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.
Calling All Puzzle Masters! Can You Solve This?
When John was six years old he hammered a nail into his favorite tree to mark his height.
Ten years later at age sixteen, John returned to see how much higher the nail was.
If the tree grew by five centimetres each year, how much higher would the nail be?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️