Latest news with #Boorman
Daily Record
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Two stunning Scottish places Ewan McGregor says he is desperate to visit
McGregor returns to TV with Charley Boorman in Long Way Home, now streaming on Apple+. Ewan McGregor has journeyed across galaxies as Obi Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, but when it comes to his own homeland, there is still plenty he's desperate to discover. The Perthshire-born actor has returned to the small screen with long-time friend and travel companion Charley Boorman for Long Way Home, their latest motorbike adventure, now streaming on Apple+. This time, the pair ride from McGregor's Scottish base to Boorman's home in England, following a sprawling circular route through 15 countries across Europe, Scottish Daily Express reports. Their two-month journey kicks off with a crossing over the North Sea into Scandinavia, stretching up to the Arctic Circle, winding down through the Baltics and across continental Europe before finishing with a Channel crossing back to the UK. For the trip, McGregor rides a 1974 Moto Guzzi 850 El Dorado, once used by California police, while Boorman brings a 1972 BMW R75/5 back to life, an old bike previously written off as a 'rust heap'. It's the latest chapter in a globetrotting series that includes Long Way Round, Long Way Down and Long Way Up, but McGregor admits that no matter how far he travels, Scotland still calls to him. 'I will never feel like I have seen enough of Scotland. I love being there so much. There's whole swathes of it I've never been to,' the Trainspotting star told the BBC. 'I have done some islands but not by any means all of them, Orkney and Shetland, I've never been to. There are loads of places I still want to explore.' Despite years spent living in London and Los Angeles, McGregor returned to his roots in 2023, purchasing Glencarse House near Perth for £2.35 million. In the series, he receives a heartfelt send-off from the Morrison's Academy Pipe Band, where he once played the side drum as a schoolboy. Speaking about the show, Boorman, 58, revealed that McGregor often got emotional during their travels through Scotland. 'He would get misty eyed about Scotland,' he said. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For McGregor, the experience was nothing short of transformative. 'I watched the first two episodes and I was thinking I'd like to go and do it again. It was a wonderful experience,' he said. 'In all the other trips we have had huge distances of riding for days and days, where the landscape never changed. But this, we had different countries coming at us every couple of days, we met people and saw specifically regional sports. 'In Holland we watched a pole vault-y thing over the canals, then we saw snowmobiles over water. It was nice and the whole idea of going to our house in Scotland to Charley's house in England was a funny idea, but it made sense.'
Winnipeg Free Press
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Varroooom! It's back on the bikes for Ewan and Charley for Europe trek in ‘Long Way Home.'
NEW YORK (AP) — The last time Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman went on a motorcycle adventure, they rode cutting-edge, electric Harley-Davidsons. For their latest trip, they took a trip back in time. The British best friends and actors chose to use vintage bikes this time as they ride through 17 European countries for Apple TV+'s 'Long Way Home,' the fourth installment of their popular road trip docuseries. It starts airing Friday. McGregor picked a 1974 Moto Guzzi Eldorado, which was used as a patrol bike by the Los Angeles Police Department and California Highway Patrol. Boorman picked a rusted-out BMW R75/5 and scrambled to make it road worthy. 'I guess there's just sort of nowhere else to go other than backwards,' says McGregor. 'We felt that we hadn't done a trip on old bikes. I've always loved old bikes.' A trip to see their neighbors The duo start at McGregor's home in Scotland — they leave serenaded by a bagpipe band and, naturally, rain — into Holland, up through the Nordics, Arctic Circle, down to the Baltics before going through the Alps and France. Unlike the Harleys or BMWs they've ridden before, using older bikes gave McGregor and Boorman a nostalgic feeling and something practical: The ability to get them back on the road should disaster strike. 'They're fixable,' says McGregor. 'At the side of the road, you can pretty much — with a bit of sandpaper and a screwdriver and a hammer — you could probably pretty much get them running again. Whereas with something like the electric bike, if something happens — if something goes wrong, as we learned in Central America — it's catastrophic.' Series highlights include the duo donning Viking costumes and axe throwing in Norway, camping at a windmill near Amsterdam and kayaking alongside a glacier in the Arctic Circle, 'It's so Mad Max everywhere' says McGregor beside the icy water. The duo spend the longest day of the year on a beach with a bonfire on an island off the Norwegian coast, try logrolling in Finland, get tattoos in Poland, paraglide in the Alps and spend the night in the northern-most cabin in the world. 'One of the great things about it is seeing the planet that we live on off the back of a motorcycle when you're sort of part of the environment. If it's cold, you're cold. If it's wet, you're wet. It's a very real experience,' says McGregor. They spent about two months on the road before finishing at Boorman's home in England, taking time to enjoy the scenery more this time and reducing their speed. 'We were doing a loop of Europe. We weren't covering days and days getting across far eastern Russia, where the landscape barely changes. On those BMWs, we could ride at 80 miles an hour, 90 miles an hour,' says McGregor. 'We didn't need to do that on this loop. So riding at 60, 65 is a nice speed to go at,' he adds. Fourth time out there The series marks the 20-year anniversary of the first series, 2004's 'Long Way Round,' which saw the pair drive from London through Europe, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia, across the Pacific to Alaska, then down through Canada and America. They also paired up in 2007 for 'Long Way Down,' a 15,000-mile journey from Scotland to the southernmost tip of South Africa, and in 2019 for 'Long Way Up' through 13 South and Central American countries. This time, tents blow inside out and age takes its toll. 'My arse is so numb, oh my gosh' says McGregor at one point. The food is not very fussy, ranging from Swedish seaweed gathered from the sea to a wheel of gouda in Amsterdam and packaged fish paste and crackers in the snow. The irony this time was that while McGregor and Boorman were riding 50-year-old bikes, they and their team were using the latest technology — GPS, GoPros, drones and Insta360 cameras. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'You're embracing these beautiful old motorcycles, but at the same time using whatever is around you to be able to enhance the story,' says Boorman. 'When we look back at the TV show, there were bits where I remember exactly where we were, but when you pull out with the drone, I didn't realize there was a big river running beside us or a big mountain. So we get to experience a little bit as well. I like to embrace the technology.' While it's endlessly fun watching the duo banter while zooming through the landscape, there are moments more sobering, like when McGregor and Boorman visit UNICEF's massive hub in Copenhagen and when they see for themselves the impact of global warming on glaciers. McGregor, 54, who despite riding thousands of miles and seeing dozens of countries, suggests there's still so much for he and Boorman to see. 'I always remind myself we've ridden around the world and up and down and sideways, but we only saw a couple of hundred yards from either side of our bike,' he says. 'There's a lot left to discover yet.'
Daily Mirror
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Ewan McGregor's co-star cries 'I don't want to be arrested'
Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's have teamed up for a new instalment in their Long Way series The latest instalment of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's epic road trip series, Long Way Home, provided some serious chuckles during their most recent escapades. In the pair's fourth journey together, streaming on Apple TV+, they venture across a magnificent 17 European nations astride trusty old motorbikes. A sneak peek shared by Express Online features a delightful snippet where Hollywood A-lister McGregor unveils a cheeky addition to his motorcycle, hinting at endless opportunities for fun-loving pranks. "Such a difference when the sun is out," remarks Boorman as they cruise along a picturesque rural road. McGregor, pondering their whereabouts, muses: "Think we're in Germany, Charley?", reports the Express. As vehicles zoom past, Boorman responds with uncertainty: "I don't know, we're going a lot faster. Or they are." The duo carry on their trek, with McGregor reflecting fondly on his passion for vintage motorcycles via the show's narration. "I've always ridden old motorbikes," he confesses. "And this one is a 1974 California police bike." Trying to maintain composure, the Trainspotting icon flicks on the motorcycle's original siren, causing Boorman to cast concerned glances. Side-splittingly, McGregor waves his hand towards the roadside and commands: "Pull over!" Boorman, breaking into a grin, retorts: "No!" He playfully protests: "I don't want to be arrested! I haven't done anything!" all while McGregor surrenders to laughter. Long Way fans are promised an abundance of such high jinks as McGregor and Boorman's series makes its debut on Friday, 9th May. The introductory episode synopsis reveals: "As departure day approaches, Ewan resurrects his old California police bike while Charley brings a 1970s rust heap back from the dead." Their escapade then takes them through the Netherlands and Germany in the second episode, featuring a sentimental trip to Boorman's mother's birthplace, alongside adventures on the Danish Islands. However, their journey hits a bit of turbulence when McGregor's trusty police bike needs urgent repairs in Sweden, though they later experience the stunning vistas of Norway in the fourth episode. Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman kick-started their epic tour series with the Sky One hit Long Way Round in 2004, followed by their 2007 sequel Long Way Down on BBC Two. Reuniting for a fresh expedition, they chronicled their journey from Ushuaia in Argentina for Apple TV+ in the latest series Long Way Up in 2020. For those who relish adventure series like The Grand Tour and Race Across the World, you won't want to miss Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's thrilling new journey this weekend. Long Way Home premieres Friday, 9th May on Apple TV+.
Daily Record
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Ewan McGregor in hysterics as Long Way Home co-star yells 'I don't want to be arrested!'
Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's new Long Way Home series sees the two best friends take on a mammoth 17-country European road trip Charley Boorman, Ewan McGregor's co-star in Long Way Home, couldn't contain his laughter during a particularly humorous moment while filming their latest series of road trips. In the fourth chapter of the pair's acclaimed travel series available on Apple TV+, the dynamic duo traverse an impressive 17 European nations astride rickety vintage motorcycles. An exclusive snippet shared by Express Online previews a comical scenario where McGregor discloses that his motorcycle is equipped with a rather mischievous gadget. Boorman comments on the weather as they travel down a picturesque country lane: "Such a difference when the sun is out." Trying to pinpoint their location, McGregor inquires: "Think we're in Germany, Charley?", reports the Express. As vehicles zoom past, Boorman responds, uncertain: "I don't know, we're going a lot faster. Or they are." Amidst the tour, McGregor reflects nostalgically on voiceover about his passion for classic motorcycles. Sharing his long-standing affinity, he says: "I've always ridden old motorbikes," and reveals, "And this one is a 1974 California police bike." Keeping his composure proves challenging for the Trainspotting icon as he uses the motorcycle's integrated siren, which causes Boorman to react apprehensively. A playful McGregor instructs: "Pull over!" Disagreeing, Boorman chuckles: "No!" before insisting with a smirk, "I don't want to be arrested! I haven't done anything!", all while McGregor enjoys a laugh. Followers of McGregor and Boorman's adventurous Long Way escapades can anticipate further high jinks when the fresh series airs on Friday, 9th May. A synopsis for the upcoming first episode reveals: "As departure day approaches, Ewan resurrects his old California police bike while Charley brings a 1970s rust heap back from the dead." The duo's escapades then carry them through both the Netherlands and Germany in the second instalment, which includes a sentimental stopover in Boorman's mother's hometown, not forgetting the picturesque Danish Islands. However, their excursion is not without its hiccups; McGregor's bike needs urgent repairs in Sweden. Despite this, the camaraderie continues as they venture through Norway's scenic landscapes in the fourth episode. McGregor and Boorman have been thrilling viewers with their travel exploits since the Sky One hit series Long Way Round in 2004, followed by the sequel Long Way Down shown on BBC Two in 2007. Their travelling tales resumed in 2020 when they embarked on a journey from Ushuaia in Argentina, documented in the Apple TV+ series Long Way Up. For enthusiasts of their previous ventures and fans of renowned travel series like The Grand Tour and Race Across the World, be sure to catch Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's latest adventure this weekend.
IOL News
30-04-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Entries for the Vasco da Gama Ocean Race close
ENTRIES for the 2025 Vasco da Gama Ocean Race from Durban to East London close this weekend. The annual event is one of the highlights on South Africa's yachting calendar and attracts sailors from across the country and even abroad. The prestigious event is hosted by the Durban-based Royal Natal Yacht Club (RNYC)and this year marks the 52nd anniversary of the Vasco, the oldest coastal ocean race on the South African sailing calendar. Barry Boorman the Commodore at the RNYC says there are several sailors who have indicated that they will participate but still need to submit their formal applications while others have fallen by the wayside for various reasons. 'Some of the boats that we were really hoping would be taking part have failed. We have engine problems. We had a skipper message us that he's had an accident and he's not able to sail. One of the nice things is we've got some boats coming up from Cape Town, which we haven't had in quite some time. We're also hoping that Richard's Bay might turn around and say, yes, we'll send two boats down.' Boorman said often sailors would wait until the last minute to submit their applications: 'A lot of them are naughty because they don't want anyone to know, and then they put it in at the last minute like it'll be a big surprise.' This year multiple sponsors have come on board for South Africa's most prestigious race. However, Boorman says it's not all about winning. 'It's all about pride. It's all about saying 'I did the Vasco' first of all, that's the most important thing. And then, 'I participated in the Vasco and I finished'.' Last year 15-year old Michaela Barrett was the youngest participant in the Vasco and is most likely to participate again, said Boorman. CFM took line honours in the 2024 race and would participate again this year. Bellatrix also did well and took handicap honours in that race, said Boorman. 'Both are incredibly fast boats and really well maintained boats, but just because there's a slight difference in handicap and they were so close together, one got line honours, one got the handicap honours.' All participants set sail from Durban on Sunday 25 May, and are expected to start arriving in East London late on Monday as well as Tuesday where they will be welcomed by the receiving club, Buffalo River Yacht Club. Boorman says it takes about 36 hours for the first vessel to arrive at the end of the race.
