Question of seating platforms...

[Colyngbourne]

Okay, here goes - anyone got a useful way of referring to the type of seating in an auditorium where it's all ranked-up benches on scaffolding? And also how to refer to the kind of metal rear staircase structure that is a handy fire escape route for people on the top rows?

Also, anyone who knows the approximate present day location of where Calgacus gave his empassioned battle speech at Mons Graupius in the highlands (in Tacitus' 'Agricola' chapter 31)? I'm thinking it's the northern side of the Cairngorms but I'm not sure.


Thanks,
Colyngbourne

[amner]

Colyngbourne, the seats you describe are - in the states anyway - called bleachers. Like this?:




from the bizarre but clearly very wonderful Bleacher Fundraiser website. No idea what the rear exit steps are called though.
.

[Colyngbourne]

Thank you, Amner. I will probably use the term 'bleachers' then, though it feels very American and outdoorsy compared to the context, which is British and indoors.

Colyngbourne

[amner]

You're welcome.

As for the other question, I've just spoken to a bloke here (I work at the Uni in Cambridge) who says that the actual site of the battle is unknown but in Battlefields of Britain David Smurthwaite places it at Bennachie, a mountain north west of Aberdeen. Hope that helps.
.

[Colyngbourne]

A bit higher up than I imagined but sufficiently isolated enough for my purposes. Thanks, and to your colleague also.

Colyngbourne

[Wavid]

Originally Posted by Colyngbourne

Book for young adults in progress, near completion - 108,000 words. If anyone's interested in knowing more, I'd rather PM them than put the whole premise on public view.

I quite understand! is this your first writing project, Colingbourne?

[Colyngbourne]

Well, it's my first 'completed' writing project.

[Lucoid]

Back to the bleachers - though I would also hate to use such an American-sounding word, from my memories of films and terrible teen romances, bleachers can be indoors as well as out. The big scary monster in The Faculty chases the kids under some in the school gym, and the seats at the basketball game in American Beauty look like an indoor version of Amner's picture (which looks just like the outdoor bleachers in Grease).

[Lucoid]

Oh, good luck, by the way.

[Colyngbourne]

Thank you. I think I'll need it. Books for young adults seem to be all heading in the same predictable direction at the moment (wizards, fantastical universes, proactive plucky heroes/heroines - but never anything so good as Earthsea or Pern, methinks) so this one might not fit the present requirements. The strong female character moreorless vanishes after the first half of the book as well so I'm sure that will count against me!

Colyngbourne