Ex Factum seeks York’s lost amphitheatre!

The legend of where York’s long lost Roman amphitheatre lies beneath the city is to be battled out at Ex Factum!gladiators_1689905i

This one-off event is recruiting teams to pinpoint where this legendary venue could be, on Thursday 9 June.

Gladiators fought, rebels were executed and the Emperor may have addressed the VI Legion in the city’s amphitheatre. Now, some 2,000 years after it could have been built, City of York Council, York Museum’s Trust and AOC Archaeology Group are inviting ten teams to join Ex Factum and pitch their brilliant and best theories of where the amphitheatre’s remains could be.

The team that gets the biggest thumbs up from the public for its most convincing and entertaining arguments will win Ex Factum. The top team will have the chance to research its idea for the arena’s location in greater depth with the help of a professional archaeologist who can unearth specialist resources and share trade secrets.

Anyone – inquisitive residents, experts in the field or informed amateurs – is invited to take part in the Ex Factum search in any of three ways:

• Put together a team to argue the case to an audience on 9 June at the Yorkshire Museum. You will have just eight minutes to convince the audience where the amphitheatre is and how it can be found. If the team wants an archaeologist to help them, they’ll be given a professional mentor – just like that well-known talent show! With places for just 10 teams available, tell us why yours should be chosen before the deadline of 5pm on Wednesday 18 May. Choose a likely location to explore and register the team’s details on www.yorkslostamphitheatre.com

  • • Create a poster – A2 maximum size – showing where the amphitheatre is located and what it looked like. There will be special Roman prizes for the best posters/ drawings for the under 10s, under 18s, and over 18s. Submit the finished poster or drawing before Thursday 26 May at 5pm.
  • • Vote for your favourite location – either by joining the audience at the Yorkshire Museum on 9 June at 6:30 pm – book your free tickets at www.yorkslostamphitheatre.com – or vote remotely on the website.
    All the details of how teams can sign up and posters can be submitted at www.yorkslostamphitheatre.com . Here too, tickets can be booked to the presentation and voting event at the Yorkshire Museum on 9 June at 6:30pm is set out. A stash of information sheets and links to further resources can also be found at the website.

Councillor Nigel Ayre, Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Tourism, said:
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Acomb car park recycling area blighted by flytipping

Although not as bad as on some occasions in the past, black sacks and other items have been fly tipped on the Acomb car park.

These have been reported to the Council using the fixmystreet website.(in the continuing absence of the much promised, but never delivered, new Council reporting app).

More fly tipping

More fly tipping

Fly tipping in Acomb car park

Fly tipping in Acomb car park

Full clothes bank

Full clothes bank

Full clothes bank

Full clothes bank

 

 

York Council debts creeping up

The latest figures published this week show that the total Council debt stands at £319 million.

Borrowing May 2016

 

It is forecast to peak at £350 million in 2017 with new commitments like the Community Stadium, the York Central development and Guildhall office project all set to add to the overall debt.

Other projects like the so called community hub being constructed at Burnholme and the rest of the elderly person’s accommodation building programme could also add to the debt burden.

The figures mean that, in 2017, every Council taxpayer will pay £36 in interest charges on the borrowing.

The Council has been criticised for failing to get expenditure – and borrowing – under control with a string of recent decisions adding to the burden being placed on taxpayers.

What’s on in York: Cake Decorating – Sugercraft Flowers

Huntington School : Wed 4 May : 7.00pm – 9.00pm : £50 plus ingredients

May _4SugarcraftSpend four weeks learning how to make sugar flowers including lilies, sweet peas, gerberas, carnations and foliage.

Each class will begin with a tutor demonstration and the rest of the evening will be left to you to create your own masterpieces under the expert guidance of the tutor of course!

Please bring an apron to the first class. Some other equipment will be provided for the course and must be returned at the end of each class.

Additional equipment/ingredients will be available to purchase on the evening (i.e, food colourings).

Ingredients will cost around £18 for the whole course and a list of requirements will be sent out approximately 2 weeks before the course is due to start. You will also have the option to order a ‘kit’ from the tutor.

For more information visit www.yortime.org.uk or telephone the booking office on 01904 552806.