Feature- Weard Magazine

Feature produced for Weard magazine, Sunderland (November 2006):

For lecturers, the periodical spells of rain and snow must top off the day, after having to try and teach a class of hung-over zombies how to get by in the ‘real world’. Surely you can’t wait until May/June when you can say goodbye to the shackles of working life and get away from it all!

What is more fitting then, for someone working in the ADMC block, than to theme a holiday around a film? I’m not talking about carting yourself off to Universal Studios to see the ‘Back to the Future’ set of spending a fortune jetting off to New York to see where the ‘Fame’ kids leapt about, there is so much more closer to home.

And (even though I know the film studies lecturers will probably already be thinking this), there is so much more to see at the setting for classic films, not filmed in a giant multi-million dollar set surround by reams of computer cables and IT designers. Hollywood is great, if you are looking to be wowed by the glitz and the glamour, but I sense that lecturers, and a lecturer’s wage, are not too fond of that idea.

So, while Britain does have plenty to offer in the way of film history (Pinewood etc.), real culture can be found further afield. One lecturer, who has already latched onto the idea, is Susan Pickering, who enjoyed a ‘Sound of Music’ tour in Salzburg.

She even goes as far as to say, “My best ever holiday was in 2004 when I went with some friends on a Sound of Music tour of the Austrian lakes.”

The tour is more than just a look at some famous places, it takes in some breathtaking scenery and architecture (much of which is seen in the film). Susan saw Nonnberg Abbey- where the film begins, Leopoldskron Castle- the home of Baron Von Trapp and his family, as well as many more sights. All the settings are surrounded by magnificent lakes and hills too. The tour doesn’t break the bank either. On the internet, four star accommodation for a week costs as little as £270, and a three star hotel could be £150 a week. The ‘net offers amazing deals, with some hotels offering almost a third off their prices!

If a relaxing holiday isn’t for you, ten all you have to do is think of a film you liked and there is probably a tour for it. Action films usually offer the most action packed locations, like cities or more daunting landscapes.

The Italian Job was a film that sprung to mind when I thought about action, and it’s in a great holiday location too! Turin, surrounded by the Alps, and steeped in a massive deal of history, was the host to the 1969 heist movie. Like most places in Europe these days, it isn’t too expensive to get there and the accommodation is cheap if you look in the right places.

If you want to be right on the scene for the Italian Job history, then the Piazza Castello is the place to be. It is one of the main sections in Turin, and there is plenty to do on your doorstep. You can follow the streets where the famous Mini Coopers raced around, as well as relax with some of the best food and drink in Italy.

Turin is the home to some of the best chocolate in Italia. Lavazza, the nation’s favourite coffee, is also based there. If you fancy something stronger, then why not try some Martini straight from the source? Another famous name to hail from the city.

What Turin is really famous for, though, is the cars. If you want to experience more Italian Jobhistory then get yourself to the old Fiat factory. It still has the old rooftop test track that was used in the film, and you can still walk around it and then finish off with a stroll through the Fiat museum, which is fascinating for automobile enthusiasts.

Talking of cars, you would probably want to hire one so you could sample the amazing countryside around the city. The famous ending to the Italian Job film was on a crevasse, and you can see it for yourself if you take the 40 mile drive to Ceresole Reale, a small town up in the mountains. It’s a bit colder but the views are breathtaking. Car hire costs around £8 a day, or for a week it can be £42.

Back in the city, more macho interest can be found in the massive Stadio Delle Alpi, which is home to the ‘Old Lady’ of Italian football, Juventus (football trivia- they stole their black and white striped kit from Notts County!).

To save some money, a Torino Card is recommendable. It costs £11 for two days, and gives you access to over 100 free museums in the area; one of the most notable is the Museum of Ancient Egypt. It is the largest museum of its kind outside of Cairo, and boast some magnificent ancient artefacts such as tombs are sarcophagus’.

How much will it all set you back? Flights to Turin, booked in advance, can be £60 return. Again, the internet can be your saviour because it knocks so much off accommodation prices! Double rooms in cheap and cheerful hotels can be as little as £40 per night, and Italians are prepared to haggle if it’s a family run establishment.

So, neither of those films appeal to you? To find the best media-themed location for you, all you have to do is think of a film you liked, and then look it up! It’s as easy as that. The world-wide-web seems to be the answer for cheap deals, and flights around Europe come at a pittance! Happy Holidays.