Tag: RSPB

Robin Hood: how to follow the legend around Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire

Robin Hood is making a comeback.

The latest take on the folk tale hits cinema screens this winter (November 23).

It’s a darker, more adventure-based retelling of the traditional story, starring The Kingsman‘s Taron Egerton in the lead role and produced by Leonardo DiCaprio.

The film comes off the back of the opening of the new Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre, a new £5m facility in partnership with the RSPB, which opens to the public late August this year.

We had a preview, writing an article for a forthcoming issue of Family Traveller magazine. We also visited Creswell Crags, where Robin Hood is alleged to have hidden in the Ice Age caves [pictured above].

Local history expert John Charlesworth told us how the Robin Hood story has always been a favourite of cinema audiences.

The American actor Errol Flynn played the outlaw with verve in the 1938 classic The Adventures of Robin Hood, while the last film, starring Russell Crowe as the man in Lincoln green was released in 2010.

There was even a 1960’s Canadian cartoon series, Rocket Robin Hood, which finds Robin living on the Sherwood asteroid in outer space.

“For me Errol Flynn portrayed Robin Hood best, with great fencing and a superb musical score, but I do have a sneaking fondness for Robin and Marian (1976), staring Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn. It has a more poignant feel, portraying Robin as a man out of his time.”

Read more in the autumn issue of Family Traveller magazine.

An afternoon at RSPB Conwy Nature Reserve

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It’s the last days of the summer holidays. A time when boredom thresholds plummet, nerves are frayed and emotions run high.

So, an afternoon of fresh air and wildlife watching at the RSPB Conwy Nature Reserve seemed a good plan for myself and Maya (pictured above and below). Besides, they were having a little do to showcase the changes at the reserve over the last year.

The Conwy Connections project has delivered an upgrade to facilities at the reserve in an attempt to attract new visitors – notably families.

There’s a new play area for kids, Y Maes, a central village square for picnics, and the LookOut, a new green-built indoor space for watching wildlife across the water to the saltmarsh.

Nature walk

We followed the boardwalk on a windy but bright late-sumer day, looping through the reedbed to the Tal-y-fin hide with views across to Conwy Castle.

Wild raspberries fringed the path and autumn migrating wildfowl from Scotland and Iceland put on a winged display as the hum of the nearby A55 faded into the background.

We took the Blue tit trail, circling back towards the Visitor Centre via the wildlife garden with its clumps of scented honeysuckle and fragrant lavender. On the way, we hunted frogs by the pond and uncovered minibeasts in the shrubs.

We’re back at school in a few days but, for now, we just breathed the fresh air and soaked up the last rays of summer-holidays sun.

Press launch

Back at the event, meanwhile, the flesh-pressing and speech-making was in full effect.

And Maya? She eschewed the lengthy presentation for the monkey bars, whizzed through the tour and made it to the marquee early to snaffle the best of the cake.

That’s my girl.

Gazetteer

RSPB Conwy