply forgot.
Quote:And so far Jim, it seems as if we are having a private conversation!
Maybe everyone's being polite and not interrupting :wink:
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
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Probably this is not completely right, but you'd get a clearer answer from one of the locals but, here goes for a rough try..
The Festival is held each year at the Racecourse. Each year it has got bigger & better - the lads building a magnificent timber fort in the centre of the racecourse in just a few short days - monumental effort by just a few volunteers.
I think the race course people are the major funder, rather than the council, & as it is their land it is their ultimate decision (& their event to publicise, or not).
To start with, as other years, lots of groups would have been involved.
This year the Racecourse seem to have decided that they didnt need or want a full show, so they reduced it to just a small display of the Chester Guard (Deva VV/Roman Tours). They didnt want any tents, living history etc. So other groups got cancelled.
This also meant that even the local boys would have no camp base for sitting down, eating, shelter, etc & would potentially just been stood to attention, for just a few display shots. Some people who join in with Deva VV didnt therefore plan to go down as they werent needed.
For some reason (no idea what) at the 11th hour some kind of turnabout meant that a larger event was agreed with some living history etc.
Didnt go ourselves because of other committments, so didnt see how big.
Let's hope the racecourse learnt a lesson & gives it full backing in future!
On the other hand, the National Archaeology Day last weekend in the Amphitheatre was terrific - full show:gladiators, kids army, living history,etc. !st degree sunburn all round tho.
Hilary
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Hello Hilary
Thanks for that explanation.
Graham.
"Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream" Edgar Allan Poe.
"Every brush-stroke is torn from my body" The Rebel, Tony Hancock.
"..I sweated in that damn dirty armor....TWENTY YEARS!', Charlton Heston, The Warlord.
