NORTH STAFFS BRANCH OF THE CLASSICAL ASSOCIATION
Report for the Year 2014/15
As the Treasurer reported to the AGM, after the deficit with which the year began on the 2014 coach trip, we made a financial recovery in the rest of the year. We still have 54 paying members, all at the full £5. (Same as last year.) As he says, though, if each of us could recruit a friend our finances would benefit greatly. We were also successful this year in reversing the trend of falling attendances , and indeed in attracting engaging and interesting speakers.
In the Autumn we opened in late October with a lecture at St Wulstan’s by Nick Lowe (Royal Holloway) on Greek Tragedy: the missing 98% (Hellenic Society joint meeting.) This was followed by a reading of Plautus’ Rudens at our Chairman’s house, and a lecture on Roman Gardens at Keele, by Maureen Carroll (Sheffield), (Roman Society joint meeting.) This indicated an advantage in including a topic attracting Archaeology Society members in our programme each year.
We resumed in February with a reading of excerpts from Lucretius’ On the nature of Things, again at our Chairman’s house. Shushma Malik (Manchester) then lectured on Nero’s Life after Death at Keele, and Roberta Mazza (also Manchester) on Graeco-Roman Egypt, in a third visit to Keele. Our reading of Euripides’ Electra was also at Keele.
We are grateful to the school and to Keele SCR for free use of the rooms for these meetings.
Our annual coach trip, in May, was as usual open to other bodies and was to Wroxeter and Shrewsbury. Despite the shorter and less stressful day, attendance was lower than we had hoped, but the trip was financially successful with a very small surplus. We are grateful as ever to Andy Fear for leading us round both the site and the Museum.
The Latin and Greek reading groups have continued successfully to run approximately monthly throughout the year, independently of the core programme.
Events 2014/2015
NO KNOWLEDGE OF ANY ANCIENT LANGUAGE IS REQUIRED TO ENJOY AND TAKE PART IN OUR EVENTS,
OTHER THAN THE READING GROUPS
LECTURE: Dr Nick Lowe (Royal Holloway University of London)
'GREEK TRAGEDY: THE MISSING 98%'
(What have we lost and what would we most like to have again)
7.30 pm, Tuesday 21 October 2014
St Wulstans's (RC) Primary School, Church Lane, Wolstanton, ST5 0EF
Joint meeting with the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies
PLAY READING: (in English translation) of Plautus' Rudens (The Rope)
7.30 p.m., Tuesday 11 November 2014
Priest's House, St Wulstan's, Church Lane, Wolstanton, Newcastle, ST5 0EF
Texts will be available, but please bring the Penguin Classics translation, if you are able.
The Roman Theatre at Orange.
LECTURE: Professor Maureen Carroll (University of Sheffield)
'ROMAN GARDENS: ART AND NATURE' - illustrated
7.30 p.m., Thursday 20 November 2014
Senior Common Room, Keele Hall, University of Keele, ST5 5BG
Joint meeting with the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies
READING: (in English translation) of Lucretius Sex, Death, Disease and La Dolce Vita
7.30 p.m., Tuesday 17 February 2015
Priest's House, St Wulstan's, Church Lane, Wolstanton, Newcastle, ST5 0EF
Copies of the text will be available.
LECTURE: Dr Shushma Malik (University of Manchester)
'THE ARRIVAL OF THE ANTI-CHRIST: NERO'S LIFE AFTER DEATH'
(Nero's reputation in his life and after death)
7.30 p.m., Tuesday 10 March 2015
Salvin Room, Keele Hall, University of Keele, ST5 5BG - note change of room
LECTURE: Dr Roberta Mazza (University of Manchester)
'EGYPT IN THE GRAECO-ROMAN WORLD'
7.30 pm, Thursday 16 April 2015
Senior Common Room, Keele Hall, University of Keele, ST5 5BG
PLAY READING: (in English translation) of Euripides' Electra
7.30 p.m., Thursday 7 May 2015
SCR Bar, Keele Hall, University of Keele, ST5 5BG
Copies will be available, but please bring the Penguin Classics edition, if you are able.
SHROPSHIRE COACH TRIP
ANNUAL COACH TRIP, Saturday 30 May 2015, this year closer to home: to Wroxeter Roman Town and Shrewsbury Museum, led by Dr Andy Fear. There is a charge for this event expected to be about £23.
Wroxeter Roman Town.
Reconstructed Roman House
The booking form can be downloaded here.
Annual General Meeting
The AGM of the Branch will take place on Tuesday 23 June 2015, at 7.30 pm, at the Priest's House, Wolstanton. This event is for members only.
Latin and Greek Reading Groups 2014/15
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.
Last year's programme and Annual Report
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