On Monday 7th July Nancy Blackett (with Judy Taylor and John Benford) and Peter Duck (with Julia Jones) entertained Year 6 of Chelmondiston Primary School respectively at Woolverstone Marina and the Royal Harwich Yacht Club. They also entertained us – they have been reading “We Didn’t Mean To Go To Sea”, and performed a version […]
As usual, Nancy Blackett was available for short sailing trips for members of the Nancy Blackett Trust on the day of the Trust’s AGM. View our photo album of Nancy Blackett sailing on the River Orwell on 5th July 2014.
Peter Willis became the Nancy Blackett Trust’s first ever President yesterday. He served as chairman of the Nancy Blackett Trust for 17 years until last November, having launched the original Nancy Blackett Appeal in 1996. He set up the Trust a year later when the fundraising target had been reached and Nancy Blackett purchased. Mr. […]
This past week Nancy Blackett has been making the most of the recent fine weather with her first summer cruise up the River Alde and back. In the care of Skipper Richard Wainwright, Nancy Blackett and her crew started her voyage last weekend with overnight stays at Ramsholt (on the River Deben) and Orford. Iken […]
Norman Willis, the former general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, and a former president of the Arthur Ransome Society, passed away earlier this month at the age of 81. Born in Hayes, Middlesex, Mr Willis led the TUC at what was arguably the most turbulent period of the trades unions' history, becoming the general […]
Yesterday morning adventurer and sailor Elsa Hammond finally set off on the inaugural Great Pacific Race from Monterey, California. Elsa, a lifelong Arthur Ransome enthusiast, is the only solo female rower from Europe taking part in the race, which is also first ever rowing race to take place in the Pacific Ocean. Elsa is rowing […]
This year sees the 75th anniversary of the publication of "Secret Water", the eighth book in the "Swallows and Amazons" series by Arthur Ransome. The story is principally set in the Walton Backwaters and includes an second appearance by Nancy Blackett as the Goblin, being the direct sequel to the classic "We Didn't Mean to […]
You can now pre-order from our shop the new upcoming Vintage Classics editions of both "We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea" and "Secret Water" – the two Arthur Ransome titles that feature Nancy Blackett as the Goblin. They are about to be published in Random House's Vintage Classics series, with striking new cover designs. The […]
It is now just a few days before Nancy Blackett starts her 2014 season with a members' day at Shotley Marina on Saturday 12th April. A number of activities for members are planned for the day, including short sailing trips and a tour of the Ganges Museum, riverside walks and dinner at the Shipwreck Restaurant. […]
Nancy Blackett Trust member Jenny Wedick is currently in Argentina, having spent several weeks sailing there on the STS Lord Nelson, a Tall Ship owned by the Jubilee Sailing Trust. She writes: "I am now a true Cape Horner! We sailed over 6,000 miles from Auckland, stopping at Napier and the Chatham Islands before seeing […]
Children’s literature postgrad Elizabeth Williams from Newcastle University recently came to research the East Coast locations used by Ransome and Julia Jones, and was delighted to accept an invitation to visit the Goblin – alias Nancy Blackett. Here’s her account of the day: I love reading children’s books, and rereading the ones I’m particularly attached to. […]
Nancy Blackett Trust member Jenny Wedick is currently sailing towards Argentina on the STS Lord Nelson, a Tall Ship owned by the Jubilee Sailing Trust. Writing in her latest ship's update, she explains how it all started: "I have almost always lived by the sea and many of my childhood family holidays involved sailing on […]
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