By Andy Downes02 October 2007 14:01Long Way Down covers every aspect of Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman’s latest adventure in intricate detail. From the moment they realised they were going to do another trip just months after returning from Long Way Round, to the preparations for the trip through Africa and even the moment McGregor crashed in London and broke his leg weeks before they were due to leave.In tomorrow’s MCN we’ve got six pages of exclusive extracts from the latest adventure as well as access to masses of stunning images from the trip.Here is a brief glimpse of what you can read: “ McGregor said: “Much as I was excited about getting to Africa there was a part of me that was sorry to be saying goodbye to Italy. It was vibrant and vital and the further south we got, the more I’d fallen in love with it. We’d arrived at the hotel in Sicily in plenty of time to chill out, and Charley and I had taken some time out by the pool discussing yet another bike trip. Later David hired a boat to take us across the bay so I could buy some underpants that didn’t pinch my bum when I was riding.I was drinking coffee as thick as treacle, and when I mentioned as much it sparked a discussion about the relative merits of treacle and golden syrup; neither of which Jimmy Simak had ever come across. Charley and I took a dip in the Med which was much colder than it looked: the only thing that kept my heart going was the amount of really thick coffee I’d been drinking.It turned out to be a great last day in Europe and in the morning we rode the bikes down to the port at Trapani. The ship was tied off alongside the dock and we were able to ride right up to it. The roll-on roll-off doors were open, inviting almost, but there didn’t seem to be anyone about.We were first in the queue; not that many people appeared to be taking this particular boat today. Everything felt very quiet. I don’t know what I’d been expecting but it hadn’t been this. It was calm and tranquil and I suppose we had arrived pretty early but everyone seemed chilled and when the immigration and customs officials showed up Russ had all the relevant paperwork ready. It was the first time we’d needed to produce carnets for the vehicles and the lists of equipment we were carrying. A little while later our tickets were torn and we were riding up the ramp. Suddenly my heart beat faster. Africa was just a boat ride away.”Source: www.motorcyclenews.com
02/10/2007Chart-toppers the Sugababes are the latest stars to confirm they will be attending the Daily Mirror’s Pride of Britain Awards.The girls join a glittering line-up of more than 100 bigname guests including Prince Charles, Simon Cowell, J K Rowling, Ewan McGregor, Stephen Fry and Ant and Dec.The ninth annual awards, hosted by Carol Vorderman, always gets bigger ratings than the Brits and the Baftas – so don’t miss the star-studded night next Wednesday, October 10th, at 9pm on ITV1.To win tickets, visit www.prideofbritain.comSource: www.mirror.co.uk
ACTOR Ewan McGregor manages a grin after he was joshed by a cheeky RAF cop in Basra.Punning on the legendary Jedi Knight motto, military policeman Cpl Sean Reece told the Star Wars actor: “May the Royal Air Force be with you.”Ewan, 36, had just arrived in the Iraqi war zone for a 48-hour morale-boosting visit to British troops.Source: www.thesun.co.uk
Is Shakespeare the hottest ticket this season? Trevor Nunn’s Royal Shakespeare Company production of King Lear, which transfers to the New London theatre for a limited season from 15 November 2007 to 12 January 2008, has already sold out. (Of course, that’s no doubt to its title star Ian McKellen ? The Seagull, running in rep with King Lear, is also a sell-out, at least for the performances in which McKellen, who shares the role with William Gaunt, appears.)Meanwhile, Patrick Stewart’s “Macbeth of a lifetime” is causing a box-office rush at the Gielgud Theatre, where it’s just opened for ten weeks only. At the Donmar Warehouse, public booking doesn’t open until 15 October 2007 for Michael Grandage’s much-anticipated staging of Othello – starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ewan McGregor and Kelly Reilly and running from 4 December 2007 (previews from 29 November) to 23 February 2008 (See News, 11 May 2007) – but members of the theatre’s Friends scheme, who have only been allowed to purchase a maximum of four tickets each, have already made it a near sell-out.Source: www.whatsonstage.com
