Minimus at Hexham Book Festival and Hands-on-Latin new website

Image - Copyright David Taylor

salve(te)! hello!

The Barbara Bell talk at the Hexham Book Festival went tremendously well - as did the tour of Vindolanda site and museum in the afternoon following the talk. Barbara got practically everyone in the audience involved. Even F, a reluctant actor, became a phenomenal Whiskers 'Vibrissa' cat. There was a super Minimus mouse and an excellent version of Lepidina. It was really good fun and everyone enjoyed everyone's performance.

Barbara also visited local first schools Greenhead, Henshaw and Herdley Bank the day before her talk. We were all involved in rousing renditions of Senex (Old) Macdonald throughout the day. The children loved the singing - even in rounds! The children all got excited learning about Minimus - the Latin Mouse...what he and his family at Vindolanda get up to...

There had been a big lead-up to the festival and I hadn't quite realised what goes on behind the scenes. Our thanks go particularly to the organisers of Hexham Book Festival (Susie and Gil), all at The Vindolanda Trust and Headteacher and Staff at the three schools. All the friendliness and superb organisation made everything go smoothly. gratias maximas vobis agimus! We thank you very much!

The reason for the absence from my blog is that I've also been working very hard on getting my new business 'Hands-on-Latin' up and running. The website is ready too (I will keep adding to it and tweaking it in various places). Maybe you'd like to take a look?: www.hands-on-latin.com
Your thoughts and feedback would be most welcome.

I'd like to offer a huge, huge thanks to local husband and wife team - David and Tania Taylor - for helping me with the website. I'd never have managed it without them. David's a wonderful photographer (whose images I often use), excellent with technology and Tania is superb with words. They make a great team.

I got to know David first through his amazing photos and then his wife, Tania, (almost by accident as she uses a pseudonym for her wonderful writing) on Twitter (I tweet as @hadrianasblog and @handsonlatin) and hey presto! a working relationship was created with the pair of them. They've formed a business to help other businesses get started. You can check them out via Twitter @WordsPhotos and their new website www.wordsphotos.co.uk David's photographic work can be found here: www.davidtaylorphotography.co.uk

A thank you too to Alison Raimes at WhistleArtStop based in Haltwhistle. She's a mover and shaker doing a lot for Art in Haltwhistle and the Tynedale area as a whole. Alison was the one who helped me a while ago and kickstarted me in starting to set things up. Anne Lawson - my business adviser - has been a massive source of strength, wisdom and recuperative cups of coffee as well.

Hey! This is turning into an 'Oscar' speech but....it all goes to show....how many people are there in the background...willing others on.

And what's the Latin motto for my inspiration? 'Carpe diem' - Sieze the day! which maybe a little overused but it encapsulates everything I believe in. Just get on with it!!!

vale(te)! for now and toodlepip! Hadriana/Catherine :-)