Arthur Ransome: Story-teller, journalist, sailor, fisherman and suspected spy
Date: Monday 9 March 2020, 5:30pm to 7pm
Cost: Koha from non-members appreciated. 5:30pm drinks and nibbles, 6:00pm talk
Location: Programme Rooms, Te Ahumairangi (ground floor), National Library, corner Molesworth and Aitken Streets, Thorndon, Wellington
Part of the Friends of the Dorothy Neal White Collection series
Do you love Swallows and Amazons? Have you ever camped, fished, sailed, been bird spotting, or visited the Lake District in England, the Highlands of Scotland or the Norfolk Broads of East Anglia? Are you a fan of Arthur Ransome? Then this talk is for you.
Arthur Ransome more than ‘Swallows and Amazons
Cheryl Paget, co-ordinator of The Arthur Ransome Society in New Zealand will be giving a talk will be about Arthur Ransome the man, his children’s novels, and the rumour that he acted as a British Spy during the Russian Revolution.
There was much more to Arthur Ransome than the Swallows and Amazons novels alone. He wrote more than twenty-five other books, on a wide range of subjects, many related to his own life, experience and interests which were wide-ranging, exciting and deeply fascinating.
Who's the talk for?
This presentation will suit anyone who read ‘Swallows and Amazons’ as a child, or loved ‘Treasure Island’, ‘Robinson Crusoe’, or read authors like Malcolm Saville, or even if you are interested in the history of adventure stories for children since the 1930s.
If you have ever camped, fished, sailed, been bird spotting, or have visited the Lake District in England, the Highlands of Scotland or the Norfolk Broads of East Anglia, then this talk will appeal to you.
Drinks and nibbles
Join us at 5:30pm, for drinks and nibbles, the talk starts at 6pm
About the speaker
Currently living in Island Bay, Cheryl Paget was born in Scotland and brought up in Suffolk, England, immigrating in 2009 to New Zealand as a single Mum with two boys. Cheryl cites Anne of Green Gables as the biggest influence on her life, deciding at a very early age that she would go to University to study English Literature just like Anne Shirley.
Cheryl completed her studies at Warwick University with an MA in Literature for Children in 1994. The other biggest literary influence was Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons series. As the New Zealand Co-ordinator for the Arthur Ransome Society, Cheryl gets to release her inner Nancy every year when organising the society’s annual weekend get-togethers.
Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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36.6% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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63.4% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Scam Alert: Bank cold calls
ASB is warning customers about reports of cold calls from scammers claiming to be from ASB. These scammers are trying to obtain personal information, including usernames, dates of birth, and verification codes sent to your mobile phone.
🛡️ The "Caller Check" Test
If you get a call from someone claiming to be from ASB and you’re unsure, just ask them for a Caller Check. You will then be able to verify the call through the app.
Remember, banks will:
❌ Never ask for your banking passwords, PINs, or verification codes
❌ Never need to know your full credit card number – especially the CVC
❌ Never ask you to download software or remotely access your device
❌ Never ask you to purchase gift cards or transfer funds.
If you have received a phone call and think your account has been compromised, call ASB on 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372), or visit your local branch.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
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