No - this is not a self portrait, but another member of The Ermine Street Guard in "marching order". This seems appropriate as we are off again next week to the German city of Aalen (see:http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9003199) to give displays over two days at the major Roman Festival they hold each year (20,000 people there last year). All the kit (armour, artillery weapons, leather tents, etc.) go by lorry in the early hours of next Thursday and we fly out in the evening.
Looks like a good gig. Billetted in a "Youth Hotel"nearby, with a beer garden attached (which I suppose we shall have to sample, just for politeness, you understand).
This is my 20th year of "Roman Soldiering". Sometimes think I am getting too old for all this (67) - but, hey!, what an antidote to the stresses and strains of modern life in UK.
10 comments:
Only another five years and you'll have done your term!!!
Did Roman soldiers get a pension when their term was up?
67? You look pretty good on it!!!!
kp - after 25 years they were discharged and given a small holding by their grateful country. these smallholdings were grouped together with other retired veterans so they had mutual support and were also used as a sort of "home guard" in times of trouble. The settlements were called "colonia" and many towns developed from them, with the root of the name still in use ("Colchester", "Cologne", etc.)
Next question, please?
Sorry - that last answer was to HHnB!
Thankyou for that. What a sensible idea huh?
So, should you be asking for a smallholding when you've done your time?
Please keep us updated with photos too...
And make sure you sample as much German beer as possible! Ein bier bitte. Danke (or something similar!).
V. Just give me the money - I don't think I could manage farming.
Will no doubt take some pix.
Here I ask for a bitter beer - there, as you say, it's ein bier bitte! The most useful bit of German I know.
I have discovered that it is the only German you need to know. Oh, but I guess "Ruhe! Ich habe Kopfschmerzen" is good for the morning after!
V. Followed by "haben sie etwas gegen Kater?" at the local chemists.
I am always very careful with the drink when away like this - especially as I have to prance around in about 20 kilos of armour the next day!
Some of the boys are not so circumspect - we did a very hot job in the South of France once and one idiot overdid the local wine - collapsed in the sun next day - taken to hospital in armour (explain that away in schoolboy French!) and nearly died.
Yikes! Glad to see the "nearly" in there, regarding the "died". The whole trombone section of my band except me goes in in German about beer and other things. I feel so left out!
Post a Comment