Posts by Nancy Blackett

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Photo story: Nancy Blackett’s last sail of the season

by Nancy Blackett

Nancy Blackett successfully made her way from Woolverstone to Woodbridge this weekend, in advance of her end-of-season liftout. Saturday lunchtime saw her moored to a buoy in Bathside Bay, Harwich, before slipping over the Deben Bar mid-afternoon before a well-earned crew dinner at the Maybush, Waldringfield. This afternoon saw her motoring upriver to Woodbridge Tide […]

Inside the Dog’s Home from “The Picts and the Martyrs”

by Nancy Blackett

Earlier this month the intrepid Jon Porter, following in the footsteps of author Marc Grimston, explored inside and around the Dog’s Home, the small stone hut in woods that was a location in The Picts and the Martyrs, the eleventh and last completed book set in the Lakes in the Swallows and Amazons series. Jon has kindly provided […]

Sophie Neville on: Ten reasons why imagination is so important – inspired by the author and travel writer Arthur Ransome

by Nancy Blackett

Sophie Neville explores the influences of Arthur Ransome’s imagination on her own travelling adventures… The Arthur Ransome Society recently invited me to speak at their bi-annual Literary Weekend held at the Royal Agricultural University. The college is situated outside Cirencester in Gloucestershire, a ten minute drive from the Golden Valley of the Cotswolds where I […]

Photo story: Nancy Blackett’s September sailing

by Nancy Blackett

Members of the Nancy Blackett Trust made the most of September and enjoyed sailing Nancy Blackett during the last of this year’s summer weather. Highlights included more trips to the Walton Backwaters and shorter day sailing just along the River Orwell past Pin Mill, including a special visit to the Selina King exhibition at the […]

Barge Growler restoration underway with help from the Nancy Blackett Trust

by Nancy Blackett

Restoration of the barge Growler has just passed an important milestone with the insertion of the first piece of new timber into the hull. It’s one of 10 new frames, using oak timber bought with help from the Nancy Blackett Trust’s Young Sailors Fund. Growler is a 34ft, one-third size sailing barge dating from 1922, […]

As it happened: the Pigeon Post Marathon Reading in Coniston Coppermines

by Nancy Blackett

Here are some of the highlights of today’s Marathon Reading of Pigeon Post in the Coniston Coppermines Youth Hotel, as told by some of the participants. Please note: to see any single full-size photograph, click on the relevant tweet to see it. To view a photos in a group, clicking goes to the original tweet, […]

A marathon reading of Pigeon Post is coming to Coniston Coppermines

by Nancy Blackett

A marathon reading of Arthur Ransome’s classic story Pigeon Post is happening near Coniston tomorrow (29th September). The all-day event starts at 8am at the Coniston Coppermines Youth Hostel and has been organised by writer and lecturer Chris Routledge, in association with The Arthur Ransome Trust, who also staged a similar reading of Swallows and Amazons on […]

Libby Purves to give the first Brian Hammett Memorial Talk

by Nancy Blackett

Update (January 3rd 2020): Please note that plans for this event are currently under reconsideration due to the illness of our proposed speaker Libby Purves. We hope Libby will be recovered and well enough to fulfil the engagement later in the year, and wish her well. Meanwhile we are holding the booking for March 20th at […]

Photo story: Nancy Blackett’s summer sailing

by Nancy Blackett

Nancy Blackett has had a busy summer of sailing trips for members of the Trust along the East Coast, from local daytrips and overnight stays on the Rivers Orwell and Stour, to venturing further afield – south to “Secret Water” and north to Southwold and Lowestoft. On the way, our members have encountered lounging seals, […]

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