Warrior tells tales of Greeks

4:02pm Thursday 27th January 2005

A Whetstone man with a passion for ancient Greece has produced a history magazine for Barnet's schoolchildren.

George Georgiou, of Tudor Grove, Whetstone, has become well-known to pupils in the borough for teaching ancient history dressed as a Greek warrior, and has now put together a history magazine on the period.

The scheme was made possible thanks to a £1,000 grant from the Leventis Foundation, a group which promotes the Hellenic cultural heritage, and Mr Georgiou has printed 3,000 copies of the magazine.

The booklet has already been distributed to half-a-dozen schools in Barnet, and covers Greek mythology, and Greek and Cypriot history.

Contributors to the project include Paul Cartledge, a professor of Greek history at Cambridge University and best-selling author who has recently published Alexander the Great: The Hunt for a New Past.

Mr Georgiou said: "I wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of the Leventis Foundation. I have visited half-a-dozen schools in Barnet with the magazine and the children were thrilled but to be honest the teachers seemed more thrilled.

"I tried to pitch the magazine to ten-year-olds, and I mixed with Greek mythology, Greek and Greek-Cypriot history."

u Mr Georgiou is offering ten magazines and a hardback copy of Paul Cartledge's Alexander the Great book as prizes to readers.

To be in with a chance of winning, simply send a postcard, marked Alexander the Great Competition', to Hendon Times Group, 71 Church Road, London NW4 4DN. Entries must arrive by February 10. Please include your name, address and a daytime telephone number.

Usual competition rules apply.

For more information on the project visit the web site at www.hoplites.co.uk