FILM ICON'S TROUSERS UP FOR SALE

Tuxedo trousers worn by James Dean in the film Giant are expected to fetch between £8,000 to £12,000 at Christie’s Popular Culture and Entertainment sale in December.

The sale (on December 4 in South Kensington) brings together memorabilia from such stars of the silver screen as Paul Newman, Marilyn Monroe and various James Bond’s, as well as Dean’s trousers and Batman props.

There’s a personal racing suit of Newman’s (estimated at £1,000 to £1,500) and from Monroe’s wardrobe a black silk stole trimmed with white fox fur (£8,000 to £12,000).
For Bond fans, the 24 carat gold plated replica gun from the film of the same name, signed by Roger Moore, would make a star Christmas present (£1,500 to £2,000) and there’s a wealth of other material from various Bond movies. www.christies.com for further details.

ORIGINS OF DARWIN EVENT

That giant of the scientific world, Charles Darwin, is the subject of an exhibition launched at the Natural History Museum in November, one of many events marking the bicentenary of his birth.

This is no dry academic presentation but a wide ranging look at the man himself as well as his work. There are family photographs, including this lesser known picture of him, and letters and personal belongings, alongside his notebooks, specimens collected on his travels, and memorabilia charting his journey as a young man on the Beagle. His observations on the evolution of species that lead eventually to his seminal work “On the Origins of the Species” can be traced in this exhibition, which concludes with an exploration of modern evolutionary biology.

A fascinating showcase that will run through to April 2009. For more information go to www.darwin200.org

SEA BATTLES THROUGH THE AGES

Life on board war ships of all sorts is chronicled in a new tome just published. From dry biscuits to amputations, galley slaves to air pilots, ‘Battle at Sea’ gives a definitive illustrated history of naval warfare over 3,000 years.

It’s a book that will delight old sailors and young ones too and anyone interested in the sea and warfare history. In chronological order, it covers all aspects of war on the water front, written by noted history writer, R G Grant, and there are some special 3D digital artworks illustrating crucial stages of key battles that are particularly effective.

Divided into four parts, it begins with the Age of the Galley, featuring Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, warring Chinese dynasties, as well battles in the Mediterranean; Gun, Sail and Empire covers the age of sail; Steam and Steel, the transition from sail and wood to steam and iron and steel ships up to World War 1; and Carriers, Submarines and Missiles tracks the period in which aircraft carriers and submarines superseded traditional warships.

Reports on the men who manned the ships, and their lives above and below deck, bring this history to life, with profiles on commanders down to humble crew members. Published in association with the Royal Navy, at £25, it is available from, ISBN 9781405330947

MAGICAL KEW TO CELEBRATE 250 YEARS

Next year, Kew Gardens celebrates its 250th anniversary with a host of special events and displays but in the meantime this London treasure may be enjoyed on the ice skating rink that opens at the end of November, in front of the majestic Temperate greenhouse, and also on the magical treetop walkway that opened earlier this year.

Kew, or the Royal Botanic Gardens, to give it its correct title, has built up botanical treasures over the years, as well as lush gardens and lakes, wooded areas and historic greenhouses. It is a World Heritage site and its work has been recognised world-wide, beneficial to horticulture and to people. There are also art galleries and works by Henry Moore and some wonderful life-size animal carvings dotted amongst the trees, using wood from trees felled in the great storm of 1987.  It provides a cornucopia of cultural delights. www.kew.org