Bill Bryson's (pictured) notes from a small island in North Yorkshire are extremely complimentary, "I think it's fabulous. I was told it was very good and I was hoping it would be. It is, it's fantastic."
 He is in Helmsley standing on an island mound by the remains of the 800-year-old castle. The surrounding moat is now empty but, as the rain lashes down, there is a strong suspicion that it will soon be full again. American author Bill, now a UK resident based in Norfolk and commissioner for English Heritage, is here to launch the castle's new £900,000 visitor facilities. These, it is hoped, will boost visitors from the present 25,000 a year to 45,000. They include the chance to see unique 15th century arrowheads discovered at the castle which suggest the overwhelmingly popular little town was once an unlikely cradle of military technology. They are among scores of previously unseen relics that are being displayed for the first time. They are so startling because they are made of iron strengthened with copper alloy which would make them capable of piercing armour. "They are very unusual, absolutely superb and seriously destructive," says Susan Harrison, assistant regional curator for archaeology for English Heritage. "They are of national importance. We don't know of any other examples like them from a castle." In fact, the Royal Armouries at Leeds has confirmed that similar arrowheads have only previously been found in the wreckage of Henry VIII's sunken flagship, the Mary Rose. "They are of such high quality that we think whoever shot them went back and got them. They were the Exocet missiles of their day," says Susan. She reckons they were smelted on site. "You expect to get a smithy in a castle but you rarely get any archaeological evidence for one," she points out. The new facilities include a stunning new contemporary visitor centre, fascinating exhibitions, greatly improved disabled access, new audio tours and interactive displays. They are expected to transform the visitor experience and boost the local economy. "There are hundreds and hundreds of places all over the country that could do with the same kind of treatment," says Bill Bryson. "Helmsley is lucky to have this and it would be really nice to think that this is just the beginning and other places could have this. "It's very difficult to get these things right and this is as good as I have ever seen in England. "It's very informative and that is an art. I have been to places all over the world and sometimes it's too simplistic and sometimes too complicated." Bill knows Helmsley from previous visits while he lived in England after writing his first Notes From A Small Island book. "It's just a lovely part of the world and Helmsley Castle is just a fantastic site." He was even tempted to take up the bow by archery expert Dave Rushworth. While Dave, in his medieval garb, handled the armour piercing arrow heads, Bill contented himself with the conventional kind. The relics are now kept in the castle's Tudor Manor House. Elsewhere, a new bridge has been built over the moat, footpaths have been resurfaced, and a new viewing platform created. This weekend, the castle's grounds will be ringing with Elizabethan music celebrating the opening of the new visitor centre and exhibitions. The Arbeau Dancers will be entertaining visitors with displays of traditional Elizabethan dance accompanied by historical music duo, Hautbois. They might even invite you to have a go with them. "Elizabethan dancing was really quite exciting, flying in the face of traditional dances that had come before and really reflecting the spirit of exploration and discovery of the era," says Nicole Strachan of Arbeau. Visitors will see a sword dance and a dance recreating a battle from first skirmish to peacemaking. The castle will also feature Easter egg hunts and giveaways while a court jester will be taking the fun into Helmsley's streets to encourage people to join in the celebration. The castle is open from 10am-6pm with admission £4 adults, £3 concs, £2 children, family £10. A week on Sunday and Monday, the custodians of the castle will be preparing its defences for a weekend of war when visitors are invited to "attack and defend" in a special event looking at castle battles. The family-focused weekend will aim to bring to life the role of castle residents during a siege. Medieval re-enactors, Quintains And Coronels, will also be around to point out the castle's battle scars, and put children through military drill. | 
Movie double-acts come in all shapes and sizes ...and with varying degrees of success.
Click here