‘Roman soldier’ entertains Budleigh Salterton Probus Club

Exeter’s Roman history was brought to life at a meeting of the Budleigh Salterton Men’s Probus Club.

A historian dressed in full legionary uniform presented a talk about the Roman soldiers stationed in the fortress at Isca Dumnoniorum, as the city was then known.

John Smith is a member of the Ermine Street Guard, a British classical re-enactment and living history society, which specialises in the weapons, tactics and equipment of the Roman army of the first century AD.

Probus club member Anthony Venning said: "In a fast-moving presentation, laced with a sprinkling of humour, he debunked many misleading ideas generated by the Hollywood film industry, painting instead a vivid picture of the life of a Roman soldier stationed in the legionary headquarters in Exeter."

Budleigh Salterton Men's Probus Club meets twice monthly at the football club on the first and third Thursday mornings of the month.

The previous presentation given by David Joselin, a club member and retired GP, was a history of the formation of the National Health Service and a personal view on the direction in which it should be taking.

Future meetings include a presentation on the Jurassic Coast on Thursday, January 9 and Brunel's Great Western Railway on Thursday, January 23.

Potential new members should contact Neville Lister on 01395 444269.