Taking another tack (was Contemporary Appeal)


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ Previous # Next ] [ Start New Thread ] [ TarBoard ]

Posted by Andrew Craig-Bennett on October 26, 2006 at 12:10:21 from 213.38.124.194 user ACB.

In Reply to: Contemporary appeal, was AR's other writings posted by Prue Eckett on October 25, 2006 at 06:14:54:

My family sail and read Ransome. The boys (and their parents) are friendly with three other families with children of roughly similar age, who sail, and read Ransome. Two of the families in question own boats once owned by AR himself ("Ragged Robin" ex "Lottie Blossom" and "Peter Duck") but neither "Clytie" (the other boat) nor "Mirelle" (our boat) have any Ransome connections, though both can stand in for "Lapwing", being cream painted gaff cutters.

Now, it may well be that I have just picked the least representative sample possible in the British Isles! But one factor in common is that these are all elderly wooden boats dating from the Ransome era.

Modern plastic yachts, kept in marinas, with advanced levels of creature comfort on board, are very far removed from the "Goblin" aka Nancy Blackett and sailing these has little in common with sailing an AR type boat.

A modern sailing dinghy of the Topper or Laser type has almost nothing in common with "Swallow" or "Amazon" or "Titmouse" or "Scarab", and the supply of worn out clinker ships lifeboats for Death and Glories has dried up.

There is therefore little natural connection between "sailing" and "reading Arthur Ransome".

Now, changing tack, a great deal of modern children's literature is Politically Correct. The Swallows and Amazons, a group of middle class children who go to boarding schools in the 1930's, are lamentably un-PC - they speak correct English, have parents who are either married or widowed, and are not members of inner city gangs.

However, I am not sure that the modern, Politically Correct, children's books are books that are read for pleasure, as opposed to being bought as presents or handed out as required reading in schools. A careful inspection of Alex's school bag over recent weeks revealed:

The Jungle Book

The Secret Garden (one of my late father's favourite books, as a child!)

The Once and Future King

Goodnight Mister Tom (the only post-1960 book!)




Follow Ups:



Post a Followup

Name:
Eel-Mail:

Existing subject (please edit appropriately) :

or is it time to start a New Thread?

Comments:

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL:

post direct to TarBoard test post first

Before posting it is necessary to be a registered user.


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TarBoard ]

Courtesy of Environmental Science, Lancaster

space