NORTH STAFFS BRANCH OF THE CLASSICAL ASSOCIATION
Report for the Year 2006/2007
We have maintained a stable financial position with a further slight increase in membership. We now have 50 paying members, 40 at the full £5, and another 10 still paying old £2 and £3 standing orders.
In the Autumn we began the year's programme with a lecture by Daryn Lehoux from Manchester on ancient science. This was co-sponsored by the Roman Society. This was followed by a play reading in translation in November of Seneca's Octavia. We followed up the interest shown in language as a lecture theme later in the month, with the visit of Geoff Eatough (Lampeter) who spoke on Peter Martyr's De Orbe Novo. This was followed by another Members' Saturnalia social in January, with various excellent contributions by members of classically themed food. We are grateful to Keele SCR for free use of the room for both these meetings (which was also provided for the Spring play reading).
The Hellenic Society joint meeting was a lecture in February from Ken Dowden, which this year was the talk on Homer's Iliad which was originally planned for his previous visit. We are grateful also for free use of St Wulstan's School as the venue. In March we had our second play reading, an interesting comparison with Seneca's work in that we looked at Racine's Britannicus, supplied by Peggy Chaplin. In April Father John Redford of Maryvale Institute spoke on Gnosticism and the Da Vinci Code. In May we again threw open to other bodies our annual coach trip, to Hardrian's Wall, entertainingly led by Andy Fear. We were still investigating the idea of a short weekend trip to Rome in September at the time of the AGM.
Throughout the year, the Latin and Greek reading groups have again continued to run roughly monthly, independently of the core programme, with the Latin group also making such progress with its project to transcribe and translate Latin memorial inscriptions in the county that we are now preparing a draft article on those in the area of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, with a view to publishing our results.
Events 2006/2007
LECTURE: Dr Daryn Lehoux (University of Manchester)
'FARMING THE HEAVENS: ASTRONOMY AND AGRICULTURE IN ANTIQUITY'
(A look at ancient science)
7.30 p.m., Tuesday 3 October 2006
St Wulstan's (RC) Primary School Hall, Church Lane, Wolstanton, Newcastle-under -Lyme
Joint meeting with the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies
PLAY READING: (in translation) of Seneca's Octavia
7.30 p.m., Tuesday 7 November 2006,
St Wulstan's Priest's House, Wolstanton, Newcastle-under-Lyme
LECTURE: Professor Geoff Eatough (University of Wales, Lampeter)
'NAKED LANGUAGE FOR A NAKED PEOPLE: PETER MARTYR'S "DE ORBE NOVO", THE FIRST HISTORY OF THE NEW WORLD'
(The interrelationship between language [Latin], ethics and images of America from the initial discoveries to the first contacts with Mexico.)
7.30 p.m., Thursday 16 November 2006,
Senior Common Room, Keele Hall, University of Keele
MEMBERS' SOCIAL
6.30 p.m. Wednesday 17 January 2007, Senior Common Room, Keele Hall, University of Keele - please bring appropriate Classical food and/or drink. The evening will also feature games, quizzes, and readings from Greek or Roman literature. This event is for members only.
LECTURE: Professor Ken Dowden (University of Birmingham)
'HOMER'S "ILIAD": THE STORY YOU ARE NOT TOLD' [previously advertised for 2006]
7.30 p.m., Thursday 22 February 2007
St Wulstan's (RC) Primary School Hall, Church Lane, Wolstanton, Newcastle-under -Lyme
Joint meeting with the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies
PLAY READING: (in translation) of Racine's Britannicus
7.30 p.m., Thursday 15 March 2007,
Senior Common Room, Keele Hall, University of Keele
Copies will be supplied, and we shall look at the debts of this play to Seneca's Octavia
LECTURE: Father John Redford (Reader in Biblical Hermeneutics,
Maryvale Institute, Birmingham)
'THE DA VINCI CODE HANGOVER: GNOSTICISM AND THE INCARNATION'
7.30 p.m., Tuesday 24 April 2007
St Wulstan's (RC) Primary School Hall, Church Lane, Wolstanton, Newcastle-under -Lyme
All welcome - all the above events are free of charge
HADRIAN'S WALL COACH TRIP
ANNUAL COACH TRIP, Saturday 19 May 2007, this year to Hadrian's Wall, visiting different sites, incl Vindolanda, from five years ago. Led as usual by Dr Andy Fear (University of Manchester).
A Booking Form may be downloaded here, and should be returned to the Secretary by the end of March. There will be a charge for this event, expected to be about £20.
We shall make our first stop at Cawfields, by the flooded quarry car park, to walk on the Wall (below) from the Milecastle.
Hadrian's Wall above Cawfields Milecastle.
For branch members only, on Thursday 28 June 2007 at 7.30 p.m.
Latin and Greek Reading Groups 2006/07
The Latin and Greek reading groups continue to meet every 3 - 4 weeks at 7.30 p.m., independently of the general programme, for those who wish to read ancient (and medieval Latin) literature in the original, and to work together on deciphering the meaning, in a relaxed atmosphere. The Latin group is also working on transcribing and translating local Latin memorial inscriptions.
Last year's programme and Annual Report
Back to Home Page