New log entry from Moyale, Ethiopia and official site update
There's a new log entry available from Ewan.
37- Ewan, 29/06/2007, Moyale, Ethiopia (3 pictures, 2 videos: Unicef (also on the site's main page) and Tattoo (also in the official Long Way Down site's videos for registered members)).
The official Long Way Down site has been updated with new pictures and videos, irritatingly mixed with older ones.
36- Ewan, 28/06/2007, Arba Minch, Ethiopia (2 pictures, 1 video: Dinner in Addis Ababa (also in the official Long Way Down site's videos for registered members), 1 audio: today's interview with Chris Moyles).
Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman visited Robin House en route “south” as part of their latest adventure “Long Way Down”. They are doing the epic journey from John O Groats to Cape Town following on from their “Long Way Round” bike ride from London to New York back in 2004.
Ewan cut the first sod for Robin House in May 2003 and this was his opportunity to call in and see the finished building! Ewan was so excited to see the facilities and to meet up with the families who were on hand to welcome him and Charley.
It was a gorgeous day and the children were outside flying kites in the garden when they heard the roar of the bikes coming up the hill to the hospice. Great excitement from all the “Long Way Down” team as they clapped eyes on Robin House for the first time.
One of our parents recalls their visit that day.
Sunday 13th May 2007
Woke up at Robin House, the children's hospice in Balloch, where I am spending the weekend with my family. I am expecting a quiet day before heading home. How wrong can a person be?
Ewan, Charley and their crew on their Long Way Down Trip decide to visit for lunch on their way down from John O'Groats.
It was so lovely to meet Ewan and Charley and to see them spending time with the children, their families and the staff of Robin House on such a personal basis. Two nicer, more down to earth people you could not meet.
After lunch and lots of photos it was time for them to continue with their long journey ahead to Capetown and us back to normality at home with good memories of the day.
Safe journey to you all and looking forward to watching the series when it is televised later in the year.
34- Ewan, 26/06/2007, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (3 pictures, 2 videos: Truck Crash (also on the main page in bigger format) and Ewan & Charley answer your questions).
British MotoGP: Riders for Health Day of Champions is a roaring success
By Rob Hull 21 June 2007 20:08
Bidding on items in the Riders for Health charity auction at the Day of Champions has flown through the roof today with over £20K alone raised to ride the final stint of Long Way Down, the day before the British MotoGP round begins at Donington Park.
The two places on the trip to Cape Town with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman on the final two days of the voyage have sold for £12,000 and £10,000 respectively.
Bidding on items donated by Valentino Rossi on the day also surpassed the £10K mark, and the Suzuki competition to be a Rizla pit crew member at Friday’s British motoGP practice day at Donington and a few other goodies also made a whopping £3,800.
Away from the auction Randy Mamola and Steve Parrish both took to the track on the Ducati two-seater and the 2008 Kawasaki MotoGP bike respectively, James Toseland and Crash entertained the crowd with a number of live sets and team MCN were knocked out of the Quiz competition in the first round in dubious circumstances.
For more information on prices for other lots, interviews with some of the big spenders and all the other takings place at the Riders for Health Day of Champions, check out the June 27 issue of MCN.
You can now sign up on the official Long Way Down site. For the sum of £29.99 (plus S&H), you can get a t-shirt, a Long Way Down DVD (once it's released), a picture of Ewan and Charley (signed for the first 500 who join up), unlimited access to online goodies and a chance to win one of two trips to Africa.
If you have problems joining in, be sure to check your PayPal account (or credit card account) before trying again, so you don't end up with two payments, like me.
The official Long Way Down website has added lots of new pictures in the "Members" area, three new postcard images and a map in the "Journey" section.
Unless you have a huge monitor, some information is lost at the bottom of the screen, as scrolling arrows have been forgotten.
The map is not particularly helpful to follow our adventurers during their travels (BBC's map is much better), but it does contain lots of information.
If you’ve ever watched the globe-trotting adventures of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman and fancied riding with the duo, then now’s your chance – the pair are offering two people the chance to join them on the final leg of their current Long Way Down trip to Cape Town.
The amazing offer has come as part of the exclusive auction for the Rider’s for Health charity which is being held at Donington Park on Thursday June 21.
The two places on this amazing ride will be auctioned to raise money for Riders The famous motorcycling pair are hoping to raise a minimum of £20,000 for the charity from the sale.
The lucky highest bidders will fly to Cape Town, South Africa this summer where they will be provided with a BMW motorcycle and join a very select convoy who will meet up with the Long Way Down team for the final two days of the ride as they head down to Cape Agulhas.
This incredible experience will go on sale as part of the Riders for Health auction, where tens-of-thousands of pounds will be raised to support Riders’ lifesaving programmes in Africa. Thousands of MotoGP fans will be bidding for exclusive race memorabilia, all offered up by the MotoGP riders themselves.
Riders are one of the three charities that are being supported by McGregor and Boorman on Long Way Down. The 15,000 mile adventure started in May 2007 at John O’Groats, Scotland and finishes at the most southern point of South Africa - Cape Agulhas, taking in 20 spectacular countries in total.
The Long Way Down television series is due to air on the BBC in Autumn this year.
During the trip, McGregor and Boorman will be visiting a Riders’ programme in Kenya where they will see how Riders are using motorcycles and a system of preventative maintenance and vehicle management to help health workers deliver healthcare to rural communities.
McGregor said: “Traveling the Long Way Down through Africa, Charley and I have a first hand understanding of the vastness of this continent and the great distances between borders, towns and villages. The work Riders for Health do here is vital, bridging the gaps between communities and bringing health services to the people of Africa.
Hollywood movie star Ewan McGregor rode into town this week to meet a Second World War veteran who took part in the legendary 'Great Escape' from a German prison camp, immortalised in the classic movie.
Alex Lees (centre), a resident of the Erskine veterans home, with Ewan McGregor (left) amd Charley Boorman (right) [Picture: MOD]
Alex Lees, now aged 95, was taken prisoner by the Germans in the war and held at the Stalag Luft III prison camp, from which a massive escape attempt was hatched by the allied prisoners. He now lives at the Erskine home for veterans, near Glasgow, Scotland, which was one of the first stops on the Scottish movie star's latest motorcycle adventure.
'Long Way Down' is Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's follow up to their televised 2004 'Long Way Round' trip, which saw the pair circumnavigate the world on motorbikes via Europe, Asia and America.
Their latest journey sees them travelling 15,000 miles (24,135 km) from the UK's most northerly point, John O'Groats in Scotland, through 20 countries in Europe and Africa to Cape Town, at the southern end of South Africa. The journey is expected to take about three months.
The visit to the Erskine veterans home came about because Ewan's brother Colin, who retired from the RAF's 617 Dambuster Squadron earlier this year, has been very much involved with raising awareness of the home. He asked his famous brother if he could make a stop there as part of his latest trip and Ewan said he'd be delighted.
It was Day Two of the Long Way Down and the entire film crew arrived at Erskine and filmed the visit for the BBC programme which will be aired later this year.
Ewan met around a dozen veterans at the home, from those who served in the Falklands right back to the Second World War, including Alex Lees. Alex, who served with the Royal Army Service Corps during the war, wrote a book about his time at Stalag Luft III, which is located in what is now Poland.
From L-R: Colin McGregor, Falklands Veteran Bill McDowall, Ewan McGregor, Alex Lees, Charley Boorman and 90-year-old Alex Blair who served in World War II and escaped three times from POW camps. He remained in Italy after its surrender in 1943 to support the locals against German occupation and was awarded the freedom of Verona and a combat first class medal in 1986 [Picture: MOD]
The epic war movie, The Great Escape, in which Steve McQueen makes an iconic escape attempt by motorbike, depicts the true events behind the massive escape plot from the prison camp.
Alex, like most of the prisoners there at the time played his part in the escape plans. Pretending to be a gardener, he would carry sand from the escape tunnels being built, in empty Red Cross boxes, and mix it with the surface soil. This was a vital aspect of the escape plot, which was also dramatised in the movie.
Alex has been at the Erskine veterans home for two years. He said:
"It was a great privilege to meet both Ewan and Charley. Seeing a Hollywood legend riding in on a motorbike reminded me of Steve McQueen in the film. Ewan took great time to chat to the veterans and their families who gathered to meet the team from Long Way Down and we are very grateful that he took time out from his long trip to visit Erskine."
Before heading south, Ewan signed a copy of Alex's autobiography 'Before it's too late', about his experiences in Stalag Luft III.
The veterans' home at Erskine was founded in 1916 and has provided nursing, medical and residential care for members of the UK Armed Forces ever since, including veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Around 1,200 veterans are looked after every year. The oldest veteran living there now is 100 years old, while the youngest is 22.
A spokesman for the home said:
"We were absolutely delighted that Ewan and Charley took the time out of a long and very busy trip. Ewan made quite an impression on the veterans and we really appreciate his time and patience."
There's a new log entry available, this time from Jimmy Simak.
25- Jimmy, 12/06/2007, Wadi Halfa, Sudan (3 pictures, 1 video: Inside the tomb, Valley of the Kings, which is the same as Tomb Raiders currently on the site's main page).
It is an attempt to circumnavigate the globe entirely by human power - they have PEDALED a boat across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans!!! After 13 years of this, they are finally going to finish this October!!!
Steve Smith and Jason Lewis set off from the Greenwich Meridian on the 12th July 1994 to attempt one of the last great firsts for circumnavigation. Steve decided to leave the expedition upon reaching Hawaii in 1999. Jason carried on solo and is still on course to complete the circumnavigation in October 2007.
Along the way they met people who were moved by the thrill of the adventure enough to join up for a short section: either biking, hiking, kayaking or pedaling the boat. Others became involved by assisting with a support group and, most recently, a number of production partners have come on board to service the many different media components that today constitute Expedition 360.
Location: Wadi Halfa, northern Sudan June 10, 2007
The only people I saw on this last stretch from Abri were the British actors Charlie Boorman and Ewan Mcgregor plus production team en route south on their latest Long Way Down expedition by motorcycles from northern Scotland to Cape Town. We crossed paths on the most remote section of the desert highway where at most you'd expect to see a lorry carrying locals to or from Halfa. So I don't know who was more surprised to see who! Myself to encounter this huge entourage of support vehicles and camera crews in tow, or Charlie and Ewan to see this lone bicyclist in a desert region where people never usually travel alone or unsupported because of the extreme heat, lack of water and possibility of attack from wild animals (which the locals assure me are out there).
They too were finding the tough going. Since leaving Halfa the previous day they'd broken two sets of rear spring suspensions, putting one of the bikes out of action. When I told Ewan he could expect similar road conditions for the next 600+ kms he pursed his lips and said nothing.
Before parting ways the producers made a very generous cash donation of a thousand pounds to the expedition that will help to cover the satellite airtime costs associated with updating this blog. Even they too have found it excruciatingly difficult to procure sponsorship from the UK. When I told then that we'd been trying to get financial backing from the UK for 13-years but without success, I think they felt bad and reached into their emergency fund to share their budget a little. It's ironic that the largest contribution we've received from a single UK source has been another expedition!
Click on the link below to see pictures, read up on this incredible expedition and perhaps donate some money to help out.
23- Ewan, 10/06/2007, Aswan, Egypt (2 pictures, 1 video: Riders for Health, (the audio: Ewan and Charley answer your questions #2 doesn't work because there's an error in the URL. You can click here to listen to it (your browser window will get tiny, but you can enlarge it manually))).
It was reported on Sunday that Ewan was in Nairobi with Virgin Atlantic president Richard Branson and it seemed like the BBC/Long Way Down website was really lagging behind. The following video sets the record straight!
The official Long Way Down site has been updated. The "Offroad" section has been removed (it wasn't active) to make room for a "Home" button (to return to the main page), and the "Members" section has been activated.
The "Members" section contains, at this time, 6 videos, 3 of which are new. The first one is a recap of Long Way Round, while the second and third are the Brands Hatch and Offroading videos that were posted several weeks ago.
There are 23 videos in total, but the rest are greyed-out, with "Membership only - coming soon" being displayed when the mouse cursor is moved over the icons.
There's a new log entry available. Like previous entries, it's more of a transcript from the videos than an actual log entry. But we're not complaining!
19- Claudio, 04/06/2007, Tobruk, Libya (2 pictures, 2 videos: Truck (also available in larger format on the welcome page) and At the border).
The Polar Bears of Churchill is available on DVD for $24.99 from Shop PBS.
Nothing but the Truth, the first episode from the British drama Kavanagh QC, is also available in a 2-disc set (which contains the first four episodes) for $34.98, also from Shop PBS.
Virgin Atlantic Help Deliver Vital Medical Support to Kenyan Communities
Published 3 Jun 07
Sir Richard Branson, President of Virgin Atlantic, today delivered the first batch of motorcycles that will help to bring much-needed medical support to small villages and communities in Kenya and throughout Africa.
The money for the motorcycles was raised by customers contributing to Virgin Atlantic’s onboard charity appeal and by staff who took part in a wide range of fundraising events over the past year. The money was then donated to support the work of the charity Riders for Health, which was selected by Virgin Group’s charitable arm Virgin Unite. Riders for Health has been working in Africa for 17 years and will buy and maintain the motorcycles.
The motorcycles will enable a team of healthcare workers to provide rural communities with improved access to essential drugs and basic health services. Many of the suffering who need help live in remote areas and are often many miles away from the closest hospital or clinic. Each mobile health worker could potentially reach thousands of people each year, offering health education messages as well as vital medicines.
Delivering the first of the 31 motorcycles in Kenya, Sir Richard was joined by two of the world’s most famous bikers – actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman – who are themselves currently raising money for Riders for Health through their own iconic adventure, traveling the Long Way Down through Europe and Africa.
Speaking at the launch of the scheme in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, where Virgin Atlantic has just begun daily flights from London Heathrow, Sir Richard said:
“Tens of thousands of Virgin Atlantic customers and staff have helped raise money to bring these bikes to Africa. Preventable and treatable diseases continue to kill thousands of people across the continent every single day and one of the biggest issues is reaching that “last mile” with healthcare services. Through the dedication of Riders for Health staff, these bikes will enable healthcare to get to the remotest of areas, quicker than it might otherwise, improving the quality of life experienced by those in the villages. We hope that we can save many lives and deliver important health messages to ensure the health of future generations.”
Ewan McGregor commented:
“Travelling the Long Way Down through Africa, Charley and I have a first hand understanding of the vastness of this continent and the great distances between borders, towns and villages. The work Riders for Health do here is vital, bridging the gaps between communities and bringing health services to the people of Africa.”
Andrea Coleman, CEO of Riders for Health, said:
“Thank you to Virgin Atlantic’s customers and staff. The money you have raised for Riders for Health will buy 31 motorcycles; in other words, 31 lifelines for many rural communities in Africa. Riders for Health will now enable even more health professionals to visit isolated communities, where women and children might otherwise die of diseases that are easily preventable and curable. Uniquely, Virgin has also recognized that money is needed to cover the cost of the maintenance of the bikes so Riders can ensure they can deliver healthcare day in, day out.”
Riders for Health expects to use the motorcycles in Kenya, Zimbabwe and other African countries. Projects to be supported include Vumilia, a grassroots organisation run by local women focused on prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in Western Kenya. The motorcycles will also support Aid Village Clinics, an innovative health model that uses a central medical facility and health outreach workers on motorcycles to deliver healthcare in rural Kenya.
The motorcycles are Honda C10's which have been kindly assembled locally by Marshalls Ltd, the Honda agent for Nairobi.
Ewan and Charley’s record journey will take them from John O’Groats in northern Scotland to Cape Town in South Africa, where the pair expect to arrive in August. Long Way Down is being produced and directed by Russ Malkin of Big Earth and David Alexanian of Elixir Films, who have witnessed and documented Ewan and Charley’s previous adventures Long Way Round and Race To Dakar.
SHE is the dark-haired songstress who seduced a nation with her cool beauty and sultry vocals. He is the legendarily dour Scottish son of the manse who is about to become Britain's most powerful politician.
But Texas singer Sharleen Spiteri and Prime Minister-to-be Gordon Brown have now earned new reputations. Spiteri is the woman Scots would most like to see nude and the Chancellor is the man who they most want to keep his clothes on.
More than 1,700 Scots were polled on their attitude to nudity - and who they would most like to see naked - by Scotland on Sunday ahead of the Naked Portrait exhibition which starts this week at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
Spiteri, 39, earned a third of the votes, followed by rock singer KT Tunstall. Third was actress Kelly Macdonald, who came to public attention as Ewan McGregor's schoolgirl lover in the acclaimed film of Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting.
Among the males, 36-year-old McGregor, the star of Moulin Rouge!, Star Wars and Young Adam, was voted the one they would most like to see naked (30%). Dr Who star David Tennant took the number two spot, with Dougray Scott third.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, politicians fared badly, with only 2% wanting to see the Prime Minister-elect naked.
Our survey also reveals Scotland still has some way to go if the country is going to embrace a more liberal attitude to nudity.
Scotland on Sunday is today offering readers the chance to win their own naked portrait by a leading photographer. But half of those surveyed said "under no circumstances" would they display the result.
By Gretta Parkinson and Gregg Goldstein May 31, 2007
The Weinstein Co. has obtained U.S., Australian and New Zealand rights to Woody Allen's "Cassandra's Dream," starring Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrell, Tom Wilkinson, Sally Hawkins and Hayley Atwell.
The Oscar-winning writer-director again teams with Bob and Harvey Weinstein, who distributed several of Allen's films while at Miramax, including "Everyone Says I Love You," "Mighty Aphrodite," "Bullets Over Broadway" and "Celebrity."
"Harvey is one of the only producers-distributors around who can actually see beyond the grosses and gets real pleasure out of presenting fine movies," Allen said. "I hope my film can live up to some of the terrific pictures he's given the public."
Lensed by Vilmos Zsigmond and set to a score by Philip Glass, "Dream" revolves around two brothers in contemporary London as the circumstances of their lives gradually progress to tragedy.
"Woody Allen has once again poured his tremendous passion and talent into creating a very powerful and compelling drama," Harvey Weinstein said. "We are absolutely thrilled to be back in business with one of the greatest filmmakers in American cinematic history."
Woody Allen is one of the most eccentric and arguably the greatest filmmaker in the history of Hollywood. The New York obsessed neurotic has been nominated for an astounding twenty-one Academy Awards. Fourteen of those honors came in the screenwriting category. His 1977 masterwork Annie Hall is one of the greatest films I have ever seen and still sets the bar for the entire romantic comedy genre. After a lull of mediocre films in the early ‘aughts, Allen stormed back with his brilliant 2005 release Match Point. So why the hell won’t anyone buy his new film?
According to Teletext through Film Stalker, none of the big studios have shown interest in purchasing the quirky helmer’s new film. Cassandra’s Dream, which stars Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell, centers on the relationship of two brothers who turn to crime after a girlfriend pits the two against each other. I’d pay to see this movie right now!
It’s really a shame to see a cinematic legend struggle at the end of his career. It’s true that most of his films are set on an elevated intellectual level, alienating a large portion of American audiences, but he still has a rabid, cult following. For some reason, I don’t really think this bothers Woody too much, though; after all, he was the one that said, “If you’re not failing now and again, it’s a sign that you’re not doing anything very innovative.”
There's a new video on the welcome page, Heading out of Europe. There is also a new log entry by Charley with three pictures and two videos, UK Miles and Euro highlights (same as Heading out of Europe).
Let's take a look at the official Long Way Down website. I must confess to being disappointed in it. While it looks nice, it's a hassle to navigate and to constantly have to scroll down a small portion of the screen to read the information. It looks like it was designed using a huge monitor set at a screen resolution that is much higher than what most people use (source). This site does not lend itself well to repeat visits.
The site is divided into 9 sections (5 of which are active at the time of this writing): Journey, Team, Members (not active), Equipment, Postcards, Shop (not active), Forum (not active), Offroad (not active), Partners and the welcome page. There is also a "Register" section on the welcome page that promises goodies (so far it has been one Email announcing the trip had begun, sent 4 days after the trip had started).
The main page has the intro video that was posted on the site back in January before the redesign.
The Journey section contains a video showing the team looking at maps. Below the video window is a link for video and images. There is also a link to a map/journey route, but it's inactive, so you'll have to rely on the map on the BBC's website.
The Team section is split into two sub-sections: The road team and London HQ. The road team section has fun pictures of everyone who will be on the road (Ewan, Charley, David, Russ, Jimmy, Claudio, Dai, Jim and Ève) and video introductions from all of them. The London HQ section is the same, but with the support staff in London. I think it's great that everyone involved has his or her own video!
The Equipment section is split into three sub-sections: the bikes, the trucks and the kit. The trucks sub-section has pictures of the trucks and the kit section has several pictures of the kit (that includes one with Ewan).
The Postcards section allows you to send postcards to friends via Email. There are 5 pictures to choose from, three from Long Way Round and two from Long Way Down.
The Partners section contains three subsections (probably, because there are no scrolling arrows to see the rest of the page): Sponsors, Charities and Media.
Because the site is entirely done in Flash, it's impossible to give direct links to pages should they get updated. Hopefully there will be some kind of indication on the welcome page when new things have been added to the site. Otherwise it's too tempting to give up on this site and stick with the BBC site, which is being updated almost daily.
There's a new video on the welcome page, The trip so far... and there are two log entries (one from Charley and one from Ewan):
11- Charley, 25/05/2007, Scalea, Italy (3 pictures, videos: Charley in Siena (same as yesterday's Time out in Siena) and The 'mille miglia')
12- Ewan, 26/05/2007, Paola, Italy (3 pictures, videos: Scottish trails (same as The trip so far) and Roadside hospitality)
First,
we'll start with the BBC Long Way Down website. The
site is divided into 6 sections: Route Map, Route Log, Features, The Team, About the Trip and Mobile. We'll concentrate
on the Route Log and the Features (should that section get updated), but it doesn't mean the other sections are not worth
visiting.
The Route Map contains a Google Map of their route, along with their approximate location and links to their Route
Logs. The Team contains links to logs of the members of the Long Way Down team. About the Trip is
self-explanatory, and Mobile is to get extra content on your mobile phone for those lucky enough to live in the
U.K.
Features contains the following articles and videos:
Route Log contains the following articles, pictures and videos:
01- Charley, 05/05/2007, before departure (3
pictures, video: Charley's intro)
02- Ewan, 05/05/2007, before departure (2
pictures, video: Ewan's intro)
03- no log #3
04- Charley, 14/05/2007, John O'Groats,
Scotland (3 pictures, video: Leaving John O' Groats)
05- Russ, 12/05/2007, before departure (1
picture, video: Russ Malkin intro)
06- David, 12/05/2007, before departure (1
picture, video: David Alexanian intro)
07- Charley, 18/05/2007, Dover, England (3
pictures, videos: Charley's farewell and Goodbye to the team)
08- Ewan, 20/05/2007, Chamonix-Mont
Blanc (1 picture, videos: Heading into the tunnel and Towelette talk)
09- Claudio, 22/05/2007, Florence,
Italy (2 pictures, videos: Camping and France in the Rain)
10- Ewan, 25/05/2007, Amalfi Coast,
Italy (3 pictures, link to radio interview)
SCENES OF A SEXUAL NATURE (Ed Blum). 91 minutes. Opens Friday (May 25). Rating: NNN
First and foremost, there is no sex -- none -- in Scenes Of A Sexual Nature . There's some ogling, a bit of kissage and a glimpse of the male bum, but no actual weasel-squeezing or anything approaching it. In its place there's talk about sex and love -- more love than sex -- and none of it explicit.
So you're not here out of prurient interest; you're here for comedy, and dialogue comedy at that. Ten people, most paired off and those who aren't want to be, spend the afternoon in London's Hampstead Heath. They talk about why they're divorcing, whether to have kids, whether he's ogling the young beauty reading L'Etranger.
There's no through line, no overarching story to tie the disparate bits together and keep you engaged with traditional "What happens next?" questions.
But it works better than you'd think, thanks to Aschlin Ditta 's brisk dialogue, delivered by an outstanding cast. Ewan McGregor and Douglas Hodge are witty and loving as the gay couple contemplating adoption. Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda) and Tom Hardy have the angular charm of early Hepburn and Grant in their pickup scene. Best are Eileen Atkins and Benjamin Whitrow as an aged widow and widower who start as strangers and become much more.
The Henry Mancini-meets-John Barry score keeps hinting that we're in some kind of 60s sex farce -- What's New Pussycat or The Knack. But the film lacks their manic energy and laugh-out-loud humour, making it at best a mild, pleasant and talky outing.
BBC Radio One's Chris Moyles show will interview Ewan tomorrow morning at 8:15 (that's 3:15 AM US Eastern). Ewan will phone in to update us on his road trip.
It is possible to listen online, click on the link below.
Ewan forced to take doctor with him on dangerous journey into bandit country
By Toby McDonald 20th May 2007
When actor Ewan McGregor set off on his latest daredevil motorbike trek, through Africa, he was told to take one vital piece of kit – a doctor.
At the insistence of his insurers, the 36-year-old star is to be accompanied by Dr Dai Jones, a trained paramedic who has worked in war zones worldwide.
On their three-month adventure, McGregor and his friend Charley Boorman, 40, will pass through seven countries which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises Britons not to visit.
Dr Jones, who developed his skills in Afghanistan and Iraq, will travel with the BBC film crew shadowing the pair on their journey from Scotland to South Africa.
The 15,000-mile trip through 20 countries has been dubbed the Long Way Down. It follows McGregor and Boorman’s 2004 trek from London to New York through Asia, which was made into a documentary called The Long Way Round.
But while they will pass through lawless areas ruled by armed tribesmen, Dr Jones, who has experience in treating everything from scorpion stings to gunshot wounds, thinks Africa’s roads pose the main danger.
He said: "We're going through some dodgy areas. There are lot of risks to health, but I think the biggest concern is road traffic accidents.
"Long Way Down will be very different to the last trip.
"Last time they were riding mostly through unpopulated areas, whereas most places in Africa will be pretty busy. We have to consider injuries plus security, which is why the support crew will stay closer to the guys than before, so we can be there quickly if they have any dramas."
Welshman Dr Jones added: "To be honest, if we can avoid the badness in the worst areas, the biggest risk is going to be the guys falling off the bikes and hurting themselves, or the 4x4 support vehicles rolling, like one did in Long Way Round.
That's why I've trained them in helmet removal, spinal protection, that kind of thing."
The celebrity bikers, who set off from John O’Groats a week ago, will travel through Europe in the first stages of their trip.
Yesterday, they loaded their motorbikes on to the Channel Tunnel Eurostar shuttle at Dover and intend heading through France and Italy.
They will catch a ferry to Tunisia and travel through Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Botswana and Namibia before arriving in Cape Town.
The journey will take in seven countries on the Foreign Office's no-go list
The mammoth trek will finish at the southernmost point of South Africa, Cape Agulhas, where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic.
Many countries on the route are listed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as high risk areas, but seven – Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda and Zambia are specially singled out as "Countries the FCO advises against all but essential travel to".
Many are plagued by banditry and lawlessness, while ruthless armed militias are also active in some remote regions.
In addition, large tracts of country are seeded with landmines, while HIV/Aids and other killer diseases are endemic.
Organisers have revealed that McGregor and Boorman trained at a bush survival school and had lessons in self-defence from former Special Forces soldiers before they set off.
They have also had vaccinations for a range of illnesses including hepatitis A, polio, rabies, yellow fever, typhoid, tetanus and meningitis.
In The Long Way Round three years ago, which was made into a television series and successful book, the friends rode from London to New York on a 19,000 mile epic journey through 12 countries.
These included the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Siberia and Canada.
Along the way they had to negotiate roads that were little more than rough tracks, cross numerous swollen rivers and deal with obstructive officials at border crossings.
This time McGregor, a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, plans to visit the organisation’s projects in impoverished Ethiopia, Uganda, Malawi and Zambia.
Both riders made light of the risks before setting off from Caithness. McGregor joked: "I've really got to speak to my wife, otherwise she might not let me go.
"I haven't told her that we are leaving yet. I just said I went out to get some milk."
Boorman added: "There's a huge amount we're really looking forward to. The pyramids, obviously. The Nile, and Ethiopia, which many people say is the birthplace of mankind, so that should be amazing.
"Then there's the mighty Okavango Delta wetlands, the bushmen in Namibia, I could go on for ever.
"Of course, there’s a few places we’re a bit nervous about, such as Sudan. But going down the east side makes more sense than going west, where there are probably more problems."
The pair will be riding BMW R1200GS motorbikes, which have been specially kitted out with GPS, crash bars and walkie talkies.
Actor Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman were spotted in Tynedale on Monday.
The motorbike-riding duo were taking a break from filming their latest television series, Long Way Down – a travelogue taking them from John O’Groats to Cape Town – when they dropped into the Riverside Cafe in Chollerford.
David Rooney, of Sharpley Farm, said: “I was sat inside having a cup of coffee when I suddenly recognised Ewan McGregor.
“What a lovely guy! I chatted away with him. He couldn’t have been nicer.”
Author and presenter Clive James was also spotted on Monday, filming a documentary at Housesteads fort on Hadrian’s Wall.
McGregor sets off from Groats on marathon motorbike trip
By Gordon Calder 16 May, 2007
FILM star Ewan McGregor spent a night at the Castle of Mey while he was in Caithness at the weekend to undertake his latest venture.
He was in John O'Groats on Saturday morning along with friend Charley Boorman at the start of a motorbike marathon which will take them 15,000 miles to South Africa.
They arrived in the village after spending the previous night at the Castle of Mey – the former Caithness home of the late Queen Mother – along with McGregor's father and brother Colin, who is a fighter pilot, and two members of the back-up team.
Jeremy Burton, the castle administrator, yesterday confirmed that they stayed at the castle which is now run by a trust and is open to the public.
"Six of the party stayed here on Friday night. Colin McGregor got in touch with our public relations people and explained that they were looking for somewhere private to spend the night before Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman set off from John O'Groats the following day. It was a sort of one-off," he said.
But Mr Burton pointed out that it is not the first time a famous film star has stayed at the castle – the late Sir John Mills was a guest there a few years back while he was on holiday in the Highlands.
McGregor and Boorman clearly wanted to keep their trip low key although word got out and a few locals were at Groats when they arrived in the village on Saturday morning.
One person was even there from 7am, it is understood.
Local businessman Walter Mowat, who owns the Seaview Hotel and the First and Last gift shop, saw McGregor and his team arrive at around 10am.
"There were a few people about and some of them had their pictures taken with them at the sign post," Mr Mowat told the Caithness Courier.
"They were there about 10 or 15 minutes before heading off to get petrol. I would have said they were in Groats for a total of 20 to 25 minutes before leaving."
Fiona Harper, who runs the village post office and petrol station, confirmed that McGregor and Boorman stopped there for fuel.
"They were filling up their bikes but it was Charley Boorman who came in and paid the bill. I did not say much to him as we were kind of busy at the time," she said.
Ewan McGregor, who was born in Crieff, is not the first celebrity to stop off at her shop.
"We have had quite a few over the years," said Mrs Harper.
McGregor (36) and 40-year-old Boorman will travel through 20 countries on their 1200cc BMWs and, it is believed, they plan to navigate using maps rather than satellite technology. They are expected to arrive in Cape Town in South Africa in August.
It is thought that McGregor's wife will join him later this month for part of the expedition.
Three years ago McGregor and Boorman made headlines around the world when they undertook a 20,000-mile marathon bike run which took them to Eastern Europe, Mongolia, Siberia and Alaska before they completed their epic trip in New York.
The official Long Way Down site has (at least) three new videos. You will need to reload the page several times to see them. They're in the black area next to the sign-up form.
There's one at Brands Hatch, one with the boys offroading and one at a film screening.
Hollywood actor Ewan McGregor visited Scots war veterans before starting his latest epic motorcycle adventure across Europe and Africa.
McGregor and biking companion Charlie Boorman rode to the Erskine home to meet the veterans on Sunday.
They talked to 95-year-old Alex Lees, who was a prisoner at infamous Stalag Luft III, immortalised in the World War II movie The Great Escape.
Alex swapped beds with an officer on the escape list.
He also disposed of sand dug up during the building of an escape tunnel by carrying it in empty Red Cross boxes and mixing it with the surface soil.
Alex said: "It was a great privilege to meet both Ewan and Charlie. Seeing a Hollywood legend riding in on a motorbike, reminded me of Steve McQueen in the film.
"Ewan took a great deal of time to chat to the veterans and their families who gathered to meet the team and we are very grateful that he took time out from his long trip to visit Erskine."
McGregor saddles up for 15,000 miles of motorbike marathon
Mon 14 May 2007 Raymond Hainey
Film superstar Ewan McGregor set off yesterday on his latest motorbike adventure under a veil of secrecy.
McGregor, 36, best known for his role in Star Wars, and friend Charley Boorman, 40, son of movie director John, set off from Scotland's most northerly point, John O'Groats, early on Saturday morning on a 15,000 marathon bike trip to Africa.
The pair - who three years ago travelled 20,000 miles across Europe to America on another televised trip - decided they wanted to keep the start of their latest trek as low-key as possible.
Only a few trusted friends and family were told the exact time they would be heading off.
Ewan's father, Jim, and fighter pilot brother Colin, who is based at RAF Leuchars, were there to see the pair set off on their three-month trip, which will be filmed for a BBC series.
One John O'Groats local said: "We had heard Ewan and Charley were leaving from here but nobody was sure when.
"The whole thing almost got off to a false start after Charley had problems with his bike and they were delayed for an hour.
"Ewan's dad and his brother were there to give them a big send-off and Ewan and Charley looked really up for it."
McGregor's mother Carol last night maintained the low-key approach to her superstar son's latest adventure, to be televised as The Long Way Down.
She said: "I just don't want to say anything about it at all."
The journey will see father-of-three McGregor and Boorman bike down through Europe and into Africa, ending at the continent's most southerly point, Cape Town in South Africa.
Trainspotting star McGregor's wife, Ève, is expected to join the pair later this month for part of the bike ride.
Like their first trip, they will use their journey to publicise the work of UNICEF, visiting several of the organisation's projects along the route.
The duo will travel through as many as 20 countries including France, Italy, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. They expect to arrive at their destination sometime in August.
But it is when they reach African danger-spots such as Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and Rwanda that they expect to encounter the most problems.
The pair have decided not to use hi-tech satellite navigation systems but rely on old-fashioned maps instead.
Motoring giant BMW supplied the two R1200GS Adventures bikes the pair are using for the journey.
A BMW spokesman said: "The bikes are totally standard - we've fitted some crash bars and some luggage holders but other than that, they're the same as you would see in the shops."
He added: "The boys have had the bikes for two weeks to get used to them."
Three years ago, McGregor and Boorman travelled 20,000 miles across the globe on their first bike journey, filmed as The Long Way Round, driving through eastern Europe, Mongolia, Siberia and Alaska, before eventually arriving in New York.
At one point, the pair were held by gun-toting militiamen as they crossed into the Ukraine. The border guards failed to recognise them and refused to let the pair go until they produced relevant documents.
Scottishbiker has reported that at 10am this morning, Ewan, Charley, Claudio and the rest of the LWD crew left John O'Groats in Scotland. He posted his pictures on a motorbike message board. Check them out!
Thanks to Barbara, Lady Sugarbear and Scottishbiker for the heads up and the pictures!
Although with a totally different plot, this is a movie in the same genre as Match Point. It is a crime melodrama; the story of two brothers. It is about lust, romance, and the desire for quick money. It’s also about what happens as the web gets more and more tangled, leading, as it did in Match Point, to murder with surprising consequences.
The film takes place in present day London and while the actual tale is far removed from Match Point (the characters and milieu being much more working class and the storyline nothing like it) there are, as in the form of a thriller, a number of unexpected plot twists.
There's a new log entry available from Ewan.
Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman visited Robin House en route “south” as part of their latest adventure “Long Way Down”. They are doing the epic journey from John O Groats to Cape Town following on from their “Long Way Round” bike ride from London to New York back in 2004.
Sunday 13th May 2007
Unless you have a huge monitor, some information is lost at the bottom of the screen, as scrolling arrows have been forgotten.
The money for the motorcycles was raised by customers contributing to Virgin Atlantic’s onboard charity appeal and by staff who took part in a wide range of fundraising events over the past year. The money was then donated to support the work of the charity Riders for Health, which was selected by Virgin Group’s charitable arm Virgin Unite. Riders for Health has been working in Africa for 17 years and will buy and maintain the motorcycles.
“Tens of thousands of Virgin Atlantic customers and staff have helped raise money to bring these bikes to Africa. Preventable and treatable diseases continue to kill thousands of people across the continent every single day and one of the biggest issues is reaching that “last mile” with healthcare services. Through the dedication of Riders for Health staff, these bikes will enable healthcare to get to the remotest of areas, quicker than it might otherwise, improving the quality of life experienced by those in the villages. We hope that we can save many lives and deliver important health messages to ensure the health of future generations.”
Hollywood actor Ewan McGregor visited Scots war veterans before starting his latest epic motorcycle adventure across Europe and Africa.
