Bits n’ Pieces April 22

Happy Earth Day!

The first image of Russell Crowe as Robin Hood has been released, and Comingsoon.net has it here.Though Crowe looks exactly like Maximus again, sans uber hott gladiatorial garb, I am not complaining about the similarity

Opening in theaters on May 14, 2010, the Universal action-drama co-stars Cate Blanchett, Vanessa Redgrave, Mark Strong, Scott Grimes, Kevin Durand, Alan Doyle, Oscar Isaacs, Lea Seydoux and William Hurt.

Crowe plays Robin of Loxley in an origin story of Robin Hood that hews close to historical facts of the period. Abandoned as a child, he finds community with the common people of Nottingham. Robin’s abandonment and trust issues hamper his ability to fall in love. He meets his match in Marian (Blanchett), a strong, independent woman.

 

This is Plymouth has a review of Bath in its travel section. It includes references to Jane Austen, and a number of interesting trivia tidbits about the Georgian city that has been designated a World Heritage Site. For any Austen or Regency fan, Bath’s architecture and atmosphere make it a veritable mecca.

 

Telegraph reports that tickets have gone on sale for a cruise that will mark the 100th Anniversary of the sinking of Titanic. The 12-night cruise, which will follow the same course as the fated ship with the same number of passengers in tow, expects tickets to sell out, despite the £2,595 price tag.

“The Titanic still grips the imagination of people throughout the world and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of a unique cruise packed with interest for those with a fascination for the Titanic story,” he said. “The whole voyage will be steeped in Titanic history. The food served will match the sumptuous menus on the original voyage; the entertainment will include music and dancing in the style featured in those glorious times and there will be a chance to hear first hand from historians who have studied the Titanic story.”

 

Elizabeth Gaskell’s House has received a £262,000 donation from English Heritagefor repairs that will prevent the historic house from rotting. As critical to Gaskell’s writing career as the Chawton cottage was to Jane Austen, Plymouth Grove, located in Knutsford, Cheshire, has seen tourism rise considerably since the release of BBC One’s highly successful adaptation Cranford, starring Dame Judi Dench.

She wrote all her books – with the exception of Mary Barton – at the seven-bedroomed house in Manchester. But now the Regency-style villa needs major structural repairs. It closed earlier this year for the work on the roof, windows and walls to start. Experts are also going to eradicate the dry rot. The project will weatherproof the house.

~ by Lady Ashley on April 22, 2009.