Leon Unczar, the real Sheriff of Nottingham and Robin Hood re-enactor. (Gretchen Kelly)
Set decorator Sonja Klaus and costumes for Robin Hood at Nottingham Castle. (Gretchen Kelly)
Ridley Scott’s multi-billion dollar epic “Robin Hood” opens today, bringing back the legendary hero in bad-ass style.
His legendary domain, Nottingham (two hours from London by train) is dusting off its green tights and mounting a series of special events and tourist attractions around the film, some of which will be in place all year.
Although set-decorator Sonja Klaus (who worked with Scott and Crowe on Gladiator) told us that Nottingham was the inspiration, but not the location of the filming sites, she was proud to offer Nottingham Castle props and costumes from the film for a Robin Hood exhibition which will be on view until the end of October, 2010. Visitors can size themselves up against Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett’s costumes as well as the robes of the evil Sheriff of Nottingham himself.
Leon Unczar, the real life Sheriff of Nottingham, says that these days, tax collecting is mostly left to the Home Office so he spends most of his time promoting the city and its connections with lore and legend of his nemesis.
Two other celebrations around town in honor of the archer’s archer:
1) An ongoing exhibit of props from the film in Sherwood Forest itself. The 450 acre nature reserve is also home of the Robin Hood era “Major Oak” thought to be a meeting place of Robin and the Merry Men. www.nottscc.gov.uk.
2) * The Robin Hood Pageant, at Nottingham Castle on October 30 and 31st is a weekend of jousts, mead and “medieval merriment.”
Our personal choice for best Robin Hood set-jetting adventure is playing with bows and arrows. Travelers can do it in the real Sherwood Forest itself at the Adrenalin Jungle Activity Centre (www.adrenalinjungle.com). For a minimum group of six (12 on weekends) you can learn to shoot modern arrows as well as old-fashioned wooden crossbow and arrows. Crowe himself spent days practicing this ancient art and apparently became a crack shot, telling one interviewer that he was “in love with the fight . . . I just love it when the arrow is released from the bow.”
For more information about all the sites seen in the film, log onto www.visitbritain.us/robinhood. For a free audio trail podcast, “In the Footsteps of Robin Hood,” www.robinhoodbreaks.visitnottingham.com).
Follow the set-jetting author on twitter at @gretchenkelly