
Cirencester's rare pieces of Roman military equipment go on display
"The team are all excited to see the new display and welcome people into the museum to see these rare pieces of Roman military equipment that are now part of our archaeological collections," she added. The swords will be displayed in two specially-designed glass cases alongside a copper alloy bowl which was discovered during the same dig.Peter Hughes, chair of Friends of Corinium Museum, said he was "confident" the swords and the bowl would be a "major attraction" for visitors to the museum.
Upon examination the swords were believed to be cavalry weapons or weapons intended to be used on horseback, and were likely to be in use by the 160s, through the later Second Century and far into the Third Century AD.Councillor Paul Hodgkinson, who oversees health, culture and visitor experience at Cotswold District Council said: "These swords connect us directly to our Roman past and remind us of the rich history beneath our feet here in the Cotswolds. "The Corinium Museum continues to lead the way in bringing our heritage to life, and this display is a testament to the dedication of everyone involved."
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Garden opens to promote natural measures that boost flood resilience
A new garden in Oxfordshire is aiming to promote the uptake of flood resilience measures by demonstrating nature-based solutions as a first line of defence for UK properties. Opening at Howbery Business Park on Monday, the project offers free public access to a blueprint for how outdoor spaces, such as an ordinary terraced house garden, can help reduce flood risks. It builds on the silver medal-winning Flood Resilience Garden that debuted at Chelsea Flower Show last year. The now permanent and reimagined garden in Oxfordshire seeks to show how a combination of functionality and aesthetics in gardens can help address the urgent need for widespread flood mitigation. Extremes of heat and rainfall driven by climate change and years of underinvestment in water infrastructure have left the country exposed to increasingly frequent and intense flooding, with one in four homes at risk. The garden comes as part of a resilience campaign by Flood Re, a joint initiative between the Government and insurers to make flood insurance cover for households more affordable. Features include a pond that doubles as a sump to collect water and a smart rainwater tank that allows remote drain-down ahead of predicted rainfall. The space also spotlights a range of carefully curated wild flower meadow plants, edible and shade resilient greenery and the water loving-species, Baldellia ranunculoides, Caltha palustris, Lychnis flos-cucul, Rodgersia and Juncus ensifolius. The garden's designer Ed Barsley, from the Environmental Design Studio, said: 'With this garden, we wanted to demonstrate that flood resilient design needn't be a compromise. 'You can create spaces that are both beautiful and enriching, whatever the weather. 'The original garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show was a magical, if fleeting, moment. 'In reimagining it for a permanent setting, we've worked hard to ensure it can endure and thrive for decades to come.' Flood Re said changes to outside spaces and gardens, as well as internal changes such as the use of specialist plaster, raised electric sockets and tiled floors, can help households to reduce the potential for and impact of flooding and to recover more swiftly. It also noted the collective benefit that communities would see if there was widespread adoption of flood-resistant features and built-in water storage. The garden also supports the Build Back Better scheme, launched in 2022 to enable qualifying policyholders to benefit from up to £10,000 towards the installation of flood resilience measures, Flood Re said, adding that it is now offered by over 70% of the UK household property insurance market. Kelly Ostler-Coyle, director of corporate affairs at Flood Re, said: 'We're thrilled that the flood resilient garden now has a permanent home, open and accessible to the wider public. 'Outdoor spaces like this are vital in providing a natural first line of defence against flooding. 'This garden demonstrates how thoughtful choices in plants and landscape design can offer both aesthetic value and tangible protection — helping to minimise physical damage and emotional strain when floods occur. Andy Brown, joint chief executive at the consultancy HR Wallingford, which owns the site, said the garden 'looks magnificent'. 'I am sure (it) will inspire everyone who visits, as well as providing a tranquil space for those that work here. 'We expect there to be more intense and more frequent rainfall in coming years, as an impact of climate change, but resilient gardens such as this one will help reduce the risk of flooding, lessening the impact on lives, the environment and infrastructure.'


The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
The one change that worked: I grew my own vegetables – and suddenly stopped wasting food
From calendar-keeping to cooking, for years, my hyper-organised personality crept into every corner of my life. I would save Instagram recipe videos and cuttings from weekend newspapers and use them to plan shopping lists with grand ideas about midweek dinners: a white bean stew pencilled in for one night, tacos another, homemade burgers another. I was always overambitious. You would think this level of planning would translate into less food waste. But a busy routine working in London, often with last-minute events and long commutes, meant I was too tired to make anything when I came home. By Wednesday, I would fill up with shop-bought sushi or soup. More often than not, I would get to the end of the week with a fridge full of wilted ingredients, which I would quietly chuck into the food waste. I felt guilt and shame, but I was stuck in a loop. It took an audit of my spending last summer to get myself in check. During that time, I also decided to grow tomatoes in the garden of my shared flat. I was a novice gardener, but soon I became obsessed with caring for these plants. It was as if a switch had been flicked in my mind – as if it had taken the idea of growing my own food to truly understand the value and timescale of food production. I made a commitment to myself then and there to change my habits. Now, I save every last scrap of uneaten food and integrate it into my next meal: using cubes of stale bread to bulk up soups, or cracking an egg or two into a three-day-old chilli for a breakfast shakshuka. I have a container of vegetable skins in the freezer, which I'm planning to boil for stock. Quick-pickled carrots or cucumbers, with a splash of soy, are a go-to for brightening boring carbs. When I can, I'll pick up Too Good to Go boxes, which contain surplus food from local cafes, restaurants and bakeries for reduced prices, and challenge myself to make something quick and tasty from the random assortment. It's usually a soup, or 'stovies' – a Scottish dish made with boiled potatoes and whatever meat is available. I also broke the closed-minded rules I had cemented in my head about food. Fruit can go with savoury dishes, for instance – apples work well in curries, while berries add colour to a salad. I used to shy away from beige on beige, but leftover roast potatoes with garlic and spaghetti is a new favourite. A lot of this is probably obvious to most people – but for me, it has been something of a breakthrough, although not without a few flavour disasters. I've learned that Sichuan pepper and mint should be used sparingly, and that it is possible to add too much chocolate to a chilli. My way to make anything edible is to cover it in sriracha. I'm less ambitious with midweek meals now, but I'm much more creative. I have saved money and time, and will no longer wince when I open the fridge at the end of the week. It's been freeing, in a way – and has helped me embrace spontaneity in other parts of my life, such as social plans. Best of all, I've rediscovered what I loved about cooking in the first place: the joy of making something delicious out of almost nothing.


The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Britain's ‘biggest rat' found in Yorkshire home
A supersized rat thought to be the UK's biggest has been captured by pest controllers in a home in the north of England. The giant animal, which measured 22 inches long, was found in the Normanby area of Redcar and Cleveland after a resident called in exterminators. Councillors who were sent an image of it described the rodent as 'almost the size of a small cat', and have claimed pest control issues have got 'out of control' since the end of free services for residents in the Labour -run local authority. Speaking to The Telegraph, Eston ward councillor David Taylor said the rodents were becoming 'brazen' and had 'settled into the neighbourhood'. 'The longer this is ignored, the worse it will get,' he added. 'It is a growing problem.' The council insisted it has a 'dedicated pest control officer' who works on council-owned land, and said it also 'offers advice to residents where possible'. Writing on a joint Facebook page, Mr Taylor and fellow councillor Stephen Martin said the area needed 'a proper vermin control strategy'. 'As many of you have seen, the rat infestation we raised has now made national headlines,' the pair wrote. 'What started with 100 comments on social media has grown to nearly 1,000 on Teesside Live, and now it's been picked up by both local on Teesside, Yorkshire, Birmingham, and London and national press. 'It's clear this needs a joined-up response — from government, local councils, housing providers, landlords, the NHS, commercial developers, and the water board. We need a proper vermin control strategy and fast. This situation should never have been allowed to get this bad. 'There's no doubt plenty of blame to go around, but what matters now is what we do next to stop it getting worse.' Mr Taylor said councillors would now be calling for an 'urgent action plan' including a borough-wide survey into the vermin and a treatment plan. A Redcar and Cleveland council spokesperson said: 'The council has a dedicated pest control officer who manages pest issues on council-owned land. 'While we no longer provide a wider pest control service, we do offer advice to residents where possible. 'The council continues to work with Beyond Housing, Northumbrian Water and other partners to address complex issues and explore potential solutions. 'There is also helpful guidance and preventative measures on our website to support people in dealing with pests.' The largest rat believed to have been caught in Britain measured 21 inches from tip to tail and was found in a property in Bournemouth in November 2018.