Calendar

Sep
3
Sat
Revisiting the original Picts – at Pictish settlements in Easter Ross @ Edinburgh STATION
Sep 3 – Sep 4 all-day

A trail over Pictish Scotland.  Bring your car or get to Inverness area by train

Itinery Sat 3rd September

06.35 depart Edinburgh Waverley

10.28 arrive Inverness or Tain

(then car to Inver, near Portmahomack)

12.00 lunch at Inver Restaurant

(then car to Tarbat Discovery Centre)

13.30 Tarbat Discovery Centre

16.15 leave by car for Nigg – Cromarty ferry

17.00 (or thereabouts!) ferry to Cromarty

19.30 dinner at Royal Hotel Cromarty

(then stay overnight in various B&Bs in Cromarty area; (the Royal Hotel is fully booked!)

Sun 4th September

09.00 Groam House Museum, Rosemarkie

12.00 lunch at restaurant to be determined

14.30 depart on Jacobite Rebel for 2 hour Loch Ness cruise

16.30 return to Inverness centre, maybe for a snack

18.57 depart Inverness

22.41 arrive Edinburgh

Chris says:

I have not indicated trains, as these seem to have been so erratic in recent times that I thought it best that folk should plan their own travel arrangements.  However, most rail travellers will I think come from Edinburgh to Inverness.   The ferry from Nigg to Cromarty goes half hourly until 18.15, so there should be no problem with this.  I am making the assumption that we shall have enough cars to transport everyone during the two days; we shall have my car and presumably that of Sandy and Anne Allan , which should suffice.
People interested in joining the party should contact me by email, indicating if they will come by car (offering how many seats to other members), or if they are hoping to be picked up at a railway station, or wherever.  Most train travellers will come to Inverness, but the nearest relevant station is in fact Tain.
Oct
15
Sat
Scottish Literary Day at Moat Brae @ Moat Brae
Oct 15 @ 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Our Literary Day this year will take place on Saturday 15 October, at Moat Brae, 101 George Street, Dumfries DG1 1EA, a return to the home of TARS Library, as well as being the National Centre for Children’s Literature and Storytelling.
The day will start at 11.00 and finish at 15.00, and there will be another chance to look round the house, with a new exhibition, the garden (look out for Swallows and Amazons!) and of course the Library – bring a big bag and borrow lots of books!
A buffet lunch will be served in the Garden Room, followed by a talk – In the footsteps of literary genius: recap and what next? given by long-time member and author Kirsty Nichol Findlay. As the title may imply, Kirsty will be telling us about her lifelong encounter with the life and works of Arthur Ransome, her struggles to edit his unpublished writing, meet his mind and de-code his brilliance.
The cost will be £15 per person, payable on the day.
Please reply to this email by Saturday 1 October at the latest if you wish to book a place, so that we can confirm our booking of the room and food. Please note that my email address as given on page 23 of Signals is incorrect. It should be 15
Oct
16
Sun
Visit to Tanfield Steam Railway @ Tanfield Railway
Oct 16 all-day

TARS Northern Region

Sunday 16th October 2022

Join us on a visit to Tanfield Railway (Durham 12 miles Gateshead 7 miles)

Arrive in Durham by train and I can give up to 4 people a lift!

Meet at East Tanfield Station at around 11 am to have coffee in The Waiting Room Cafe, look at the shop and catch the 11.50 from East Tanfield DH9 9UY. You can get on and off at any station. There is usually lots to see around the sheds at Marley Hill (Near Andrews House station) and at East Tanfield.

Find out more about this lovely little railway on www. Tanfield-railway.co.uk

 

We suggest lunch at Causey Arch station at 12. 45. If the weather is good there is a picnic area. There is also a café, and over the road a pub. Walk down and see the oldest railway bridge in the world. Then catch the train back to East Tanfield or walk back through a lovely wooded ravine (uneven steps and rough footpath)

You could even be really decadent and take another trip on the 14.30, with afternoon tea on a table for two for £58!

 

Tanfield is standard gauge and runs nearly all steam engines – mostly ex colliery saddletanks. I’ll know which engine should be running a couple of days before. The line is about 3 miles each way, running through lovely countryside. One hour round trip.

For full day tickets: (Book online the day before and get 10% discount)

Price:

£13.50 adult

£11.50  Senior

£1.00 child (under 5 free)

 

 

Contact Elizabeth  elizabeth.williams10@aol.com   Tel: 07897246670

May
5
Fri
2023 IAGM Dundee @ Hotel Malmaison
May 5 – May 8 all-day

Things are coming together for the 2023 IAGM.  The date is set, the hotel under negotiation.

Loads of interesting things to do.

May
20
Sat
SW fossil hunting @ Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre
May 20 all-day

Enjoy a day by the sea at the Jurassic coast looking for fossils. Meet by the Heritage Coast Centre at 11.00 am. We are hoping to have a guide to tell/show us what to look for.

The beach is pretty rocky so wear stout footwear.

Jun
23
Fri
Boat trip and visit to Kelmscott Manor @ The Trout Inn
Jun 23 all-day

Join us for a lovely day out floating along the Thames for an hour. We will meet at 10.30 am at the Trout Inn, where cars may be left while we go on the 11 am sailing.  (NB there are 2 other Trout Inns nearby so make sure you go to the right one).   We will return to the Trout Inn for lunch and then go and have a look round Kelmscott Manor, an Arts & Crafts gem, and maybe finish off with a cream tea.

Jul
15
Sat
SW Zoom reading of the Sparkinson Interviews
Jul 15 @ 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm

Brian Hopton has kindly given us permission to read some of the Sparkinson interviews, written by him, Jill Goulder and Paul Crisp, from “Ransome Centre Stage”. We are going to have three different ‘Sparkinsons’ and three interviewees this time.

If you would like to join us and have not already received the Zoom link here it is –

http://SW TARS are inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Ransome Centre Stage Time: Jul 15, 2023 03:45 PM London Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82456377421?pwd=Zjc0Q0NMZUwrNzZ6ejNhZmhieUliQT09 Meeting ID: 824 5637 7421 Passcode: 314989

Aug
7
Mon
Interest is required NOW – Camp at Holly Howe! @ Bank Ground Farm
Aug 7 all-day

We need figures now as to who might be interested in camping at Holly Howe (Bank Ground Farm, Coniston, LA21 8AA as soon as possible as a deposit for the full amount is required soon if we are to go ahead.  Proposed dates, but not yet set in stone are 7-14th August 2023.  You may bring your own craft and the less hardy can stay at The B&B or self catering at the Farmhouse itself.

Contact paul-midtars@gmx.co.uk with an expression of interest as soon as you can.

Sep
30
Sat
SW Bring & Scoff @ Creech St Michael Village Hall
Sep 30 all-day

We will meet up at 10.45 am at the hall, which is a mile or two off the M5, the opposite side to Taunton.

Bring food to share – it always turns out to be a feast.

Remember in Peter Duck where he comes aboard with his kitbag with a coat of arms on it? We thought it would be fun to have a go at making our own. Have a look in the book and think about what you would put on yours.

The cost of £6= per adult will be to cover hire of the hall and paper, card , felt tips etc., which will be provided, as will some examples of heraldic designs.

Also bring a favourite passage from one of AR’s books or books about him and read it out to everyone if we have time.

 

Oct
22
Sun
SW Zoom talk on the Tavistock Canal
Oct 22 @ 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm