NORTH STAFFS BRANCH OF THE CLASSICAL ASSOCIATION
Chairman: Father Anthony Dykes; Treasurer: Mr Richard Wallace; Secretary: Mr Stephen Clifford
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Events 2009/2010
PLAY READING: (in translation) of Sophocles' Electra
7.30 p.m., Thursday 29 October 2009
Meeting Room, The Leopard, 21 Market Square, Burslem
The Roman Theatre at Orange.
Copies of a translation, the Watling Penguin Classics version, will be available.
LECTURE: John Ellis Jones (University of Wales: Bangor)
'THEATRES AND AMPHITHEATRES'
7.30 p.m., Tuesday 10 November 2009
St Wulstan's (RC) Primary School, Church Lane, Wolstanton, Newcastle-under -Lyme
LECTURE: Dr Patrick Finglass (University of Nottingham)
'MYTHOLOGICAL INNOVATION IN SOPHOCLES' ELECTRA'
7.30 p.m., Thursday 26 November 2009
Nesfield Suite, Keele Hall, University of Keele
Joint meeting with the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies
LECTURE: Professor Helen King (University of Reading)
'WHO NEEDS DOCTORS? REPRESENTING ROMAN MEDICINE'
7.30 p.m., Tuesday 16 February 2010
Wade Lecture Theatre, Medical Institute, Hartshill Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 7NY
Joint meeting with the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies
PLAY READING: (in translation) of Plautus' The Self-Tormentor
7.30 p.m., Thursday 4 March 2010
Priest's House, St Wulstan's, Church Lane, Wolstanton, Newcastle-under -Lyme
Copies will be available, but please bring the Penguin Classics edition, if you are able
LECTURE: Richard Wallace (University of Keele)
'THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HILL: TRAVEL IN THE ANCIENT WORLD'
7.30 p.m., Tuesday 16 March 2010
Clayton Hall Business & Language College, Clayton Lane, Newcastle-under -Lyme, ST5 3DN
Room 10, Ground Floor, Main Teaching Block
LECTURE: Nick Thomas (University of Wales: Lampeter)
'MINUCIUS FELIX: HOW TO TALK TO POSH PAGANS'
7.30 p.m., Thursday 22 April 2010
St Wulstan's (RC) Primary School, Church Lane, Wolstanton, Newcastle-under -Lyme
All welcome - all the above events are free of charge
LEICESTERSHIRE COACH TRIP
ANNUAL COACH TRIP, Saturday 15 May 2010. As usual we will depart by coach from Keele, about 9.00 a.m., returning late the same evening. We shall visit the Roman Museum in the city of Leicester itself, and the adjacent Jewry Wall, going on to see the recently exhibited British coin hoard in Market Harborough Museum. We will be eating lunch in the town centre, although members can of course take a packed lunch instead if they wish. There will as usual be a halt for more leisurely evening dining on the road home. Please return the slip already circulated to members as soon as possible, or that included in the attached booking form: by post as above or phone/email or, if it's easier, in person at our lectures or reading groups. More information will be sent out in due course to those who have responded, including final details of the costs - about the same as those for the Hull trip last year, i.e. £20 per person. Further details will appear on this site before the trip.
Mosaic in Leicester Museum.
Annual General Meeting
For branch members only, the AGM will take place at 7.30 p.m., at St Wulstan's Priest's House, on Thursday 1st July 2010.
Latin and Greek Reading Groups 2009/10
The Latin and Greek reading groups continue to meet every 3 - 4 weeks usually 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. Next meetings are as follows:
Greek The group is now splitting its time between reading excerpts from the New Testament, and classical texts. The next meeting will be at 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday 7 September 2010, when it is planning to read some of the Psalms from the LXX version, starting with 102/3 and 22/23, continuing into the following meeting. This group, which is currently at nearly maximum size, usually meets in a private house in Newcastle-under-Lyme. This next meeting will be in Newcastle. For further information on the text, venue, etc, email: the Secretary.
One of our members also now runs a 'Classical Greek for beginners' class. The aim is be to provide a systematic grounding for absolute beginners in the nuts and bolts of the language. No previous knowledge of Greek is required. (There is a possibility that this course might later become a part of the Stoke-on-Trent 'College of the Third Age', in which there is not currently the space available, but it has begun in January 2010 as enough CA members and supporters wished to add Classical Greek to their bows. Please contact the Secretary.
Latin The next meeting will be in the SCR Bar, First Floor, Keele Hall, University of Keele, at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday 15 September 2010. We shall continue reading Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae from line 202 of Book III of the extract provided, "Et dum turmas suas sapienter distribuerunt ..." (the defence of Rome against the British Empire!) Copies of the remainder of Book III (ll.232ff) have been distributed at the lecture in April and later.
Memorial Inscriptions
Some members of the Branch are currently undertaking a project to record and translate Latin Memorial inscriptions in local churches. Following the most recent work, a small group has been delegated to take forward the first article arising from this work for possible publication.
All welcome - all events except coach trips are free of charge
Last year's programme and annual report
Classics Teachers
There is a termly meeting of Staffordshire Classics Teachers, at a private house in Newcastle. It is held on a Saturday morning, and operates as a mutual support group for people teaching Classical subjects in any shape or form, e.g. Minimus. New members are always most welcome. The meeting is very informal and lunch is provided. The next meeting is at 11 a.m. on Saturday 6 November 2010. Please email the address below for further information.
Board Game for Schools
The Branch is pleased to announce that, through the generosity of the Hellenic Society, we now hold a copy of the new board game Pots! The Game, suitable for age 10 and upwards. This is available to be borrowed at no charge by Schools in our area, and is a fast paced game for 3 - 6 players, bidding against each other to acquire the biggest and best collection of Greek vases. The Hellenic Society has made it available as part of its own Schools Programme since, as well as being good fun and instilling a general interest in Greece, the game has useful images and details of Greek vases in the British Museum. It should be of particular interest to any school students looking at Greek Art modules, but could also be used with older Minimus groups, to extend their interest to Greece as well as Rome. Interested schools can request a loan at the termly meeting above, or direct from this Branch (below). The Game web site (above) contains a useful database with more details of the vases in the game.
For further details, please contact the Hon. Secretary: Stephen Clifford, Tel: 01630-647765, email: northstaffsca@yahoo.co.uk