In The Letters of the Duchesse d’Elbeuf: Hostile Witness to the French Revolution the recently-discovered letters of the wealthy counter-revolutionary aristocrat offer a vivid and exciting new eye-witness perspective on the French Revolution and the Terror Hostile witness to everything about the Revolution to an unknown friend offer an unparalleled real-time narrative by an aristocratic woman struggling to understand radical change Though tempted by emigration to the Low Countries the duchess was unusual among her contemporary fellow-aristocrats in remaining in France down to her death in 1794 based in her homes in Picardy and at the heart of Paris The letters constitute a remarkable example of female life-writing in the Age of Revolutions from a unique perspective The volume includes a lengthy introduction and extensive scholarly apparatus. The book launch involved the book's co-editors Simon Macdonald (UCL History) and Alex Fairfax-Chomleley (Exeter) with further contributions from Sanja Perovic (King's College London) and Catriona Seth (Oxford) Tweets by UCLHistory GRAZ 2022 — International technology group ANDRITZ organized a Customer Day for durable nonwoven applications on May 17 This event took place at the ANDRITZ Asselin-Thibeau premises in Elbeuf with a lot of key players from the nonwovens industry coming up to northern France from all over Europe This event focused on needlepunch and airlay technologies as well as the new solutions in digitalization Customers attended presentations and demonstrations in different areas of sustainable product manufacturing and held discussions with ANDRITZ engineering and technical teams All guests showed great interest and received many tips on how to produce high-quality products 10 Chiefs’ jerseys on fans that lined Landis Ave it was hard to imagine this parade wasn’t taking place in Kansas City and the city was ready to celebrate its favorite son: Isiah “Pop” Pacheco An estimated 2,500 fans came out to see the player who grew up on the city’s football fields and returned home as a Super Bowl champion Riding a float down the city’s main thoroughfare and into a jam-packed Gittone Stadium Pacheco posed for pictures with fans and flashing his infectious smile “Look at this environment out here,” Pacheco said “I feel a lot of love and energy out here.” More: Kansas City, here comes "Pop" Pacheco: Chiefs select Vineland native in NFL Draft On the same field where he was a star for the Vineland High School football team Pacheco addressed his fans who squeezed into the home-side bleachers on this sun-splashed afternoon in late April but what a good movie will show you is that the main character is nothing without the people around him,” Pacheco said I want the people to see how different I am “It’s amazing to me that my story can put a smile on families' faces and help other people find hope who sweated out the NFL Draft process before being selected in the seventh round (251st pick) by the Kansas City Chiefs last April He worked his way up the depth chart at running back finishing the season as the starter who would rush for 830 yards and five touchdowns More: Inside Isiah Pacheco's journey from Vineland to Rutgers to Super Bowl LVII Pacheco ran for 197 yards in the postseason including 76 and a touchdown in the Super Bowl LVII victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in February “It’s still hard to believe it all happened,” Pacheco said The parade featured many of the current Vineland football players along with several Rutgers players Both VHS and Rutgers marching bands and cheerleaders also participated in the parade there’s no doubt about it,” said Dale Elbeuf the City of Vineland’s Supervisor of Recreation who played alongside Pacheco at RU and Vineland said “You’re the definition of a neighborhood hero.” Powell could be the next Vinelander to reach the NFL He's projected to be among those players selected in next year's NFL Draft Jamil Demby joined Pacheco as a Super Bowl champion from the city of Vineland Demby was a member of the Los Angeles Rams when they won their title There was plenty of electricity along the parade route especially at the corner of Landis and West where the biggest throng of fans had gathered “It’s great to see this for the city,” said 72-year-old Angel Flores “This brings me back to my youth when we used to go to parades like this all the time.” A “Parade for Pop” might become a repeat performance for the city “This is your first (Super Bowl champion) ring but it’s not going to be your last,” Testa said Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription. embedded in contemporary white feminism, in which middle-class and wealthy white women aspire to the goods and prestige the most fortunate white men enjoy, without questioning the exploitative mechanisms that enable that good fortune, and in indifference to the particular struggles of women of colour, working-class and poor women, and LGBTQ women. So many presentist and ethnocentric misconstruals in a clunky half-sentence is a feat of anti-historicism, as well as an injustice to an extraordinary woman. More by this contributorDavid Todd01 August 2024 Newsletter Preferences This site requires the use of Javascript to provide the best possible experience Please change your browser settings to allow Javascript content to run Receive our weekly Newsletterand set tailored daily news alerts Process enables the subsequent needling machines to smoothly handle heavy nonwoven webs Agriculture, Interiors Andritz is to supply an elliptical cylinder pre-needler to the plant of Amarande SAS in Lussac les Châteaux The machine will process shoddy and natural fibres for the production of heavy felts and iInstallation and start-up of the machine are scheduled for the second quarter of 2021 Andritz offers a complete range of elliptical cylinder pre-needlers – PA.169 PA.2000 and PA.3000 – serving different weights These pre-needlers have been produced since the 1960s and have a large installed base worldwide Over the years they have become a must for the production of heavy products and special applications as well as for demanding applications like automotive components They are a key success factor in enabling the subsequent needling machines to process heavy batts smoothly and control the progressive draft through the consolidation process.  Amarande is an important French producer of nonwovens specialised in the production of felt and wadding from recycled textile and natural fibres (wool The company operates in various markets such as furniture www.andritz.com Comprehensive showcase for Andritz technologies Focus on neelepunch and airlay technologies Pétan established an authoritarian regime, signed an armistice agreement with the Germans, and moved the capital to Vichy Seen by many as a “puppet state,” the government collaborated with the Germans going so far as to participate in the deportation of Jews from the country The German occupation of France lasted four years, during which time citizens endured many hardships. Food rationing meant many suffered from malnourishment, especially those too poor to trade on the black market and the rates of Tuberculosis and childhood illnesses skyrocketed There was also an increase in violence and the censoring of things outside of German control Despite the German occupation, many fought back. The French Resistance was active throughout occupied cities – especially Paris – and General Charles de Gaulle formed Free France The D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, were the beginning of the end of Germany’s occupation of France. Upon entering the war, the US pushed for an invasion across the British Channel as it was the most direct way of engaging the German forces this was delayed due to reluctance by the British When the time came to storm the beaches of Normandy the Allies gained control of five beachheads: Gold they began the liberation of France and its citizens The Allied forces moved inland, intent on capturing Caen The city was of strategic importance as a road junction and beyond it lay open countryside useful for the construction of Allied airfields and the deployment of armored formations The Germans fought back against the Allies with their counteroffensive including the use of an SS Panzer Division In August 1944, the French 2nd Armored Division arrived in Normandy under the command of General Jacques-Philippe Leclerc and attached to General George Patton‘s 3rd US Army prompting those within the city to go on strike Resistance fighters set up barricades and attacked German fortifications The liberation of the city was almost delayed after Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower and General of the Army Omar Bradley began to worry about diverting resources Eisenhower informed de Gaulle of these fears prompting the Free France leader to push back De Gaulle assured Eisenhower Paris could be liberated without difficulty and said a quick advance would prevent the communist faction of the Resistance from liberating Paris and stop them from affecting the re-establishment of a democratic government He also threatened to send Leclerc’s 2nd Armored Division into the city if Eisenhower failed to act On August 23, 1944, the 2nd Armored Division advanced on Paris from the north, while the US 4th Infantry Division came from the south. While this was occurring, the German forces under General Dietrich von Choltitz were laying explosives beneath the city’s landmarks and bridges, as per instructions from Adolf Hitler not wanting to destroy the “City of Light.” the 2nd Armored Division ran into heavy German artillery fire managed to cross the Seine and reach the suburbs of Paris Leclerc learned the 4th Infantry Division was poised to beat him to the center of Paris with the majority of troops fleeing or surrendering; those who fought back were quickly subdued the 2nd Armored Division cleared the western half of the city while the 4th Infantry Division took the east Von Choltitz was arrested at his headquarters and signed a formal surrender handing Paris over to de Gaulle and his provisional government Following the liberation of Paris, de Gaulle proclaimed liberated by its people with the help of the French armies with the support and the help of all of France de Gaulle and Leclerc held a liberation march along the Champs-Élysées but the individuals responsible were never identified While many celebrated the country’s liberation Some believed Germany’s occupation was only successful because of the tacit consent of the French population and the support of its elites and high-ranking officials kangaroo courts were established to deliver what became known as the “people’s justice.” The formation of such courts had begun that June in an effort to purge the government of officials associated with the occupation and Vichy It was later expanded to dole out punishment on those viewed as collaborators A large portion of those targeted were women who’d slept or entered into relationships with German soldiers had their heads shaved and clothes torn and were doused in various substances Hundreds of executions were also carried out across the city Clare Fitzgerald is a Writer and Editor with eight years of experience in the online content sphere Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from King’s University College at Western University her portfolio includes coverage of digital media Among her accomplishments are being the Founder of the true crime blog, Stories of the Unsolved, which garners between 400,000 and 500,000 views annually, and a contributor for John Lordan’s Seriously Mysterious podcast she also served as the Head of Content for UK YouTube publication Clare likes to play Pokemon GO and re-watch Heartland over and over (and over) again She’ll also rave about her three Maltese dogs whenever she gets the chance linkedin.com/in/clarefitz/ VINELAND – The city’s Recreation Commission has suspended the president of the Vineland Midget Football League simple assault and reckless endangerment stemming from an incident in Philadelphia last August 7 and a preliminary hearing is set for June 1 Supervisor of Recreation Dale Elbeuf notified Wilson via email of his suspension following a special meeting of the Vineland City Recreation Commission on May 16.  obtained through an Open Public Records Act request officials informed Wilson that he was “suspended from participating in the Vineland Midget Football League or any other Youth Sports in the City of Vineland until these charges are fully and finally adjudicated.”   The email also stated that Wilson had to return all keys to the Vineland Midget Football Clubhouse buildings and fields by May 18 to the Vineland Recreation Office Wilson said he never received an email from the city's Recreation Department nor did he turn in his keys to the facilities A city official said they've now changed the locks Wilson referred further questions to his attorney “These are false allegations (against my client) and we will make it to a courtroom and once we do we expect him to be vindicated in short order,” Bahuriak said “There are serious credibility issues with this complaint.” If Wilson is found not guilty or the charges are dismissed who also serves on the Cumberland County Recreation Commission was not identified by name at the special meeting Wilson represented the VMFL last month when the city honored Super Bowl champion Jamil Demby with the key to the city and at an NFL Draft watch party when Isiah Pacheco was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs The charges against Wilson are only allegations He has not been convicted of any crimes related to the incident Tom McGurk is a regional sports reporter for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com Help support local journalism with a digital subscription Oh Jeez captured the inaugural Vineland Women’s Softball Association championship with a 7-5 victory over Homiak Transportation at Fiocchi Field Complex on Wednesday Lauren Elbeuf had three hits and Crystal Morris was the winning pitcher for Oh Jeez which raced to a 7-0 lead in the opening two frames which cut the deficit to two with a four-run fifth inning. Oh Jeez team members are Beatriz Santiago (Bottom from left to right): Krystal Morris Homiak Transportation team members are are Kate Cronk Erin D'Agostino and Tammy Gentilini.  Enrico Serra bandstand at Giampietro Park glows with fresh paint Spotlights with new LED lighting shine brighter 13 under the stars concert featuring Frontiers Act fast if you plan to be there when the lights go down in the city hosted by the city’s recreation department Superintendent Dale Elbeuf launched family-friendly festivals in 2007 Teaming with the Vineland Downtown Improvement District the recreation superintendent brought chili and ribs cookoffs as well as the seafood festival to Landis Avenue he helped revive the Jersey Fresh Festival After COVID forced everyone apart for several summers Elbeuf said it’s time to come together and started brainstorming The superintendent’s events are often inspired by his travels he’s dumped 35 tons of sand in the downtown for a man-made beach he’s hoping to recreate the music in nature vibe of the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion recounting sitting outdoors listening to musicians “I figured Giampietro Park has a beautiful lake and we have a beautiful amphitheater.” is a great spot to put down a blanket or chair and enjoy an evening show The recreation department will follow-up when tickets are ready to be picked up Elbeuf reviewed band demos and stopped when he heard the Frontiers “Steve Perry has an unbelievable range in his voice and you don’t find people in cover bands that can match that,” said agent Rich Goldberg of Ultra Artists The Jersey-based band is in demand at community events “Every song they play is a hit,” Goldberg said it becomes like this massive sing-a-long.” “Journey’s music has withstood the test of time,” he said people still turn it up and love hearing it.” “It’s all about everybody having a great time,” Goldberg said Excited to see people enjoying the evening out Elbeuf said it will be a fitting tribute to his friend Wilhelm could be counted on to get the job done and “always with smile,” Elbeuf said including several years playing with the doo-wop group No alcohol or coolers are permitted in the park during the show Food vendors will be onsite including Wipeout Eats smashed burgers and Gil’s Weiner Wagon gourmet hotdogs Concert goers are encouraged to park at the Vineland High School complex on East Chestnut Avenue A free shuttle service is available to and from the park Handicapped parking will be available at Giampietro Park Call 856-563-5256 or email dmarko@gannettnj.com Follow on Twitter: @dmarko_dj Instagram: deb.marko.dj  Help support local journalism with a subscription VINELAND – Improvements are likely coming to several local sports parks later this year pending city approval of a nearly half-million-dollar bond City Council on Tuesday night introduced an ordinance that would see $495,000 spent on field improvements to Cunningham Park Improvements slated for the parks include new lights concession stand and storage facility at the Romano complex; a new synthetic playing surface at the North Vineland Challenger League baseball field; and a new playground at Fiocchi Park “I think they’ll love it,” City Council President Paul Spinelli said of the planned additions More: Vineland to consider water, electric military discounts See also:More tax revenue, less spending in proposed county budget More news:Dancing with the Staff competition takes stage Friday The city is getting help with the funding through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Green Acres Program which is picking up a third of the cost at $165,000 The remaining portion of the costs are covered with the bond according to Assistant Business Administrator Bob Dickinson “It will add benefits to the residents of the parks,” Dickinson said of the projects which is slated for a vote at council’s April 11 meeting the city hopes to hire contractors and have the work wrapped up by December Several bids have already come in for the work which is slated to be conducted in three phases according to Recreation Superintendent Dale Elbeuf First up would be Romano Park on East Maple Avenue where the Vineland Municipal Electric Utility would install new lighting "The utility is being gracious enough to help us out with the lights," he said Elbeuf and others said they see the new lighting as a major plus to those who want to use the field at night “It gives us another lighted field for the older kids,” Dickinson said “Romano is hardly used except during daytime — they have to share other fields This gives us another field for when Perfect Game (baseball showcase) comes into town.” “It will give them the opportunity to have night games,” he said A combination press box and concession stand is also planned but wouldn't be started until the first three phases are complete the money left over will go towards a press box," he said the park has a portable unit available to serve concessions But a more permanent solution will be a welcome addition to residents “The portable one is very limited,” Spinelli said “The fact that it will be permanent will help soccer which Elbeuf said would be phase two of the planned work includes a new playground at Fiocchi Park on Galli Drive little kids come to watch their brothers and sisters play,” Spinelli said a big project is planned for North West Avenue's Cunningham Park — the replacement of a Challenger League grass field Grass inside the infield will be removed and replaced with a poured-in-place rubber material "It will make it very nice for the kids that have to use aids for walking because of their disabilities," he said "It will make it a safer area for them to play on and easier to maneuver." unfortunately they struggle a little bit sometimes on grass fields primarily cause they’re dragging their feet on the grass,” he said “This will be an even base to run on and play on That project likely wouldn’t begin until fall Elbeuf also sought to highlight other work being done — in-house and separate from the bond projects — at the city's parks Installation of a new roof for the South Vineland Little League concession stand clubhouse.Newly power-washed and soon-to-be painted dugouts at the Landis Park hardball field.An addition to the softball field at Gittone Park that will include a new area for the sport of cricket.New safety nets at the Vineland Pigtail League to protect patrons of the concession stand from foul balls.The electric utility also recently installed new motion-sensor LED lighting inside the parking lot at Gittone Park Cunningham Park will have its parking lot done next Kov: (856) 563-5262; dkov@thedailyjournal.com  Nick Giordano just opened the doors on Vineland Mini Wrestling’s 2016-17 season and he’s already excited about what he’s seeing “We’re going to have a great program,” the organization’s new president said It’s been quite a turnaround for the association from earlier this year the city recreation commission voted to change the locks on the program’s Seventh Street building because kids from outside Vineland were using the facility and there were parent complaints about the previous coaches’ practice methods “The Vineland Mini Wrestling facility is for Vineland kids,” City Superintendent of Recreation Dale Elbeuf said We’re here to train Vineland kids that are hopefully going to go to Vineland.” The 36-year-old coach isn’t just Vineland High School’s last region champion (1999) he’d also been working with the program for the past 11 years Giordano reached out to Elbeuf about lending a hand “I want to bring this back and make sure the kids have the right necessities to go do something after school be successful and have the opportunity I had to wrestle in college.” Giordano’s first mission was to bring in former wrestlers with strong technical backgrounds That included former Vineland region champion Rich Scapra former district winner Tony Crespo and many others there’s a lot of history and I’m proud to say it’s being run by Vineland people,” Elbeuf said “And the Vineland people running it are Vineland wrestlers we have people who know what they’re doing and know what they’re talking about.” but has been with the program for three years and was the lone holdover from the previous regime He’s seen a big change within the organization since Giordano took over “There’s definitely a more positive vibe,” said Parent who along with Papandrew previously trained with Millville’s Tim Williams a professional MMA fighter known as the South Jersey Strangler Bordley and others had to rewrite the organization’s bylaws and get other paperwork back in order as well The coaches have taken that approach to practices too as kids are being broken down into smaller groups to get more individualized training It paid dividends during the first tournament of the season in Upper Township two weeks ago While most of the 12 kids that competed for Vineland were first-year wrestlers seven managed to finish in the top three of their weight classes “That proved to us that we were very effective,” Giordano said The program currently has around 50 members but Giordano would love to get more seventh and eighth graders involved “I need some big kids to feed the high school with,” he said Josh Friedman; (856) 486-2431; jfriedman2@gannettnj.com .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Tracy R. WigginsBRIDGETON Fannie Mae to Alejandro Alverez for $45,000 21st Mortgage Corp to Frank Canino for $40,000 Murray to Rachelle Kijevcanin for $165,000 Dolores Roemer to Austin Headrick for $60,000 Wells Fargo Bank Trust to Nicole Schaffer for $125,000 ERBS Investors LLC to Dominic and Rebecca Gambino II for $383,540 Crestar Real Estate Investments LLC to El Chapulin LLC for $10,000 Beazer Homes Corp to Matthew Lindner for $263,000 Hedges to Cumberland County Historical Soceity for $100,000 Carolyn Michelle Carter to Kirsten Kathleen Gandy for $10,000 Hartley Hudson to New Jersey State Department of Environmental Protection for $128,991.19 Stacy McCartney to Bayview Loan Servicing LLC for $120,898.44 American Regional Real Estate Partners LLC for Diomel C to WLM Property Innovations LLC for $116,000 New Jersey Conference Association of Seventh Day Adventists and Helen C Fannie Mae to Kaja Holdings 2 LLC for $17,855.25 to Michael and Christina Morozewicz for $75,000 Michael and Christine Roncoroni to Darlene M Housing and Urban Development to William M Housing and Urban Development to Hightower Group Inc Folkstone Properties LLC to Cristhian Navarro-Guifarro for $206,000 Vineland Northeast LLC to JRP NJ Realty LLC for $100,000 Edwin Cruz to Jose Rosas Martinez for $180,000 Ferrari by executor to Brian Barsuglia for $230,000 New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance  to Nichole Channel for $150,000 by attorney to Black Door Properties LLC for $95,000 Raisa Tischenko to Joseph Fricano for $110,000 Fannie Mae by attorney to ADR Properties LLC for $56,000 -- 117 and 119 Crown Point Road and 39 Phoenix Dr. WNA Realty LLC to Exeter 39 Phoenix LLC for $11,750 South Jersey Times may be reached at sjnews@njadvancemedia.com. 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All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Spencer Kent | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comVINELAND — When thinking about wine South Jersey typically isn't the first place that comes to mind thousands of people flocked to the 600 block of East Landis Avenue Saturday to sample wine from two wineries in Cumberland and Atlantic counties at the first-ever Vineland Food & Wine Festival but also enjoyed the best food the city has to offer; seafood and barbecue as well as a mixture of ethnic foods like Italian Lorre Allen is the owner of Southwind Vineyard and Winery a 100-acre family estate located on Lebanon Road in Rosenhayn The estate has been in her family since 1977 and there she grows her own grapes in order to produce her master plan of a "good dry wine from the classic noble grapes." Southwind specializes in wines made in the Bordeaux style that are deep in color with a balance of discreet tannins and crisp acidity Allen said people don't realize the great conditions South Jersey has for wine making "The ocean breezes from the other side of the shore drainage and growing degree days," she said as attendees approached her table to ask questions and request a small sample cup "You can't get that up in North Jersey." A little further down was Balic Winery's tent The company offers a diverse selection of wines mango and huckleberry — to name a few; its tent drew much attention throughout the day downing the free samples and requesting seconds drank them back and then shared a moment of pause as they examined the flavor against their palates "We've gotten into trying wine offered in the local area," Susan Davidow said Allen said interest in wine from smaller local wineries is growing in popularity She added her business is "getting better every day." superintendent of recreation for the Vineland Recreation Commission said the event was to bring the community together and highlight the great businesses the city and area have to offer "It was to get people familiar with the city's downtown area and acclimated with our city's downtown merchants," Elbeuf said executive director of Main Street Vineland said he really wanted local wineries to come out to the event in order to show people the great products that are right here in South Jersey Complementing the wine was the festival's delicious food that was available in every direction Taste of the Islands — a Jamaican restaurant located on East Landis Avenue — had a tent set up and was serving an array of dishes: jerked chicken A large stage at one end of East Landis Avenue featured live music with a large rock climbing wall at the other end of the block But the festival went beyond in entertainment was having fun getting a purple dolphin painted on her face by event artist Naomi Gilch Elbeuf said the great music would not have been possible without his good friend John Wilhelm a renowned funky Motown jazz and blues band was scheduled to perform later in the evening Susquehanna Bank located in Vineland was the main sponsor of the event "It has been our goal to help bring foot traffic to the downtown streets it helps the small businesses that are so important to the city." Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@southjerseymedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook \n m_gallery = \"080914_vineland_food_wine_fest\";\n m_gallery_id = \"15586782\";\n m_gallery_title = \"Vineland Food and Wine Festival 2014\";\n m_gallery_blog_id = \"8002621\";\n m_gallery_creation_date = \"Saturday 9:51 PM\";\n m_gallery_permalink = \"http://photos.nj.com/8002621/gallery/080914_vineland_food_wine_fest/index.html\";\n m_gallery_json = \"https://blog.nj.com/photogallery/8002621/15586782.json\";\n m_gallery_pagetype = \"embed\";\n m_gallery_type = \"photo\";\n <\/script>\n Dr Richard Miles follows in the footsteps of the 18th century archaeologists who discovered Herculaneum...To visit the incredible sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum as a tourist is incredible enough stepping through wonderfully preserved Roman streets just as they were when Vesuvius erupted in AD79 But to be given the privilege of entering the ancient tunnels of rock created by the first archaeological pioneers to discover Herculaneum is quite another Working on this series has provided any number of fantastic opportunities to visit archaeological sites that are well off the beaten track from the sweltering jungles of southern Mexico to Scandinavian peat bogs but the underground world beneath Herculaneum topped the lot hacked by workmen through the hardened pumice are testimony to the efforts of 18th century archaeology The expression 'frozen in time' is an over-used cliché but as my eyes adjusted to this dark world from the bright Mediterranean sun not only because I was entering the hidden world of the Romans but because I was doing so through the eyes of archaeological excavators who had first entered the ground here nearly 300 years ago Around every corner there appeared a pile of excavated rubble a note in the stone scrawled by a workman who regarded the tunnels as "his house" the empty mould of a face in the rock where a valuable statue had been prised away This whole place was first discovered in 1709 by a farmer who was digging a well and was later excavated by the Duke of Elbeuf and then more systematically by a Spanish engineer Rocque Joaquin de Alcubierre These early 'excavators' literally burrowed down through the volcanic rock searching for any marble valuables and other artistic treasures that could be brought to the surface and laid claim to But there was one thing they couldn't remove It was the most extraordinary moment of all: an entire Roman theatre The old tunnels still provide the only access to the ancient theatre Due to its fragile state and the dangers posed by dark steep passages the theatre is closed to the public and my visit was the result of some hard fought negotiating skills from the production team Moving through the claustrophobic darkness the flickering torch light of the guide reveals glimpses of a long lost world - ghostly seating and walls still decorated with coloured plaster and even graffiti scrawled by its clientele nearly 2000 years ago The piece de resistance was walking out onto the stage itself It feels as if the banks of empty benches are merely waiting to once more be filled by a throng of noisy laughing spectators bringing to an end a two millennia-old silence The ghosts of the past then felt very real indeed Just where and when did civilisation begin is bracing himself for a busy year on the international circuit of the Federation of International Sports of Table Football (Subbuteo) 2005 was indeed a fruitful year for Cremona who established himself among the world's elite players in table football Cremona has been classified second in the world for six consecutive months On four successive weekends from mid-January up to the first week of February Cremona will be competing in four tournaments taking place in four different countries He will kick off his 2006 competitive schedule on January 15 when he takes part in the 30th edition of the 'Trofeo Citta di Catania' in Sicily Cremona will then participate in the International Open of Brussels in Belgium on Jan the Gran Prix of Manchester in England on Jan Dutchman Verhagen has retained top spot with 4,061 points Third place is occupied by Portuguese Guimares who has 1,967 points Maltese player Mifsud has climbed to 11th place in the rankings with 1,324 points while Mallia finished the year 16th on 881 points organised by the Malta Table Football Sports Association will be held at the Zabbar Subbuteo Club on January 15 More information may be obtained by contacting Joe Debono Attard or on telephone numbers 2141-4712 or 9940 5867 please register for free or log in to your account.