Libraries - and Guilds! - ought to be very careful lest they encourage the idea that books are like newspapers and muffins and herrings, to be served fresh and fresh. Any good book improves on rereading, and I believe that the reason why books meant so much to me when I was a small boy is that I didn't have too many, and those I did have I knew pretty well by heart. (From "Signalling from Mars, The Letters of Arthur Ransome", Hugh Brogan 1997)
I have read all of the Swallows and Amazons books so many times that on the rare occasions when I sail on my own, I always hear Arthur Ransome's advice in my head. I can't say he made me a competent sailor but he certainly did make me feel that I could and should sail. And now that I have read his words to Ms Ferris, I feel entirely good about rereading good books, too. |
| An island on Windermere |
Being such a fan of AR, only imagine my delight when Ian, George and I visited Lake Windermere in Cumbria, which formed part of the setting of several of The Books. (We only had a day there, and did not get to Coniston on this trip.) This was an unexpected treat that came about because Ian had organised for us to stay a night or two with his Cumbrian cousin Peter, his wife Lindsay and their lovely young'uns.
Once at Rio/Bowness, I was fairly desperate to be on the lake and with some control of the helm (albeit delegated - but I definitely didn't want to be a mere passenger in a steamer). This accorded with George's need to be driving something; anything. So we rented a small electric runabout and spent a happy hour or two scooting about the lake. It could nearly have been Kaniere - soft dark water and wooded islands - if one ignored Bowness and ancient ruins... and boat-houses of course, which have sadly been removed from the Kaniere shore.
I'll never know why there was smoke drifting up from distant woods - but the plume pictured here will always mean charcoal burners to me!
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| The Altounyan red slippers |
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