Dedicated to the memory of Brigit Sanders, First President of TARS
Yes, the Library has moved. It was serendipity that after providing us with a superb service for some years Winifred wished to step down, and thanks to Covid Moat Brae had to increase our rent to an unsupportable level so a change of Librarian and a change of location coincided and we welcome Christine Rae to the role, and her home will be the new location.
Christine has the books unpacked and on the shelves but is organising them.
About the Library
The Arthur Ransome Society has a substantial Library of books and other materials, most of which are available for borrowing by members either by post or at some regional and national events. The full catalogue, updated each spring, can be seen here. (Update edition can be found at the end of this article).
LIBRARY NEWS ‘There are comparatively few books about being young which can be read with equal pleasure by young and old alike. … In my category of books for both young and old would come … Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amzons‘.
The above quote comes from the introduction by John Bayley to a book mentioned on p. iii and seems to me to sum up why TARS exists, with its membership across the age spectrum. Long may it continue! The Library of TARS celebrates its 20th birthday this year, so I asked Margaret Ratcliffe, who started it all, to write about its beginnings, and here is her response, in her own inimitable style. I particularly love the sentence ‘… so I went to Los Angeles to acquire a copy of the list ….’ Margaret started as she meant to go on, with total dedication.
Anyone interested in seeing the list to which she refers can get in touch with me.
In the beginning – the genesis of TARS Library
I can’t remember how it first came to my attention that AR’s books had been sold to the Fullerton Library at the University of Southern California – around 5000 titles. They had a comprehensive list. So I went to Los Angeles to acquire a copy of the list and see the volumes they had retained in their Special Collections. I wanted to read as Ransome had read but I was never going to be able to afford 5000 titles. And so the germ of the idea to form a TARS Library was formed.
Evgenia had left the books Arthur valued to Abbot Hall and I needed a list of those too. Jim and Judy Andrews kindly volunteered and spent many bitterly cold winter hours at Abbot Hall compiling this list.
To read the rest of this interesting article go to the Signals page and read it in the April 2020 edition. (easier to read in the pdf of the current version, but at a later date you will have to read it in the archive version.)
Each spring a Library Update is published, with reviews and news of developments in the Library. See the latest Update here.
Borrowing Books: All members of TARS may borrow books from our Library by contacting Christine Rae tarslib@arthur-ransome.org to make an enquiry or book an appointment to visit.
List of books:
Winter 2022
There are 121 by Ransome alone (admittedly including translations)
TARS Physical, shared, resources
TARS have some resources, such as the PA system and Capt Flint’s trunk which Regions may wish to use from time to time. The cost is just the carriage from the holder’s home to the new user’s home, and then finding the space to store it till the next person wants it.
TARS Flag
Usually held at the home of the Chairman of the next Region to host the IAGM.
Currently held at SW Region near Banstaple contact Susan susangouldbourne@gmail.com.
Tars Banner – a long upright roller banner each Region should have one, but available to borrow. Currently held at SW Region contact Susan susangouldbourne@gmail.com
Capt Flint’s Trunk – usually used for the Outlaw’s Den at IAGMs but available for other events, contains colouring equipment, some other games, things to keep particularly younger children absorbed.
PA System – usually used for IAGMs but available for other events. Microphone, amplifier and speakers in a box 40x9x17cm. Currently near J17 of M4 webmaster@arthur-ransome.org
Please let me know of other things the Regions can share….event tents? BBQs,? webmaster@arthur-ransome.org.