You can be at the official launch of Peter Willis’ new book about Nancy Blackett in London next Thursday evening (16th November), at 6:30pm, with London’s West End chandlers Arthur Beale.
At the launch he will be giving a talk based on his new book “Good Little Ship: Arthur Ransome, Nancy Blackett and the Goblin”, showing the history of the boat herself, her life, near-death, restoration and renaissance as an ambassador for Arthur Ransome and his tales.
Arthur and Evgenia Ransome had moved house from the inland waters of the Lake District to the East Coast – and simultaneously sought out and bought a seagoing cruising yacht – with the express intention of rediscovering coastal and offshore sailing.
The yacht was, of course, the Nancy Blackett. In his seventh “Swallows and Amazons” novel, “We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea”, she became the Goblin, the boat in which the four Walker children, John, Susan, Titty, and Roger, find themselves adrift in the North Sea and end up having to sail to Holland, and grow up a bit in the process.
‘There’s more than a touch of irony about the title of Arthur Ransome’s “We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea”. The book came about precisely because that’s just what he had intended to do,’ writes Peter Willis in his preface to this new appreciation.
“We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea” is itself considered a classic of maritime literature and “a book of which Conrad would have been proud”, according to Arthur Ransome’s biographer Hugh Brogan.
For Arthur Ransome, Nancy Blackett liberated his writing, providing him with arguably his finest book. But what of the boat herself, and how was she found semi-derelict in Scarborough Harbour and restored to sail on the River Orwell – and sailed across the North Sea (more than once) – again?
Nancy Blackett passes Pin Mill on 4th June 2017. Photo by Bill Wallace-King.
“Good Little Ship: Arthur Ransome, Nancy Blackett and the Goblin” explores fiction and reality, and the links between them, and includes an article by Arthur Ransome himself (“Saturday to Saturday”), as well as notes on all his other boats.
Peter Willis is a former Deputy Editor of “Classic Boat” magazine and is currently performing a similar function at “Classic Sailor” magazine. In 1996 he launched an appeal to buy Arthur Ransome’s Nancy Blackett and preserve her to be sailed as a living reminder of Arthur Ransome and his works, and is currently the President of the Nancy Blackett Trust.
This will be the official launch of Peter’s brand-new book!
The talk is being hosted by Arthur Beale of Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2 8JP, London’s yacht chandler for 400 years, A nominal £5.00 entry fee is charged but this is fully refunded on purchase of the book (£14.00) or any item from Arthur Beale worth over £15.00.
Please email talks@arthurbeale.co.uk to reserve your place.
Date: Thursday, 16th November 2017
Time: 6.30pm for a 6:45pm start
Venue: St Giles-in-the-Fields Church, 60 St Giles High Street. London, WC2H 8LG – just over the road from the shop.
The book is available to pre-order from the Arthur Beale website – bring your receipt for FREE admission, collect your copy on the night and if you’re lucky, Peter might even sign it for you!
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