News - Sherwood Forest visitor centre to get £13m 'Robin Hood' revamp (Edwinstowe)

A VISION for a world-class Robin Hood experience in the heart of Sherwood Forest has been revealed.


The £13 million Discover Robin Hood attraction will feature interactive exhibits, an open-air theatre and an adventure playground.

Construction will begin in autumn next year with the project expected to be completed by spring 2015.

The company behind the scheme – Discovery Attractions – said it wanted to give Robin Hood the home he deserves.

Chief executive John Lowther said: “Robin Hood is such a strong pull for tourists and we want to develop an attraction that will be fitting to the legend.

“Our vision is to build a flagship attraction for the county which will give a huge boost to the local economy.”

The plans come after years of uncertainty about the Sherwood Forest centre, with a number of plans shelved in the past due to lack of available funding.

John Cottee, chairman of the culture committee at Notts County Council, said the private investment was necessary to make the attraction a “jewel in the crown” of Notts.

He added: “We want to raise the profile of Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest and we have found a vision for the centre that we agree will be fantastic. We are hoping this new centre will attract visitors from all over the country and the world.”

According to the developers, the plans will create around 100 jobs and benefit the local economy by more than £2 million a year.

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Sherwood-Forest-visitor-centre-13m-Robin-Hood/story-17198421-detail/story.html

News - Decision due on Robin Hood visitor attraction

THE long-awaited transformation of Sherwood Forest will move a step closer on Wednesday (17th) with confirmation of the successful bidder for the project.


Nottinghamshire County Council has been considering two proposals for a new visitor attraction at the world-famous Robin Hood site and will seek approval from the policy committee on its preferred choice.

Both bidders are anonymous at this stage and no plans will be made public until the 10--day formal procurement process has been completed.

The new operator will design, fund, build and manage a new visitor centre attraction, which hopes to boost tourism by up to 150,000 visitors a year.

As previously reported in Chad, plans for a tree-themed design fell through after the project failed to win support from the Big Lottery Fund.

Last year, the county council decided to shelve the development until 2014 due to funding cuts.

The brief for the project is to create ‘a new visitor attraction which promotes and enhances the reputation of Sherwood Forest, the legend of Robin Hood and the broader history and heritage of Nottinghamshire’.

It will also create new jobs , boost local businesses and the wider local economy.

Coun John Cottee, chairman of the county council’s culture committee said: “Many months have already been spent on these proposals to reach this point which we hope will not only help us open a new attraction to captivate and enthuse visitors, but also to help preserve the natural ecology of Sherwood Forest and be a major boost for tourism and job creation locally.”

Members of the policy committee will be asked to approve the council’s recommendation at County Hall tomorrow.

Confirmation of the successful bidder means the council will then enter into legal agreements for them to manage the new development.

Coun Cottee added: “I know that there are a lot of people who are waiting to find out what will be happening at Sherwood and I’d like to reassure people that as soon as we have some information to share - we will.

“It’s worth adding that whatever the successful bidder designs, it will be subject to the usual consultation and planning processes.”

Celia Brooks, chairman of Edwinstowe Parish Council, thinks moving the centre closer to the village will benefit local businesses.

She said: “We need the right sort of attraction. We don’t want Disneyland.

“We are not worried about it being closer to the village as it may improve business.

“Improvements on the access road will need to be made.”

From: http://www.chad.co.uk/news/local/decision-due-on-robin-hood-visitor-attraction-1-5032764

News - Plans for castle to cash in on Robin's global reputation (Nottingham)

THE pulling power of Robin Hood for tourists has never been in doubt.


But the question of how to capitalise on the legendary outlaw has troubled Nottingham minds for decades.

From a Robin Hood theme park to a giant 100-metre tall statue, there have been plenty of ideas.

In 2009, Nottingham City Council created the Sheriff's Commission to identify how to maximise the tourism potential of Robin Hood. A delegation from the city even spent nine days in America, visiting up to 30 tourist attractions.

The commission concluded that a new Robin Hood attraction was needed at both Nottingham Castle and Sherwood Forest by June 2012 – to make the most of the Olympics.

But after the initial excitement, things went quiet.

However, new ideas have today been put forward to create a "world-class" visitor attraction which will finally cash in on Robin's global reputation.

And the working group behind the suggestions are confident that they are achievable.

They include building a £20 million gallery devoted to Robin Hood and the history of Nottingham at the castle.

It could see the caves underneath the castle brought back into use and a new visitors' centre and café built.

More outdoor festivals and events could also be staged at the site.

The Castle Working Group – which includes people from different backgrounds as well as the city council – has been given the job of delivering the new attraction.

Ted Cantle, chairman of the group, said: "We're trying to bring two things together.

"People have felt we haven't made enough of the legendary status of Robin Hood, and they've also thought we haven't presented sufficiently the castle's national history.

"We're trying to bring those things together so Nottingham Castle is better reflected in a national attraction, and so is Robin Hood.

"We're looking towards a national gallery visitor attraction, something that has strong educational value – but we realise it has to have both excitement and fun as part of that and that will very much be the case.

"It will be an opportunity to develop some of the new technologies available to national galleries. We hope it will be a real visitor experience."

The working group, which includes people from different backgrounds as well as the city council, has suggested three different ideas.

These include exploring the castle as a symbol of Nottingham's important role in social protest and rebellion through the ages; using the story of Robin Hood as a guide through key periods in Nottingham's history; and finally to provide a "significant educational experience" for all visitors.

People can have their say on the ideas, and also suggest their own, from today until September 22.

Mr Cantle said: "We want to make sure we haven't missed anything. That's why the public consultation is so valuable.

"We've had a good look at what people have said in the past, the work of the Sheriff's Commission and the other work carried out.

"We want to make sure we don't miss anything that the public might come up with, like a completely new idea we've not considered."

Mr Cantle said Nottingham Castle, which is currently managed by the city council, is expected to be run by a trust instead, which would give it charitable status and allow it to apply for more grants.

The group hopes to submit a funding bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund in November. If it is successful, work could begin in the next couple of years, although the attraction is unlikely to be completed until 2019.

In addition to the Heritage Lottery Fund, Mr Cantle said the project would need funding from the public and private sectors. He said they will be approaching various businesses as well as investigating Government funding and speaking to the city council.

Mr Cantle confirmed they are not interested in having a Robin Hood theme park at the castle, an idea which has previously been suggested.

"Any private developer that wants to do that in any other part of Nottingham is perfectly able to if they want," he said.

After years of various organisations talking about what sort of redevelopment could take place at the castle, Mr Cantle said he is sure they will deliver.

He told the Post: "We've grounded this in reality. It's not a series of ideas that have floated around."

Councillor Dave Trimble, portfolio holder for leisure at the council, said: "We want to create a world-class heritage facility for Nottingham, create new jobs, support the development of new businesses, encourage investment and provide economic stability for the city's castle quarter.

"We need to do this right, and that's where we need the public to step in and help us make the right decisions."

To have your say in the plans, forms can be found online at www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk, at Nottingham Castle, or by scanning QR codes that can be found at leisure centres and libraries.

A final proposal will be drawn up in the autumn.

From http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Plans-castle-cash-Robin-s-global-reputation/story-16775559-detail/story.html

News - Nottingham Robin Hood medieval village 'still possible'

The Sheriff of Nottingham has said he is confident a £25m medieval village tourist attraction could still be built at the foot of Nottingham Castle.

Plans were put forward as part of the Sheriff's Commission two years ago.

The aim of the commission was to suggest how the city could make more of the legend of Robin Hood.

Several investors registered an initial interest in the plans but everything went on hold when the country entered a recession, Councillor Leon Unczer said.

The idea was to create an "adventurous and fun but historical in context" medieval village which could attract 500,000 visitors a year, Mr Unczer said.

"Commitment-wise it needs the backing of the city and somebody with a lot of money," he said.

"It's megabucks but there is always somebody who you can get that money from."

The sheriff denied his theme park plans were just "pie-in-the-sky".

'Mildly cautious'

"We had some names (of interested parties) before the recession, so when it actually lifts the game could be back on and I sincerely hope it will be," he said.

Mr Unczer admitted that no-one at Nottingham City Council was as confident as he was about the plans.

"They are mildly cautious, most politicians are," he said.

The Sheriff's Commission was set up in 2009 prior to the release of the Hollywood blockbuster Robin Hood.

The sheriff admitted that two years on the city's Robin Hood offer was still not good.

But he said improvements had been made with a new audio trail and exhibitions at the Galleries of Justice museum and castle.

"There's lots to be done. If you are adventurous enough and brave enough let's do it," he said.

The Sheriff's Commission initially said it hoped to build a "new, truly world-class Robin Hood visitor experience" by June 2018.

From http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-16795503

Event - Nottingham ’Heroes & Villains’ Tour

See the hometown of Robin Hood like you’ve never seen it before! Homicidal medieval Kings, the very first Vampyre, 1200-year old Saxon caves, modern Olympians, evil murderers - and of course the Outlaw Robin Hood. From Lady Chatterley’s Lover to Lace and Legends, the history of Nottingham told through its colourful characters. Tour takes about 2 hours. Wheelchair accessible except for around 5-10 minutes during our cave visit.

See our website for dates and times. Group tours at any time on request, all year. £8 adults, £5 under 12’s. Booking essential. The entrance price includes discount Vouchers for key Nottingham attractions worth at least £4!

Starts at The Salutation Inn, Maid Marian Way, Nottingham Nottinghamshire NG1 6AJMonday 2 Jan 2012, Sun 5 Feb.
 

Website: www.toursofnottingham.co.uk

Website – Sheffield History Tours

Sheffield’s colourful history wouldn’t be complete without the well known sound of Ron Clayton, born and bred in this historic South Yorkshire city back in the 1950’s and a local man through and through.  Now Ron has set up his own website to promote his walks and talks on his local patch.

 

Ron has a vast range of talks and walks covering such topics as The Great Flood of 1864, Sheffield’s most popular villain - Charlie Peace, lost streets and their names and the lost historical buildings of Sheffield.  All Ron’s talks are fascinating and a must for everyone.  He is also involved with trying to save Sheffield’s most unfamous landmark, it’s castle which has long since been hidden away under the castle market.

 

The website is located at: http://www.sheffieldhistorytours.co.uk/index.php

News - Still years to wait for new Robin attraction (Nottingham)

A NEW Robin Hood attraction for Nottingham is still years away and will not open by next June as previously hoped.

The Post can reveal that new plans for the attraction at the castle will be unveiled in "a couple of months" but will still take several years to put in place.

This is despite the city council having set up a Sheriff's Commission in 2009 and spent £10,000 of taxpayers' money on sending a delegation to America to research tourist attractions there.

The commission – which was established to decide how the city could best maximise the tourism potential of Robin Hood – agreed that a new Robin Hood attraction was needed at the castle by June 2012, as well as a new Sherwood Forest visitors' centre.

But there are currently no concrete plans or funds in place for either.

Conservative councillor Roger Steel said: "I'm really disappointed. The Sheriff's Commission seems to be a damp squib. Joe Public hasn't seen anything from it."

However, Hugh White, the city council's director for sport, culture and parks, said the delay was due to the state of the economy.

"Where we were 18 months ago to where we are now is very different economically," he said. "The scale of ambition doesn't reduce, but the timescale of delivery needs to adjust."

A working group is expected to unveil new plans for the castle attraction before the end of the year. Ted Cantle, former city council chief executive, who is chairing the group, said it hoped in a couple of months' time to present an idea that had a "reasonable chance" of attracting funding.

"I think it will capture people's imagination," he added.

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/years-wait-new-Robin-attraction/story-13664999-detail/story.html

Event - Village prepares for Robin Hood visit (Kings Clipstone)

KINGS Clipstone folk may well think they have gone back in time on Sunday when Robin Hood and his merry men come to town for a pageant at the palace.

The event at King John’s Palace starts at 2.30pm and will feature two different medieval re-enactment groups and a village fete with shows and games.

Proceeds will go towards organising future events in the village.

Admission is £1 and parking is free.

From: http://www.chad.co.uk/news/local/alfreton/village_prepares_for_robin_hood_visit_1_3594507

Tours - Explore Nottingham with our most famous outlaw Robin Hood!

Nottingham City Council is proud to announce brand new Robin Hood tours of Nottingham start this Saturday 11 June.

Tours will take visitors on a fantastic journey through Nottingham's history, myth and English folklore with the city's very own legend Robin Hood.

The tour paints a picture of Nottingham life down through the ages into the present day, and with Robin Hood as the guide the story and legend comes alive.

Robin will take visitors to ancient pubs, haunted caves, the Council House, Old Market Square, the Lace Market and the Castle, and show how a simple 700 year old ballad developed into one of the greatest stories ever told.

Councillor Dave Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Communities, Leisure and Customers said: "We're delighted to offer these new Robin Hood tours. With Robin being such a legendary figure all over the world, these tours are the perfect way to help visitors get under the skin of the man and myth and to discover Nottingham's rich history. We hope the tours will be enjoyed by local, national and international visitors to the city, and make their trip to Nottingham even more pleasurable."

Tours start from Nottingham Castle, take place every Saturday and last for 2 hours. Two Sunday walks are also available on 12 and 19 June and more may be added later in the season.

Tickets cost £10 for adults and £5 for children under 16 years, and also give entry to Nottingham Castle and The Museum of Nottingham Life (tickets must be used within 24 hours of the tour). Tickets are available to buy from the Castle Gatehouse.

Robin Hood is played by local writer and actor Ade Andrews, who's been playing the part since he arrived in Nottingham 18 years ago. Ade is also known to many as Nottingham's resident ghost, Ezekial Bone, and has been running the Guts & Gore Tour of the Lace Market and the Magic Lantern Backstage Tour of the Theatre Royal for several years.

Ade Andrews, the Robin Hood tour guide said: "The real story of Robin Hood is often lost amongst the myth and legend, but this new tour of Nottingham uncovers the true essence of the character, giving him a voice and exploring how his tale is just as important today as it's ever been. The tour is great for locals and visitors to the city of all ages, and offers an exciting and interactive way to learn about Nottingham's often turbulent history."

From: http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=14701

Book - New Robin Hood book unravels fact from fiction

THE legend of Robin Hood began more than 700 years ago.

But Professor Sir James Holt, one of the world's leading medieval historians, believes the elusive character from Sherwood Forest – if he existed at all – lived even earlier.

In a definitive new book, based on 30 years' research, he unravels pure invention from real possibility.

He assesses the evidence for the historical Robin Hood and finds that the tale originated with the yeomen and hangers-on of the households of noblemen and gentry in the later Middle Ages.

Parts of the story that we now take for granted – Maid Marian, Friar Tuck and Robin as robber of the rich and giver to the poor – played little or no part in the original tales, and were added as the centuries passed and the legends grew.

Prof Holt, author of a standard work on the Magna Carta, says the legend of Robin Hood has enthralled people from the first ballads to contemporary movies.

In the first edition of his book, published in 1982, he suggested that the legend originated in the 13th century.

Prof Holts says: "This was well before the time of the most frequently advocated 'original' who lived in Wakefield in the first decades of the 14th century.

"The case really rested on the appearance of Robinhood surnames as early as 1296."

Now, in a new edition, Prof Holt says he is certain Robin was a 13th century figure.

"More such names have been found. They not only carry the legend back to 1261-62 but also show how it intermingled with the activities of real criminals and thereby provide a clue to the manner in which fact and legend were mixed in the mature tales of Robin Hood of the 15th century."

Prof Holt says practically all that is known of the medieval legend of Robin Hood is derived from five surviving poems or ballads and a fragment of a play.

He reconstructs the historical basis for the stories but never loses sight of the human imagination that sustained them. The book includes new illustrations and The Gest Of Robyn Hood, one of the oldest surviving tales.

He acknowledges the assistance of many experts as well library staff at various universities, including the University of Nottingham.

He says: "There is a quiverful of possible Robin Hoods. Even the likeliest is little better than a shot in the gloaming. To substantiate an identity, the earliest tales of Robin's doings have to be matched with information from other sources.

"This is scanty. Moreover, even in the earliest stories there is no sure way of sifting fact from fiction.

"At first appearance Robin was a yeoman. He then turned into a nobleman unjustly deprived of his inheritance, later into an Englishman protecting his native countrymen from the domination of the Normans. 

Finally he became a social rebel who, in the peasant's struggle against the grasping landlord, retaliates against the person and property of the oppressor.

"He is usually heroic, sometimes romantic, occasionally as a participant in rustic buffoonery, merely ridiculous, or even just a thief."

In the medieval stories, Robin Hood and his men roam through two different localities – Barnsdale in South Yorkshire and Sherwood in Notts.

Prof Holt says: "In some tales their adventures are confined exclusively to one or other of these settings. In others, Barnsdale, Sherwood and Nottingham are all confounded.

"Each locality contaminates the other, so that the Sheriff of Nottingham intrudes into Barnsdale, where he had no business to be and both he and the outlaws move from Barnsdale to Sherwood at a speed beyond the fleetest of horses.

"Of these locations the legendary Barnsdale is by far the most detailed and realistic."

Prof Holt says a ballad called Robin Hood And The Monk is the only surviving tale to retain the Notts end of the legend uncontaminated by other locations.

It goes on to relate how the outlaw came to worship at St Mary's Church in Nottingham and describes the walled town with a gaol and sheriff.

Prof Holt says that although the settings in Sherwood Forest tend to be vague, the Sherwood stories are important to the legend as a whole.

Robin Hood, by J C Holt, is published by Thames and Hudson at £12.95. (ISBN 13: 9780500289358 ISBN 10: 0500289352)

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/New-Robin-Hood-book-unravels-fact-fiction/article-3510180-detail/article.html

News - New tour of Nottingham set to launch

THE promotional material for David Cross's new Heroes and Villains of Nottingham tour asks a somewhat provocative question: Was Robin Hood gay?

The on-a-postcard answer: er, no.

But the reality of the time was a bit more sexually diverse than later history re-writers, like those priggish Victorians, may have liked to admit.

"That (question) was very tongue-in-cheek," Mr Cross said. "There's absolutely no evidence. But Richard the Lionheart absolutely was, as were many other historical characters."

That said, Mr Cross expects that at some point in the near future, Hollywood will try a Robin Hood tale that uses sexuality as a plot point.

"They've kind of run out of things to say about Robin Hood," he said.

That is not a problem shared by Mr Cross. He's always had a passion for history. Nearly two decades ago, he began translating that passion into something fun – history-laden "ghost tours" of Nottingham.

"We've been doing the Nottingham Ghost Walk since 1993," he said. "I've always wanted to develop a new tour alongside the ghost walk and now that I'm semi-retired, I've got the time to do it."

The new tour took eight or nine months to develop but if the ghost tours are any example, it will be an ever-evolving work in progress.

Storytelling, he finds, is an odd beast. An idea that sounds great on paper can fall flat, while a story thrown into a tour at the last minute can become a winner. One thing he has learned is that you can research a story, write it out, practise it and have it down perfectly, but until you try it out in front of a group of expectant faces, you won't know how it's going to go down.

The new tour won't revolve simply around Robin Hood and that well-known cast of characters from his stories, though they'll loom large.

The tour will start near the castle, wind past Old Market Square to the Lace Market and then double back just about to where it started. Those, Mr Cross said, were the necessary locales to explain a city that developed from a Saxon enclave near what is now the Lace Market and a Norman stronghold near the castle.

While he's at it, Mr Cross will also take the opportunity to take his guests through other eras in Nottingham history. Characters such as Lord Byron will also make appearances. Even more modern heroes, such as DH Lawrence and Torvill and Dean, will warrant a mention.

"There's a lot more walking than in the ghost walk," Mr Cross said.

And during all that walking, he won't shy away from the difficult queries.

"The big question that everybody has is 'Did Robin Hood exist?' And that's a very complicated question to answer."

Modern Robin – the Hollywood Robin who married Marian at the oak and got misty-eyed while reminiscing about Nottingham Castle – no, of course he didn't exist.

But what about the guy from the medieval ballads? "The consensus is probably not."

Still, though, it's a good yarn. Particularly the way Mr Cross tells it.

For more information, visit toursofnottingham.co.uk or phone 07850 145642.

From: ThisisNottingham website

News - New Robin Hood exhibition to open (Nottingham)

A NEW Robin Hood exhibition is set to open at the Galleries of Justice.

The Nottingham: A Divided Town project was created by students from Nottingham Trent University.

Tim Desmond, chief executive of Galleries of Justice Museum, said: "The Galleries of Justice Museum are now at the forefront of promoting Robin Hood and championing him as an icon for Notts.

"NTU students have created an exhibition for local people to be proud of."

Local artists, the Sheriff of Nottingham and the High Sheriff also contributed.

The exhibition explores crime and punishment in the Dark Ages and is interactive.

Neville Stankley, course leader for Nottingham Trent University's MA Museum and Heritage Management, said: "For students to have a live project for such a high profile museum as the Galleries of Justice, in a city where Robin Hood means so much, is a fantastic opportunity."

The exhibition opens on April 16

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/New-Robin-Hood-exhibition-open/article-3428788-detail/article.html

News - Society joins fight to save Robin Hood's forest

Britain’s oldest national conservation body is fighting to save one of England’s most celebrated forests from being sold off.

The Open Spaces Society this evening threw its weight behind a campaign to save Nottinghamshire’s public forests, including Sherwood Forest, the site of Robin Hood’s legendary battles with the Sheriff of Nottingham.

The society pledged its support in the growing campaign against the coalition Government’s plans to privatise Forestry Commission land in England.

Speaking at a gathering of a local history forum this evening, OSS trustee Jean Macdonald said: “Nottinghamshire and the east Midlands have fewer open spaces than many parts of the country, because the inclosure movement, back in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, bit hard and deep.

“Large areas of common land were stolen from the people.

“So Nottinghamshire’s remaining open spaces, public woods and forests are of special importance, for recreation and refreshment. Places like Sherwood Pines and other woods, many of which are part of the ancient Sherwood Forest, are of immense public value.

“There is increasing evidence that access to green spaces is vital for both mental and physical health.  The society is opposed to the sale of any publicly owned woods or forests unless the existing level of public access – or better – on foot, horse and bike, is guaranteed in perpetuity.

“The Government’s current proposals for selling Forestry Commission land do not provide those guarantees, so we are opposed to them.

“In any case, industry sources suggest that these sales are likely to raise less than half the money that the Government is hoping for, so they are a complete waste of time in the current financial climate.”

Sherwood Pines, at 1,335ha (3,300 acres) the largest single tract of forest open to the public in the East Midlands, is home to many mountain bike trails.

And though there are many theories as to the real identity of the mediaeval hero Robin Hood, the people of Nottinghamshire and Sherwood Forest have claimed the man who stole from the rich to give to the poor as their own and the Major Oak, a tree aged up to 1,000 years old in the forest, is reputed to be the outlaw’s hideout.

From: http://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2011/02/15/society-joins-fight-to-save-robin-hoods-forest

Internet TV - John Holmes walks through Robin Hood country

The TV and radio presenter John Holmes walks around Harlow Wood, visits the Forest Stone and Friar Tuck's Well - all locations in Nottinghamshire associated with Robin Hood

 

Watch it at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/nottingham/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_9338000/9338103.stm

Robin Hood 'based on William Wallace'

Nottinghamshire is generally thought to have been the home of the outlaw who stole from the rich to give to the poor, with neighbouring counties Yorkshire and Leicestershire also claiming links.

But historical novelist Jack Whyte claims that the roots of the character forever associated with Sherwood Forest may be north of the border.

He found what he claims are striking similarities between the lives of Robin Hood and the of Scottish knight William Wallace – Mel Gibson's character in the 1665 film Braveheart – while researching his latest book The Forest Laird.

Mr Whyte, 70, who left Scotland over 50 years ago to lives in Canada, believes the only surviving example of Wallace’s seal provides supporting evidence.

It appears on The Lubeck Letters which he sent to the German city in 1297, a month after his victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, to inform European traders that Scotland was still open for business.

Mr Whyte said: “The seal shows his personal emblem is a long bow. There, I thought, is the evidence that Wallace was a bowman.

“When you dig into the research, it shows he worked for his uncle Malcolm Wallace of Elderslie, Renfrewshire, and that he was a woodsman, the medieval equivalent of gamekeeper. He was accused of poaching and outlawed, so he spent much of his youth hiding in Selkirk forest.

“So here's this guy, an outlaw, a bowman, living in a forest, who has a girlfriend called Mirren, which is Scots for Marion. She is abducted and supposedly killed, as suggested in the film Braveheart, by the Sheriff of Lanark, William Heselrigg.”

“You don't have to be a genius to add up two and two and get Robin Hood. And I firmly believe that this man, as a young man, was the archetype from which the legend of Robin Hood grew.”

It is not the first time connections have been suggested between Scotland and Robin Hood, with David of Scotland, the Earl of Huntington, suggested as a possible role model.

But Dr David Crook, a Robin Hood expert at the University of Nottingham, said he believed the figure was a real thief whose story has been embellished over the years.

He said: “It happens all the time. None of the theories I've ever heard of are on to anything as far as I'm concerned.”

From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/scotland/8235948/Robin-Hood-based-on-William-Wallace.html 

Probably explains why he was always "riding through the Glen" in that film!!!

Flags, Robbers and Murder!!!

Flags
Nottinghamshire is going to get its own official county flag it was reported by the BBC today, three designs will be put forward for the public's approval at the end of the year by the council.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/nottingham/hi/people_and_places/newsid_9147000/9147052.stm

Robbers
The council have also been slated by not publicising Robin Hood enough it emerged on the "This is Nottingham" website. Why this has been brought up is not clear especially after Robin Hood week which marked the release of the film. (To be honest,and this is my own personal opinion and nothing to do with the group but the council wastes way too much time on this fictional character and not enough on its real history)

Murder
A new book called ' Murders In and Around Derbyshire' by Scott Lomax has been released by True Crime (ISBN). The book contains 13 unsolved murders during the 20th century ranging from 1908 to 1982. This fascinating book for all mystery and history fans also carries the story of Samuel Fell-Wilson who was gunned down near Church Warsop in 1930. Further details are available at: http://sclomax.co.uk/unsolvedmurders.htm