Last Friday “Swallows and Amazons” was featured as the specialist subject of one contestant on the veteran BBC’s “Mastermind” quiz series. Sixteen questions were asked, drawing from topics across Arthur Ransome’s series of children’s novels, including two from “We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea”, in which Nancy Blackett stars as the Goblin. The contestant, […]
A Happy Christmas to everyone from all of us at the Nancy Blackett Trust – and fair winds for good sailing in 2013.
The Nancy Blackett Trust has just received a lovely Christmas card and message to us all from Mimi Ohsawa in Japan. Mimi visited Nancy Blackett in Woolverstone and Woodbridge at the time of the Woodbridge Festival in 2010 when she was studying at UEA, and based in Norwich. She is now a volunteer teaching youngsters […]
The Nancy Blackett Trust will be terminating its affiliate bookstore program at the end of the year. Orders may be made via the program up to the end of December 2012. Our direct sales of selected Ransome-related books will continue, and we are looking at the possibility of setting up an arrangement with an independent bookseller in the near […]
Attractive new editions of Arthur Ransome’s "Swallows and Amazons" series are being issued under the Vintage Classics imprint, with the first four titles now available. The paperbacks have a large, clear, easy-to-read typeface, all of Arthur Ransome’s original illustrations, plus quizzes, games and additional information in the ‘Backstory’ sections. More details in our Shop pages. […]
An impressive new painting of Nancy Blackett by noted marine artist Patrick Donovan (ARSMA) has been presented to the Nancy Blackett Trust. Prints and cards are available from our shop. About the painting Patrick Donovan's watercolour of Nancy Blackett is the result of a commission by a Nancy Blackett Trust member, who subsequently donated the […]
Nancy Blackett’s final cruise of the season was also the first for newly-promoted Skipper for Roger Sturge, the Nancy Blackett Trust’s Secretary. Here is his account… On Monday morning, in bright sunshine, we motored down the River Orwell and raised sail at Levington. The crew, Roger, Sue Heron and Ray Nash (the Trust’s treasurer) had […]
The latest addition to the Nancy Blackett shop is this beautiful 2013 Year Planner by our in-house artist Claudia Myatt. Being a generous A2 size on semi-stiff card, it has plenty of space for all your sailing dates and other engagements, as well as for your notes, phone numbers, etc. A true enhancement to any wall you […]
The Nancy Blackett Shop now stocks these new hardcover notebooks, which come with a choice of four classic Arthur Ransome book covers – as well as "We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea", you can choose between "Swallows and Amazons", "Pigeon Post" and "Winter Holiday" versions. Produced by Art Meets Matter, who specialise in book-cover-based […]
Another Winter holiday will be upon us sooner than you think, so as usual, here are our recommended last dates for ordering your Christmas gifts from the Nancy Blackett Shop. We will endeavour to meet orders up to these dates, but cannot guarantee (subject to availability) pre-Christmas delivery after: Friday 30th November for delivery to the […]
Arthur Ransome’s "We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea" was published 75 years ago this month. Inspired by his boat the Nancy Blackett, it was quickly recognised as the high point of his "Swallows and Amazons" series and one of the great pieces of sea fiction. The story features the four young ‘Swallows’ (John, Susan, Titty and […]
A very unusual but appropriate venue was the scene for the Autumn meeting of the Board of the Nancy Blackett Trust earlier this week, when it met at the Hermitage Community Moorings in Wapping, London. It was too good an opportunity to miss to photograph some less usual views of the Thames, so here are […]
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