#RomanCircus20 Blog – Jordan

Happy Monday all! Jordan Thorpe lets us in on what it is like to be a volunteer at the Roman Circus Visitor Centre today

“One of the joys of volunteering is that one can choose where to help. It also allows one to follow one’s particular interests. Volunteering is also mentally stimulating and contributes to society. Many people offer voluntary service after retirement, some at charity shops and others at historic sites. It is a well-known fact that charities cannot work or manage without the help of volunteers.

From a personal point of view, I chose to volunteer at Colchester Roman Circus Visitor Centre because of my interest in Roman Britain and Roman architecture. Whilst there is little to see of the original Circus, it is the sense of being involved at a unique Roman site in Britain that l enjoy. Being brought up as a child on my grandfather’s 13th Century Abbey farm, I had a sense of history from my early days, but my introduction to Rome came via Hollywood in the 1950s. The reconstruction sets in ‘Quo Vardis’ were inspirational, and as my cousins and I raced each other in our trollies, which we called ‘chariots,’ seeing ‘Ben Hur’ was beyond belief. I was sufficiently inspired by Roman Capital lettering, as seen in the film ‘The Robe’, that I became a professional graphic artist and designer.

Volunteering at the Roman Visitor Centre combines several unfulfilled career projects and answers the inspiration of a lifetime. I had experienced excavating at several sites, one of which was sufficiently important for Sir Mortimer Wheeler to examine, but my main interest was Roman historical research.

Working behind the scenes in collaboration with Samantha Rowley, the efficient and knowledgeable Heritage, Outreach and Education Manager, we have produced several items which combine my professional work with historical research. Educational leaflets for visiting school children depict black and white drawings with details on imported Roman plants, local Roman buildings, including reconstructions, and the Roman alphabet. Display stands were made out of old wine boxes to exhibit Roman coins in the Visitor Centre, and Classic Roman lettering was used on the new signing that I designed for the Circus.

Under Samantha’s guidance for educational purposes, I am designing new garden beds to replace the existing ones with imported Roman species, whilst Roman examples of topiary have been positioned at the visitor entrance.

One of the other aspects of volunteering is being in a friendly environment, which is one of the other pleasures of being at Colchester Roman Circus Visitor Centre. My friends who have visited the site have also noticed this with staff and volunteers. The formerarmy building has a quirky ambience and displays are greatly appreciated by visitors, especially with personal guided tours rather than with handsets as at other historic sites. Handsets cannot answer visitors’ questions. Long may the Visitor Centre continue to entertain and inspire in its personable and traditional manner.”

Thank you for all of your help!!

#RomanCircus20 #RC20 #Volunteering