‘My name is Lucius Minucius Natalis, commander of the armies of Eboracum, general of the the Sixth Victorious Legion, loyal servant to York tourist board.’
Or something like that.
In actual fact this isn’t the real Lucius, who knocked about in Roman York some time after he had been crowned Olympic four horse chariot champion in AD129. But the lookalike certainly drew some admiring glances from the heathen London hoards during his visit to the capital.
He travelled across London to promote the fact that York is but two hours away via train. ‘‘It is thanks to the Roman Bath Museum in York that we discovered Lucius, York’s Olympic champion, who is now the hero of our London-wide campaign to drive visitors to our world class destination,’ said Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of Visit York.
Twenty Time To Visit York posters were dotted around Tube stations during London 2012 ‘to ensure York benefits from a post Olympics boost in tourism,’ said Gillian.
Disappointingly she didn’t add: ‘And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.’
The York based Roman re-enactors were Graham Harris, owner of the Roman Bath Museum in York (Legate and Olympian) and Jan Suchecki, re-enactor (Roman Centurian).
