Magazine
Beatlemania is heading for Prague in the form of a new exhibition recalling what the Fab Four meant for young people growing up under communism. Brno is to get a major new tourist attraction and, the man who gets a kick from collecting tractors. Find out more in Magazine with Daniela Lazarova.
Beatlemania is back with a vengeance. An exhibition at Prague’s National Museum will show some of the most treasured memorabilia of the Fab Four – articles never before seen in the Czech Republic – from original Madame Tussaud waxworks to George Harrison’s gold-plated banjolele. The exhibits are being lent by the Beatles Story visitor attraction within a tourism drive to attract more visitors to Liverpool, but in the Czech Republic the exhibition will acquire a whole new dimension – exploring
The museum has appealed to the public to contribute to the exhibition’s success by lending any treasured personal articles they may have – illegally exchanged Beatles recordings, hand written copies of the lyrics,
Something else that Czechs who remember the communist years get nostalgic about is Stetson hats. The Stetson is a fashion icon – but for Czechs it was for many decades also a symbol of freedom, the land of opportunity and for the most part something totally out of reach. Singers who could travel
The Moravian metropolis of Brno is about to get a new tourist attraction. Workmen are digging the foundations for an obelisk-shaped clock on the city’s main square. The clock is to be made of a rare type of granite imported from South Africa and the clock itself will be sculpted by Italian master cutters in Verona. The clock will be six metres in height and close to two metres wide. Local patriots say it is sure to outshine the Astronomical Clock on Prague’s Old Town Square. When it announced a competition for the clock, the Brno city hall laid down one important condition – it must chime mid-day an hour early – at 11 am.
Popular legend has it that in the 17th century the defenders of Brno tricked the invading Swedes by putting forward the town clock by one hour and the city was not taken as a result. The Swedish general reportedly spread word that if his men did not capture the city by midday they would leave. At the height of combat the town mayor ordered the clock to chime an hour early – and the Swedes left. The present-day clock owes even more to legend. The Swedish general – general Torstenson – is reported to have said that the only bullet which could kill him would be one made of glass. In his memory – every day at 11 am – when the clock chimes midday – a small glass marble will roll out from one of the openings at the base of the clock. The person who is nearest that opening will be able to take it away as a souvenir.
Collecting tractors from around the world is not an easy hobby to maintain – and it’s a fairly expensive one. But 55-year- old Jiří Dědek from north Bohemia has been a dedicated collector for 22 years. The
His holidays are all spent in search of new acquisitions and when he recently visited the John Deere tractor museum in the United States he was delighted to see that even the Deere company did not have his particular veteran on display. He dreams of one day opening a tractor museum of his own and is always happy to show visitor around if they are interested. Many of them are foreigners and Mr. Dědek has had many a good offer for one of his tractors. However that is a point he is firm about – there is no question of selling. Though he might be tempted to barter trade – if you arrive on a tractor that he finds irresistible. So if there is one cluttering your back yard – spruce it up before you set off.
The Economist recently amused its readers by redrawing the map of Europe. “People who find their neighbours tiresome can move to another neighbourhood, whereas countries can’t”–the Economist writes, embarking on a game of musical chairs to show how much friendlier things would be in Europe if it were “rejigged”. Thanks to “Belgium’s
The Czechs – now bordering on the Netherlands, Germany and France - were happy to overlook the somewhat stuffy description of themselves. Having always longed for a sea-coast the majority of Czechs polled by the IDNES news site welcomed the exchange with an enthusiastic thumbs-up. Just as an afterthought, did the Economist really say well-organized Czechs? Never mind, whatever gets us there.
