Wow. I mean 'wow' - finally one of the shoddiest pieces of bad tourism in Nottingham (aka The Tales of Robin Hood) is to close its doors. A victim of the credit crunch? I'd like to think a 'victim' of visitors - and locals - realising this was a rubbish way of portraying the relationship, history and fascination still held for Robin Hood.
I'm not sad to see it go.
It may have bought in £2m a year to Nottingham ('only that much?', or 'that much?' It's hard to know how to put that in context) but really, surely Nottingham should always have been able to do better than this half-baked Jorvik rip-off with 'medieval themed banqueting' attached...?
*Sigh*
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I've somehow missed Tales of Robin Hood on my previous trips to Nottingham. But last time we went we loved the mediaeval day at the castle (though could have done without the crap and crude yoof theatre version of Robin Hood) - one of my writing friends is a member of a reenactment society and put me on to it. It was a really great day out. Highlight came at the end of the day when a Dutch mediaeval band enticed all the kids to come and play with them. There were about fourteen kids playing different musical instruments, and most of them belonged to me and my sister...
I love Nottingham anyway. Who needs The Robin Hood Experience???
Sorry I double posted by mistake!
The castle days are often great - I have nothing against what the castle organises. What does frustrate me is that despite the long historical association of Nottingham and Robin Hood, the best we could EVER come up with was 'Tales of Robin Hood'. Meh. (We'll gloss over the fact that so many other places claim RH as their own: the fact remains that he IS inextricably linked to Nottingham, not least via the Sheriff thereof...)
Apparently someone - possibly staff - stole a lot of the props etc at Tales of Robin Hood just before it shut.
But since it sounds as though most of the props came from sundry tv series I suspect that's not so much of a historical loss!
This is going to sound bad, I know.
Last summer, when we pitched into a small desert ranching town in Western Canada in mid evening, I remember saying '"Oooh, I wonder if there is a cowboy show - with Mounties??" - and sure enough, there was, complete with a barbeque.
It had music and was suitably daft, and we rather enjoyed it. The local folk were all part of it and took a pride in their town's little show.
Seemingly not quite the same as the Nottingham experience with its theoretically cherishable central character, but I suppose there can be a formula that works.
rashbre - I think there is a world of difference between cheesy (which I can heartily support and understand is WHAT tourists want) and shoddy (which I cannot).
As a one-time unwilling attendee I can confirm that it was really, really shoddy. I'm not against jazzing history up for a fun day out, but Tales was just rubbish; done rather cheaply and cynically for maximum revenue return. It lacked soul and you constantly felt like you were being ripped off.
To put it another way, it was the historical equivalent of the New Forest Santa Grotto debacle.
To put it another way, it was the historical equivalent of the New Forest Santa Grotto debacle.
Great description George!
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