Goodbye to an old friend

Many of the photographs of Ya Raqs at outdoor events include our tent in the background. Originally a scout tent, it had seen many years of service by the time it was very generously given to us by Deva Victrix in spring 2008. It had been in storage for a while, but after a thorough cleaning, and mending a few holes and tears, it was ready to be used again. Once Meroe had painted on the Eye of Horus (cunningly covering up the words "Liverpool 14th Scout Troop") and added the coloured streamers, the transformation was complete.

Noor, Meroe and Hebba mending holes

Hebba, Phoenece and Aisha with the decorated tent

Sadly, despite our best efforts, time was taking its toll, and the downpour at the Roman Games in Chester was the final straw. One of the main panels split, and while we were able to patch it up for the day, we knew that a replacement would be needed. We were all sad to see the old tent go, but Meroe and Kebi came up trumps: finding a Touareg-style tent for us.

The new tent made its first appearance at the Gladiators and Warriors event at Beeston Castle, and surpassed all our expectations. It gives us space to sit and eat, whilst also providing a separate area for storage and changing, thus allowing us to be entirely self-sufficient at any event we attend.

Our new Touareg tent