Original Northern River Pirates flag discovered


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Posted by Peter Roche on July 16, 2006 at 07:15:41 from 62.253.128.12 user badboy.

Back in April 1997, shortly before that year's AGM, I was sent a flag that the owner claimed was Arthur Ransome’s original flag that he used on those Broads holidays of the 1930’s. I have no reason to doubt its provenance but to be safe I have had tests carried out on it that confirm its approximate date early 1930's.

It was given to me on the condition that it be well cared for and suitably displayed in a place accessible to the public.

The Museum Of The Broads had only recently opened, not in Stalham where it now is, but in one of Herbert Woods' boatsheds in Potter Heigham, some of you may remember. The Museum Of The Broads, I thought, would be an ideal place to display this flag, and I had brief discussions with the then curator, who was very happy with the idea, but, and it's a big but, the events of 1997 totaly overtook me and my plans were put on hold and the flag was put away safely and forgotten about.


With the recent launch of The Northern River Pirates Val said to me; "Didn't you have a skull & crossbones that once belonged to AR? Couldn't you put it to some use?" What a fantastic idea, so I found it, eventually, along with its accompanying letter instructing me what to do with it.

When I tried to contact the person who gave it to me, partly to apologies for the unforgivable lapse of memory and partly to ask if his instructions were the same, I discovered he had died in 2003.

This gentleman was a President of a well known organisation and when I read the Book of Condolences I became very annoyed at myself for not carrying out his wishes. This person was extremly well liked, and the comments in the Book of Condolences were very touching.

I've gone into some detail, with no apologies, because his instructions to me to suitably display it in a place accessible to the public made me painfully aware of the duty I owe to this gentleman, the family who AR gave the flag to and the flag itself, a very important part of AR's legacy.

The flag was given to my benefactor by the daughter of a family that Arthur and Evgenia met while sailing at Mersea in 1954, and it was the daughter who passed it on to him.

Arthur and Evgenia became regular visitors to their home where Arthur would fish for pike in the local gravel pits, the pits are named after Ransome. The daughter's abiding memory of those times was having to consume the 'disgusting pike soup' that Evgenia served up.

I have two plans for the flag; firstly I intend to photograph it and attempt replace the totally inapropriate photo at the head of The Northern River Pirates website, and secondly, I have contacted The Museum Of The Broads and hope to vistit them shortly. I'll keep you up to date.

According to Christina in AR&CFT in 1984 the Young brothers of Wandsworth Brewery still had theirs, "a particularly striking one, with large teeth which 'rose an fell like clappers' when the flag rippl;ed in the wind." Wouldn't it be great if we could persuade them to part with it and have it displayed alongside AR's?





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