Date: Thu, 14 Apr 1994 22:17:17 +0000 To:tarsSig2Mars From:peter@physics.otago.ac.nz (Peter Dowden) Subject:Sig2Mars issue 1 MMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMM MMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMM MXXXXXXXMMMXXXXXXXX/.\\\XXXXXMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMM XXXMXXMXXXXXXXMXXX/.:.\\\\XXXXXXXMMMMMM MMMM MMMMMMMMMM XXXXXXXXXXMXXXXXX/:__:.\\\\\XXMXXXXXXXMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM ++++++++++XXXXXX/:| |:.\\\\\\XXMXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXMMMM ++MM++++++++++++|.|__|.:|: . |XXXXXXXXXXMMXXXXXXXXXXXXXX ++++++++++++++++|:.:.::.| : |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXMXXXXX ++++++++++++++++|.:..:.:|. :| ++++++++++++++M++++ Virtual Tars ---|:.::.:.|.____ ---------++++++++++ ++++ M M +++++++ ++ SIGNALLING M M M M aaa rrr sss ++ ++ TO M M M a a rr s + + M M a a r ss + + April 1994 M M a a r s + + issue no 1 M M aa a r sss + + + + an unofficial Electronic Newsletter for Members + + of The Arthur Ransome Society + + + + content may not reflect opinions of TARS, + + or of anyone else for that matter! + + + + e-address: peter@physics.otago.ac.nz + + [more addresses at foot of message] + + NB: any mail received including senders' names + + and email addresses will be publishable + + unless marked otherwise! + IF YOU DO NOT WANT THIS NEWSLETTER please send Reply to that effect ________________________________________________________ kiaora Tars Thanks to those who replied to the Prototype "Issue no 0". There hasn't been an overwhelming influx of contributions, but that's not surprising as there are only 8 Tars getting this and a few more "Prospects". I'll try not to be one of thiose stupid editors who writes the entire thing. I just received SIGNALS, the Tars compilation of all the local newsletters. This one should go in the next issue if they'll have us. I must stress though that Virtual Tars and Signalling to Mars have no official Tars status, nor has any been sought so far, due to lack of effort on my part. Since only a few got Issue 0, I'll just repeat a couple of things: any mail you don't want is junkmail, so send it back and you won't get any more. Also, please note the warning above about all correspondence and senders' identities being treated as publishable unless marked otherwise; this is because most of you asked to be put in contact with other Tars. In this issue we have a contribution from Dr.Hamish Gunn who has written a walking guide to Ransome land, a wee note from Doug Faunt about the Tars Invitation to Join that was in Issue 0 and some sundries I lifted from the Internet News. NEXT ISSUE I'll have a Lakeland hunting song as sung by Old Mr Swainson in SD, which Roger Dick, Tars' appropriately-named New Zealand rep, put in "News from Houseboat Bay", the NZ region newsletter. I hope this is glook, drool, Peter HAMISH GUNN'S WALKING IN RANSOME LAND [I enjoyed this, Hamish: if you'd care to let us serialise it, please send some more walks.] from: hamish@gunn.demon.co.uk (Dr.H.I.E.Gunn) Hi Peter, (Hi Charles, fellow Demonite), Together with my family I spent several holidays in the LD walking the locations. I decided to put the effort to good use and write a little walk book. I discovered that someone had gotten there first! I've corresponded with the author (of an excellent book), Claire Kendall-Price. The styles were naturally different (hers is written in a Nancy style - mine in typical ex-academic style). The walks were similar which is not surprising. She really scores in the background material. She tells me I wasn't the only one to write and say they had the same idea but mine was the furthest on. Anyway, would anyone in cyberspace be interested in the (fairly unedited) text? I enclose the intro and a sample walk. There are several more (about a dozen). The following may be freely reproduced as long as a) the author is acknowledged b) no money is charged unless any sum over and above reproduction costs is given to TARS Introduction There are many devotees of the children's books written by Arthur Ransome. Not least of them is myself. I was first introduced to AR's work as a schoolboy. I can still remember the excitement and sheer pleasure of reading on a long summer's evening, hearing the blackbirds singing as the sun streamed through the window. My favourite books were those set in the Lake District, a place I had never been to nor was to visit until many years later when I had a young family of my own. Initially we were enchanted by the area, happy to explore it at random. After the first few of many visits I started to relate the places we were seeing to the locations in the books. In doing this I was following in the footsteps of other devotees. I am indebted to Roger Wardale and Christina Hardyment for their enjoyable books which I heartily recommend. Our idea of a good family holiday encompasses going out for day walks. I tried to design a few of these to take in possible locations. I felt this would add some interest and provide some talking points. There was no idea at first of writing a book. I felt Roger Wardale and Christina Hardyment had covered a lot of material relating to locations, but I did feel that there may be those who may not be able to visit the Lake District as often as we could, and who wanted to get a feel for Ransome country in perhaps a short space of time. A guide book would have been too stuffy. Now all Ransome fans are explorers, that goes without saying. So I decided to expand on the previous work by writing down some of our walks that would impart a flavour of Ransome country. Because AR collected together locations and repositioned them it is not possible to have a walk that covers any particular book. Thus the walks take in locations from several books. As I read more about AR, I realised just how much his fictional work depended on events and places in his life. It was not enough simply to relate fictional locations to actual geography, I wanted to walk the lanes he walked, see the areas he lived in and imagine what it was like back at the start of the century. Eventually I felt I had enough material to warrant a small book. About the Walks. Time Most of the walks are designed to last the major part of a day. As a rough guide, my family of two adults and two children aged 7 and 10 used to set off about 10am and arrive back round about 4pm. However each group will have a different pace and different style of walking. For example we like to stop at interesting spots for anytime up to an hour. We agree with that other Lake District devotee, A. Wainwright, that walking should not be done to a timetable. The distance covered should be used as a rough guide to duration. Our family walks tend to take 1 to 2 miles an hour. Effort These walks have all been done by my family. Some however are more strenuous than others and care should be taken not to carry on past your abilities. If a walk proves too difficult, turn back. The two types of walking most likely to sap the energy are climbing and walking through rough moorland. For both of these, the best advice is to go slowly but steadily. This is better in the long run than vigorous exercise interspersed with frequent rests. Equipment Prudent walkers will equip themselves according to the weather and the terrain. It is recommended that strong footwear, preferably walking boots, should be used for stony tracks and moorland. Read the walk route description in advance to consider what may be needed. Take food, drink, spare clothing, small first aid kit, wet weather clothing, map and compass. This may all be carried in a rucksack to leave the hands free. (Some walk descriptions have compass directions. They are included to provide practice for budding explorers and vary from general points such as SSE to magnetic bearings.) Dixon's Farm, AR Camp Amazon Valley, High Topps Start from the Car Park in Coniston behind the church. Proceed down Tilberthwaite Avenue towards the lake. Just before the bridge at the edge of Coniston, turn left onto the road signposted "Ambleside". Carry on past the bridge to Coniston AFC ground, to the next bridge opposite the school. Cross the bridge and go left upstream on the bank, to a style into a field. The path in the field leads past an interesting ruin. Up on the left can be seen the sharp rise up to Yewdale Fells. After some styles, the path enters woodland. On leaving the trees, the buttress of Yewdale Crag is seen next to White Gill (impressive after heavy rain). The track crosses two fields then joins a pleasant country lane bounded by hedging. Turn left onto the lane through some trees, past a ruin to meet up with the beck again. The lane crosses a stone bridge. Turn right before the barn ahead then go past some lovely cottages where AR stayed. Once through the gate into a field the track passes a small hillock with a flat piece on top, ideal for camping. This is where AR camped... The track changes to a path crossing more fields, eventually ending at the main road opposite High Yewdale farm. On the approach to the main road, notice the flagstones used as fencing. Turn left onto the main road and walk along it, passing the road signposted "Hedge Close". Turn up the road signposted "Tilberthwaite Ghyll". Walk up this road which passes by the impressive outcrop of Raven Crag above the wooded ravine of Yewdale Beck. Opposite Raven Crag a signposted track on the left leads up the hillside. Take this to where it turns uphill before two becks close together. Do not turn uphill but carry on in the same direction onto a rocky path which crosses the becks. This path leads above some quarries to another small slate quarry with a level and some ruins. Just past this it joins a path at the top of a deeply cut quarry. Turn left and follow this path up the impressive ravine of Yewdale beck. Carry on round at the top until the path starts to leave Yewdale Beck to follow a tributary, Crook Beck upstream. Here a diversion is possible by crossing Crook Beck and proceeding towards the steep slopes of Wetherlam opposite. Under them, a path may be picked up which leads south under the slopes to cross Crook Beck and join up with the main path again. If no diversion is to be taken then continue southwards along the path which parallels Crook Beck upstream, climbing quite steeply. It passes a deep cutting about halfway up. This path emerges high above Copper Mines Valley under the Old Man. It then descends to the valley bottom where it meets the road up to the Youth Hostel at the head of the valley. Turn left onto the road and follow it all the way back into Coniston. On the way will be seen Miners' Bridge. A short way downstream from the bridge is probably where Collingwood met AR. Once in Coniston make your way back to the starting point. I'm off to the LD for a week at Bowness starting 9th April. Lucky old me. Wonder if I'll make the Old Man and Weatherlam? One Easter I climbed Weatherlam (actually from Tilberthwaite). The wind was so strong I had to crawl. There was ice on the rocks on the way up making it very tricky. On the way down (well in truth every time we go along Copper Mines Beck) I tried to guess where it was that AR met Collingwood. We are having gale force winds at present so here's hoping they will abate for my hols. I'll certainly visit the Dog's Home now that TARS (Northern) have cleaned it up. I remember searching the woods for it several times until a Mixed Moss gave me enough clues. Bye for now. -- | Hamish | | Livingston, Scotland, U.K. | DOUG'S NOTE ABOUT THE TARS INV TO JOIN From: faunt@netcom.com (Doug Faunt N6TQS 510-655-8604) Feel free to publish anything I send you. The application lists -Racundra's First Cruise- as in print, and I'm pretty sure it's not. However, -Rod and Line- and -Mainly about Fishing- are available from the Flyfishers Classic Library, in expensive new editions. [snip] doug [Hmm. I'm pretty sure Racundra is OOP too. Can anyone out there check this? I'm wondering if the shop 'Ransome Books' could be a source worth checking] FROM THE NEWS: [thought the second of these might be a good ransomish song; the first is I confess one of my old favourites] In article <2o7p4m$dc0@math1.cims.nyu.edu C. A. Stewart, stewartc@cs.nyu.edu writes: GILLIGAAAAAAN! Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale A tale of a fateful trip That started from this tropic port aboard this tiny ship (aboard this tiny ship) The mate was a mighty sailor-man the skipper brave and sure fiver passengers set sail that day for a three-hour tour (A THREE-HOUR TOUR!) The weather started getting rough the tiny ship was tossed If not for the courage of the fearless crew, THE MINNOW would be lost (THE MINNOW would be lost!) You can read the rest of the story in the Gilligan's Island Handbok by Joey Greene. Now, can anyone remember all the words of the Walloping Window Blind? I can only recall the first 2 verses: (Verse 1) A Capital Ship on an ocean trip was the Walloping Window Blind No gale that blew dismayed her crew nor troubled the captain's mind The man at the wheel was taught to feel contempt for the wildest blow-ow-ow And it often appeared when the weather had cleared He'd been in his bunk below (refrain) So! Blow ye winds heigh-ho! A sailing we will go! We'll stay no more on England's shore, so let the music play-ay-ay I'm off for the morning train I'll sail the raging main I'm off to my love with a boxing-glove ten thousand miles away. (Verse 2) The Boatswain's mate was very sedate, yet fond of amusement too. He played hop-scotch with the starboard watch while the captain tickled the crew. The Gunner we had was apparently mad for he sat on the after-rail and fired salutes with the captain's boots in the teeth of a booming gale. (refrain) There are 2 more verses, but I can't remember them offhand. Cheryl