STUBBLE TROUBLE

Has anyone told Russell Crowe [June] how ridiculously old the facial hair makes him appear? Where and how did this facial hair trend (or permanent five-o’clock shadow) get started? I suppose man’s natural tendency toward laziness was responsible for males embracing the trend energetically – “Hey, I don’t have to shave so often.” To Mr. Crowe: Ditch the facial hair so you will look your real age. —Alistair Hensler, Ottawa

PARDON US, PRINCESS

Contrary to your story [“The Queen’s Visits to Canada,” May], I can assure you that Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh did visit New Brunswick in 1951. As a 13-year-old growing up in Fredericton, I and hundreds of others gathered downtown on Nov. 6 of that year to see the Princess and her husband. Unfortunately, I do not have a photo of that momentous occasion as, in all the excitement, I snapped pictures of both Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh but forgot to rewind the camera between shots. —Bernice (MacDonald) Campbell, Ottawa

SHATNER: FULL CIRCLE

In “Lend Him Your Ears” [May], the author says: “Leave it to Wainwright … to unite Shatner and Shakespeare.” Not entirely true – he merely reunited Shatner with Shakespeare.

William Shatner was connected to Shakespeare long before Wainwright’s project. Shatner was in Stratford, Ont., in various Shakespeare plays at least in the [’50s]. As well, in his role as Capt. Kirk, he was again involved with him in at least two episodes: and

Shatner was also exposed to Shakespeare in the last TOS Star Trek movie, The Undiscovered Country (a quote from one of Shakespeare’s plays) in which he was reunited with fellow Stratford actor Christopher Plummer. It was in this movie where the classic quote occurred: “You have not experienced Shakespeare until you have read him in the original Klingon.” —Ralph Peter, via email

SOLO, BUT NOT ALONE

My widowed sister-inlaw in England has been travelling for years with a group called Just You and has been very pleased with the tours. The company has now started operations in Canada, so single travellers might find it worth their while to look into it. —Margaret Parker, via email