ANDOVER’S Probus Club celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

A celebratory lunch and other events are being planned. To kick off the year some 45 members met at the Keystone Hall, East Street in January for the monthly club lunch, with speaker.

Roast lamb, mint sauce and ginger pudding were consumed with relish.This was followed by the induction of a new member bringing membership numbers to 66. Certainly one of the largest Probus clubs in the south.

The speaker on this occasion was Dr John Smith. Appropriately attired in a legionary’s undershirt and woollen tunic, he provided a lively and interesting talk on ‘The Roman Army: Fact and Fiction’, supported by a display of a legionary’s equipment. Those of us fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to be taught at school from ‘Civis Romanus’ or are old enough to have seen ‘Ben Hur’, ‘Spartacus’, ‘Quo Vadis’ or other such epics at our local cinemas will be familiar with the Hollywood version of the Roman legionary. John’s talk explored some of the myths thus created, and concluded that aspects of a soldiers’ life have not changed over 2,000 years.

The Roman legionary was well paid — around £2,000 per annum in today’s money, but with ‘deductions’. He had to pay to replace lost kit, he contributed towards his pension, his food and his burial fund. He saluted with his hand to his brow, not with clenched fist over the heart. The legionnaire was well equipped wearing a ‘cassis’ (helmet with neck and face guards), chain mail weighing 12 kilograms (which the speaker demonstrated), ingenious body armour made of overlapping strips of metal held together with hooks, laces and straps, a shield, a battle cloak and hobnailed leather boots (sandals).

He carried a javelin, a throwing spear, a sword and a dagger. On operations he lived with seven ‘tent-mates’ in a leather tent with a mule to carry their tent and cooking pots.

Life was tough as a member of what has been described as ‘the most disciplined and efficient killing machine the world had ever known’. No one should not doubt that our modern soldiers, though brought up in a less harsh environment, if properly trained and with adequate funding, can still demonstrate the best of the legionary’s qualities when their country needs them.

The club’s next meeting is on 27 February. The speaker will be Patrick Kemp who will talk about ‘Lorenzo and his Amazing Horses’. Why not explore the ‘PROBUS Club of Andover’ web site and give them a try? Or alternatively, ring committee member Barrie Johnson on 01264 337479 and come along as a guest to one of their monthly meetings. You will be very welcome.