The Roman Theatre at Orange.
As the Treasurer reports elsewhere, our balance has fallen during the year, and indeed our financial position is not, on the face of it, as secure as we thought 12 months ago. This is despite essentially maintaining membership numbers, going, as the figures in the accounts indicate, from 56 to 57 paying members, all at the full �5. We were also successful this year in maintaining the higher attendances reported in the last two years, other than for our coach trip, and in continuing to attract engaging and interesting speakers.
In the Autumn we opened in late October with a lecture at Keele by Sarah Knight (Leicester) on How the Young man should study Latin Poetry (attendance 18). This was followed by a reading of Seneca's Thyestes again at Keele (attendance 6), and a first visit to Stoke 6th Form College for a talk by the author Ben Kane on Massacre in The German Forests (AD9), for the Roman Society joint meeting (attendance 35).
We resumed in February with Kate Cook (Manchester)'s lecture on Oedipus Tyrannus Why Should they dance at all? (attendance 13: Hellenic Society joint meeting) linked to a reading of the play 2 weeks later (attendance only 4). In late March Jason Crowley (MMU) returned to speak on combat trauma in Ancient Greece, Beyond the Universal Soldier (attendance 17). Then Mark Bradley (Nottingham) spoke on Smell & Smelling in Ancient Rome (attendance 25). Both these talks were at Keele. Also in March, as part of the Ovid 2000 celebrations, members joined in the worldwide readings of Metamorphoses at the 6th Form College, and in April we read Aeneid Book IX at a member's house (attendance 8).
We are grateful to the college and to Keele SCR for free use of the rooms for these meetings.
Our annual trip, in May, was as usual open to other bodies and was to North Wales (attendance 16), with a concluding meal in St Asaph. We are grateful as ever to Andy Fear for leading us round Segontium. Unfortunately these numbers are well down on our normal attendance, representing a significant financial loss for next year's accounts. If a third of the 21 apologies had been able to take part we would have broken even.
The Latin and Greek reading groups have continued successfully to run approximately monthly throughout the year, independently of the core programme, as has the Beginners' Latin Group, thanks to Nigel Coulton (Latin) and Monica Swinburne (Greek), although we should note Greek had to take an enforced sabbatical, resuming in July.
The Roman Theatre at Orange.
Texts available but please bring the Oxford World Classics translation if you are able
Copies will be available, but please bring the Penguin Classics edition, if you are able.
Texts will be available, but please bring the Penguin Classics translation, if you are able
North Wales and Caernarfon Roman Remains, led by Dr Andy Fear. Cost now expected to be about �25 plus meal.
Segontium, Strong Room 
Segontium, Commander's House
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