Save Colchester's Roman Circus » chariot

Football fans donate £1084

Howard Lake — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:36:03 +0000

Football fans at Colchester United v Oldham last Saturday showed their support for the Roman Circus appeal by donating £1084.

Fans were treated to the sight of a Roman charioteer parading around the edge of the pitch with this two horses. Professional film stuntman Andy Butcher donated his time to help the appeal make an impact with football fans.

He was joined by a band of volunteers with buckets collecting from the fans, together with the doughty Jess Jephcott in full Roman soldier costume.

The crowd was very supportive and many of them wished the volunteers well with the campaign.

On the day we were delighted to hear that football legend Terry Venables had given his support to the Roman Circus Appeal.

So, thank you to Colchester United for all the help and support. They’ve been featuring the Roman Circus appeal on their big screen at all their home matches this year. And thank you to the many people who gave on the day.

Ben Hur – the Chariot race

Howard Lake — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:10:58 +0000

Sometimes you just have to stop and think what an amazing find the Roman Circus is. Here, in the middle of Colchester, just a few hundred yards from some of our homes, is the remains of the UK’s only known Roman Circus.

If that doesn’t stir you, then watch the nine minutes of the chariot race scene from Ben Hur that someone has posted on YouTube. It’s thrilling stuff.

Surely the only place in the UK to have witnessed similar spectacle (minus Messrs Heston and Boyd of course) deserves to be celebrated and made accessible to all? If you’ve not yet made a donation to the appeal, do please make one now at

www.charitychoice.co.uk

Thank you.

Roman chariots in Colchester

Howard Lake — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 06:24:22 +0000

While our appeal will not be recreating the Roman chariot circus, you can get a sense of what these events looked like from Matt Mirrington’s film of the Colchester Chariot Spectacular 2007, filmed in Abbey Fields, just a few hundred yards from where the Circus remains lie buried.