We all know that Arthur Ransome was complaining of ‘having run out of ideas’ and ‘not knowing where the next book was coming from’ when he was in the process of moving from Low Ludderburn in the Lake District down to Suffolk in order to enjoy some ‘sea-sailing’ again.

And it’s true that the purchase of Nancy Blackett provided the inspiration for We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea.

But it wasn’t until the words ‘writer’s block’ and ‘literary career’ emerged from my TV set that it really hit me that we had perhaps taken Nancy Blackett’s influence a bit too lightly. And that her effect on Arthur Ransome 90 years ago was of greater significance than even I, her most devoted supporter, had recognised.

We can owe this week’s BBC coverage of Nancy’s 90th anniversary to a chance remark on Sarah Lilley’s Radio Suffolk morning show. The saying ‘batten down the hatches’ cropped up and she asked any listener who could explain its origins to phone in. I did, and found myself talking to producer Johnnie Wright, who knew all about Nancy Blackett and suggested sending roving reporter Luke Wright to do an interview aboard her on Monday 8th September – the anniversary day itself.

Robin Sadler joined me, we did the interview – it went out live on Radio Suffolk, between 11.21 and 11.39 am on Monday 8th September – you can listen to it here – and Luke did a little filming of Nancy Blackett on his phone while he was there, which cropped up on Look East the following morning. and on BBC Suffolk’s Facebook page (seen here).

So something had to happen in 1936-7 to get Arthur writing again, and that something was Nancy Blackett. We can thank her not just for We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea and Secret Water, but also, in some part for The Big Six, Missee Lee, The Picts and the Martyrs and Great Northern?. 

– Peter Willis

This weekend, September 13th-14th, The Nancy Blackett Trust will be celebrating Heritage Open Days along with Ipswich Maritime Trust at the Old Customs House, Ipswich Harbour, 10am-4pm, come and visit us.

Photos: Ipswich Old Customs House and Thames barge Victor (above), credit: Peter Willis;
Nancy Blackett at Woolverstone (header), credit: Radio Suffolk.