COME along to Chester’s Grosvenor Museum on Saturday, January 16 and discover what life was really like for Roman soldiers in the city.

The special free event takes place between 11am and 3pm and visitors will be able to meet the legionaries in their barrack blocks and hear all about living and working in Chester 2,000 years ago.

Visitors will also be able to create Roman inspired craft activities and learn more about religious beliefs, Roman tombstones and cemeteries

Saturday’s event is part of a programme of activities linked to the No Flies on Him: The multi-talented Professor Newstead exhibition which takes a detailed look at the life and work of Professor Robert Newstead who was the first curator of Grosvenor Museum.

Newstead was a skilled natural historian and became a Professor at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine before being made a Fellow of the Royal Society – the highest scientific honour in the country- because of his work on the Tsetse fly and sleeping sickness.

After his retirement he discovered and excavated many of the most important Roman sites in the city.

These include the cemetery at Infirmary Field, the amphitheatre, parts of the large Roman bath house at Bridge Street and the legionary barracks at Deanery Fields where he gathered lots of archaeological evidence about the lives of Roman soldiers here.

The exhibition includes objects from the natural history and archaeology collections to celebrate Newstead’s life and is open until January 31.

Cheshire West & Chester Councillor Richard Lowe said: “With Chester being associated so closely with the Romans, I anticipate that this event will attract interest from all corners; both residents and tourists, young and old.

“Being able to understand what a Roman soldier’s life was like in Chester, especially from Professor Newstead’s work will, I am sure, make both the event and the exhibition very popular indeed.”

-Ends-

PHOTO CAPTION: Some of the Roman soldiers you will meet on the day from Roman Tours Limited.

NOTE TO EDITORS: For further information please contact Keeper of Early History Elizabeth Royles on 01244 402025 and Councillor Lowe on 01244 350714

SW/NJ