Latest news with #jousting
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Royal Armouries: UK's oldest museum sets out plan after £11m deal
After the Royal Armouries in Leeds secured an £11.69m government loan to purchase the land it stands on, director Nat Edwards spoke to the BBC about what the deal will mean for the museum."We pride ourselves on being the world's oldest museum," Mr Edwards said."We've been around since at least the early 14th Century, but for most of our history it was sitting in the Tower of London"This is the first time in 702 years that we've owned our own home."The Royal Armouries moved to Leeds from London in the 1990s as the anchor project in a scheme to regenerate what he said was then a "pretty grim, post-industrial" part of the and free to visit the museum features items from around the world, ranging from Henry VIII's armour to James Bond's Walther Edwards, director general and master of the Armouries, said as well as securing a home for the vast array of historical exhibits the deal would also provide a springboard for the museum's said a major part of their future plans for the site included the development of the tiltyard site, which is used for jousting matches and displays, into a multipurpose riverside arts, events and conference space."[We want] to really develop that site into something that can do not just the jousting, but lots of other things too," he museum is also planning a major refresh of its exhibition galleries, to bring in the latest in terms of digital technology. The Royal Armouries principal function is to maintain the national collection of arms and Edwards said that meant "making it accessible to everybody, for free and forever".He said the museum had been good at building commercial relationships on the land it currently occupies and has created a major conference and meetings special exhibitions and its jousting displays, he said these helped to generate income to support its work. In terms of the wider site the museum has acquired around Leeds Dock, Mr Edwards said they had been approached about "straightforward housing developments"."We are keen to support wider housing development in the south side of Leeds, but we think of the area around the Armouries as such an important public space we are keen to develop it very much with the public in mind."He said that would include an extended Armouries Square and a multi-purpose building on the tiltyard site with a flexible events are also looking at creating immersive spaces to help improve the educational experiences they offer to help students learn about life during conflicts."Imagine doing that in a space where you can recreate, using immersive technology, a battlefield experience and how much that could bring history to life," he said."That goes right through to the kind of work we are doing with the Ministry of Defence to help new recruits into the army better understand the realities of war." The Royal Armouries also works with the Border Force, the police and various intelligence services, some of which involves training AI systems to detect weapons in suitcase and working with the police to help mitigate the effects of 3D printed Edwards said the key to the museum's continuing success was developing these partnerships and creating the spaces and tools to collaborate on telling the story of "hundreds of years of human conflict.""[It is] a really important story that touches every life and we know we can't tell that story on our own."He said in the collection, as an example, were items which detail British colonial history in East Africa which, he said, can be displayed and tell a very interesting and educational story."But right now in the city we have people who have come from Sudan and have direct, lived experience of religious conflict and civil war and have a completely different perspective of those items."Mr Edwards said if you put those together you can tell a story which is "10 times more informative, ten times more powerful and has ten times the chance of perhaps helping people avoid conflict in the future."That's really what we are about." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sunday Boredom Busters: June 8th
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO) — Travel back in time to the glorious reign of Queen Elizabeth I during the Siouxland Renaissance Festival at the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds. The festival features armored jousting, jugglers, dancers and musicians performing from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults, $6 for children and free for ages 3 and under. The Sioux Falls Municipal Band performs a free concert in the Terrace Park band shell. The music starts at 8 p.m. The Summer Concert Series at Good Earth State Park in Sioux Falls features Amy Ellsworth. The concert starts at 4 p.m. Seating is limited, so concert-goers are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket. A park entrance license is required. Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live: Glow-N-Fire is a monster truck show featuring a fiery new twist with special effects and stunts. The action gets underway at 2:30 p.m. in the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center. Buffalo Days in Luverne, MN features a pie & ice cream social at the History Center from 1-4 p.m., plus Woofstock in the city park from 3:30 to 7 p.m. that includes micro-chipping and a dog parade The city of Sioux Falls outdoor pools and aquatic centers are located at Drake Springs, Frank Olson, Kuehn, Laurel Oak and Terrace parks. Open swimming will go from 1 to 5 in the afternoons and 6:30 to 8 in the evenings. Splash pads at Hayward and Pioneer parks are open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wild Water West is also open for the season. The water park west of Sioux Falls features a tornado alley, water slides and a wave. The hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. AMC Collective in Sioux Falls is hosting an Aprons for Dad Make & Take. Create a one-of-a-kind apron just in time for Father's Day from 1 to 3:30 p.m. All supplies are provided. The cost is $18 per apron. The non-profit Fun & Friends is hosting a June Meetup at the Special Olympics South Dakota gym in Sioux Falls. The free event is open to children up through 12 years old with a disability, rare disease or who are neuro-divergent. There will be a selection of games and equipment to play with from 3:30 to 5 p.m. No registration is needed. Siblings are welcome, guardians are required. The Crossthreads Fiber Guild is hosting Fiber Fun at the Old Courthouse Museum in downtown Sioux Falls. Everyone interesting in knitting, crocheting and needle work is invited to work on projects from 1-4 p.m. You're invited to play Pokémon and win prizes at the Game Chest in Sioux Falls. The hours are 12:30 to 5 p.m. All ages are welcome and it's free to play. The Hello Hi bar in downtown Sioux Falls and Spoke-N-Sport are hosting a Community Bike Ride. It starts at 4:30 p.m at the Hello Hi and follows the bike path to Spoke-N-Sport, and back again. There will also be a 50/50 raffle to benefit Falls Area Single Track. Movies playing at the historic State Theater in downtown Sioux Falls include Dog Man, WarGames and Annie Hall, all three rated PG. The Wells Fargo CineDome & Sweetman Planetarium at the Washington Pavilion features T-Rex, Mars: The Ultimate Voyage and 3-2-1 Liftoff. New movie releases playing at a theater near you include The Phoenician Scheme, rated PG-13 and Ballerina, rated R. The Canaries baseball team takes on the Kane County Cougars. First pitch at Sioux Falls Stadium is 4:05 p.m. Enjoy a night of Sprint Car racing in at Huset's Speedway in Brandon. Gates open at 5 p.m. Hot laps are at 6:30 p.m. The races start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20, $10 for students and free for ages 12 and under. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Geek Vibes Nation
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
'A Knight's Tale' 4K UHD Blu-Ray SteelBook Review - A Propulsive Popcorn Spectacle
The 14th century takes a rocking new twist in A Knight's Tale, a stylish, music driven, action packed adventure starring Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight, The Patriot), with heroic performances from Mark Addy (The Full Monty, Down to Earth) and Rufus Sewell (Dangerous Beauty, Dark City). Ledger plays William Thatcher, a peasant squire who breaks all the rules when he passes himself off as a nobleman and takes the jousting world by storm. The only thing that stands between William and his dream of becoming the World Champion of the most extreme of sports is the bad boy of the sport Count Adhemar. And when the two rivals go lance to lance at the world finals, you'd better arm yourself and hang on tight for the ride of your life! For thoughts on A Knight's Tale, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required: Video Quality The 4K UHD Blu-Ray debut of A Knight's Tale offers a sterling presentation for this adventure courtesy of a 4K restoration of the Original Camera Negative approved by director Brian Helgeland for both the Theatrical and Extended versions of the film deployed through seamless branching. The previous Blu-Ray was first released in 2006, but we have never been able to view that disc. By all accounts, it was a major disappointment, and luckily this new release comes with a fresh Blu-Ray derived from the new 4K restoration. As nice as it is to get a stronger Blu-Ray, the 2160p Dolby Vision/HDR master is what allows the film to look the best it ever has on home entertainment. This new release preserves the filmic origins of the feature to unleash a world of pleasing texture and detail. The Dolby Vision presentation brings nuance to the rich period aesthetic with a commendable saturation. Highlights offer a great stability without veering into blooming. Black levels are deep which allows this transfer to provide a notable level of fine detail in darker environments. Skin tones look natural and the clarity of the transfer gives you a wonderful amount of facial detail. You can effortlessly distinguish specific details within the makeup, backgrounds, and production design that have otherwise been murkily defined before on streaming and Blu-Ray. The interiors of various structures are given more depth which makes for a more compelling exploration of the world. The improvements in contrast and overall clarity are a standout aspect of the disc, especially when wading through shadowy corridors. This is another top-tier effort from Sony, and fans will delight in watching it. Audio Quality This 4K UHD Blu-Ray gets an audio upgrade in the form of a thrilling Dolby Atmos track that gives the film a dynamic soundscape with a suitably intense and immersive quality. The new disc also offers up the original soundtrack in lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio. Both of these tracks are tremendous in their own ways, but we are glad Sony is continuing the trend of giving fans a choice. Those who choose to embark with the original track may not get the cutting edge in audio, but you will be served a perfectly formidable track without any age-related flaws. The Atmos track conjures atmospheric sound effects appropriately within the mix so that directionality is unrelentingly precise. The track yields the expected emphasis on the front channels for dialogue and other distinct sounds while additional activity flows to the surrounds, rears and overhead speakers to make the world feel more three-dimensional. The height channels are implemented flawlessly as they fully transport you into the journey. Dialogue is crisp and clear without ever getting overshadowed by the music or sound effects. The low end effects from the subwoofer deliver the desired extra weight to enhance the action sequences. Every single sound feels natural and energizing in a way that lifts up every moment. The film shines when it comes to the anachronistic rock soundtrack which complements the narrative really well. Sony has delivered a bombastic audio experience for fans. Optional English, English SDH, and a vast array of other subtitles are provided. Special Features Sony has provided A Knight's Tale with a sleek new SteelBook featuring artwork that is pleasing in person. The front artwork is William in his armor with a sword, and the rear features the whole gang with their arms around one another. The interior is a photo still from a joust. Video of the SteelBook can be found at the top of this review. Audio Commentary: Director Brian Helgeland and Actor Paul Bettany provide a very thorough archival commentary track in which they discuss the production of the film, the Carter Burwell score, the characteristics of the performers, the tricky choreography of certain sequences, the location shooting and much more. Gag Reel: A new two-minute collection of flubbed lines, goofing around, and more. Deleted & Extended Scenes From Tape Dailies: A new nine-minute selection of unused footage is provided in fairly rough quality. Quill & Quarterhorse – 2nd Unit Photography: A new nearly nine-minute look at some of the 2nd unit photography including horses launching off of their mark and a hand writing on parchment. Behind-The-Scenes Featurettes: A 33-minute selection of featurettes is provided here in which the cast and creative team provide the details about the creation of various moments including the complicated stunt work, the music, props, and more. Deleted Scenes: Six unused scenes are provided that didn't make the final cut of the movie. This footage totals 21:40 by itself, or 48:43 if you select to watch it with the optional video introductions from the creative team. HBO Making-Of: A 15-minute archival promotional video in which the cast and creative team discuss the creation of the film. Robbie Williams & Queen: 'We Are The Champions' Music Video (4:08) Trailers (5:03) Final Thoughts A Knight's Tale is a crowd-pleasing action outing that leans heavily into popcorn sensibilities with its aggressively modern soundtrack, its gorgeous (and talented) ensemble, and its sleek, propulsive editing. Those coming for something painstakingly accurate to history or narratively complex are not going to be the most nourished here, but those looking to have a lot of fun will be feasting. This is the definition of a good time. Sony Pictures has released a new 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a fabulous A/V presentation and a worthwhile collection of special features. If you only own this one on Blu-Ray or not at all, this package is by far the best way to view the film. Recommended A Knight's Tale is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray SteelBook. Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray. Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
US law firms have ways of making partners support Republicans
Jousting between the Trump administration and large US law firms has prompted one former partner at the London office of a 'white shoe' practice to recall that American lawyers have historically been party political. That lawyer related recently to Times Law spies that the firm would annually deduct $1,000 from each partner, which would then be donated to the Republican Party. The senior management was said to be particularly keen on George W Bush and that donation was imposed regardless of whether individual partners were supporters of the Democrats or any other party — and regardless of whether they were US citizens. Guests at the launch of the book A Barrister for the Earth, by the Peruvian-born Monica Feria-Tinta, were treated to a novel
BBC News
18-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Jousting 'still gives me goose bumps' Gloucestershire champ says
Emma Pearn, from Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, has been hooked on jousting since seeing her first tournament at the age of has now competed all over the world and spends hours in the gym keeping fit so she isn't hampered by her armour, which weighs 32kg, or 60% of her body after years in the saddle, she says jousting "still gives me goosebumps".Although it dates back to the m idle ages, Emma wants the sport to modernise, telling the BBC: "What we'd like to see is a standardised version of jousting, so you can have a jousting league." Video journalist: Maddie Simpson
