Walk & Wild Swim

Saturday 20th June 10.30

Pont Melin-Fach Car Park

GRID REF SN907104

north of Pontneddfechan, Brecon Beacons SA11

Walk of a fairly leisurely 5 miles – the second half following the river with spectacular waterfalls with swimming opportunities (at your own risk) Contact Sarah Samuel – see Signals for how to do this or e-mail midlands@arthur-ransome.org.uk

this is an adventure event for TARS Junior Log Books

Explore The Roaches & Don Whillams Hut

‘twix Leek & Buxton

ST13 8UB

Friday 17th – Sunday 19th April

Come and stay in the Grade II former game-keeper’s cottage built into the rock face for a weekend of supervised rock climbing, walking the ridge and riverside valley. £22 per adult Junior TARS £0! for the 2 nights but bring your own bedding & grub. (there is a basic camp site at £4pppn down the road as a cheaper alternative) –  Book by end of January with Jules Blue see Signals for more info and contact details or e-mail midlands@arthur-ransome.org.uk

 this is an Adventure Challenge or a John’s Challenge in the Captain’s Log Book for Junior TARS

A day for The D’s – Archeological & Literary Day

Saturday 15th February

11.00am

Ashmolean Museum

Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2PH

(Open from 10am free entry) 

we’ll begin by inspecting the archaeological collections before moving on to Green Templeton College Observatory

(via the favourite pub of the Inklings) for a tour and finally, taking a rest and discussing the relationship between AR and Tolkien through their correspondence, with copies available to see. £5 per person for the tour (juniors free). 

contact Sarah for more details – see Signals or e-mail midlands@arthur-ransome.org.uk

a discovery event for Junior TARS

Saturday 18th January 2020

at

BMI, 9 Margaret Street

Birmingham B3 3BS

AGM & Junior Parley……….

Activities & Discussion on AR’s love of fairy stories plus Happy Birthday AR (bring a packed lunch or use local food outlets) then Birmingham Rep for Peter Pan (2.15)

both within 5min walking distance of New Street Station

note – AGM/Parley & Ransome Birthday & fairy discussion free but limited tickets for Peter Pan (£19.00 adults) Junior TARS – Free – its 1st come 1st served – contact Peter Wright – see Signals on how to do this or e-mail midlands@arthur-ransome.org.uk

Sophie Neville

reminiscences of filming

Swallows and Amazons

Frampton Mansell, Stroud

Gloucestershire

Saturday 19th October at 11 am

Plus –  Sophie’s mother is happy to talk and show her tame pet otter & a chance to go punting on their lake or launch your own boat or canoe (bring life jackets) / or walk along the derelict Thames and Severn canal.

Please bring your own packed lunch.

restricted numbers so book early through contacting Peter Wright – see Signals for details or email midlands@arthur-ransome.org.uk

this is a discovery for Junior TARS log book

Come to a

Swallows and Amazons

themed Board Games Day…

on Saturday 2nd November at 11am

in

The Friends Meeting House,

Queens, Road Leicester

in the morning we will be playing a variety of games and working out what makes the games successful and how we can come up with our own ideas for Swallows/Amazons/Ds/Coots type games.

In the afternoon there will be the option to make some Board Games and play them, or bring a book to share.  Please bring your favourite book written by Arthur Ransome, or a different author whose book is set in the Lake District or the Norfolk Broads…. cost to cover materials etc £5 for Adults Junior TARS free…

please book by 20th October with Vicky ….see Signals for contact or e-mail midlands@arthur-ransome.org.uk

this is Titty  challenge for Junior TARS Log Book

Saturday 28th September

at 10.30/11 am on The River Nene

meet at

Ferry Meadows, Ham Lane

Peterborough PE2 5UU

(note – location change as Nene Railway has special event already fully booked)

Bring a packed lunch and your own painting gear or pay £10 per adult  to cover the cost of equipment – Junior TARS free

contact Jules for more information and to confirm you are going – see Signals for how to do this or e-mail midlands@arthur-ransome.org.uk

this is a Titty’s Challenge in the Junior TARS Able seaman Log Book

The Southern region committee

New Southern Region Facebook Page

Look out for our new Southern Region Facebook page, aimed more for the younger TARS (or the young at heart!). Sophie, who apart from being current President, is also a SR member has “liked” it. Get in touch!

New Committee members

After the IAGM in May Southern Region will need a new committee, as your Chairman has moved to SW Region. Do speak to your friends and see if you, or a group of you, can organise 5 or 6 events a year for 2020 and welcome new members as they join. You will have plenty of support whilst you get to grips with it. If you can offer a few hours of your time please contact Paul Crisp p.crisp048@btinternet.com

SPRING SAILING CAMP AT WARNFORD First May Bank Holiday 2019

If Cobnor camp is our Secret Water, this is our Swallows and Amazons. It’s a lovely long weekend of camping and sailing in shared boats on a beautiful private lake at Warnford, in the lovely Meon Valley in Hampshire.  The lake is a great size for learning to sail, not so big that you could get lost, and is on private land. Having the whole place truly to ourselves gives a feeling of freedom not often encountered and allows us a real Swallows and Amazons environment. The area is a naturalist’s paradise, with plenty of wildlife to go into Dick Callum’s notebook – sightings have included otters, water voles, eels, egrets, herons, and a wonderful view of a barn owl hunting along the river banks in the twilight.

T here is plenty of room and the more the merrier. We charge £5 per head for the whole weekend; you have to provide your own food and camping equipment. Bringing a boat with you earns extra Brownie points and guarantees hangers-on, but there are always plenty of craft to go around. There is a loo and running water

To get there, the postcode is SO32 3LB. South of the village of Warnford is Peake New Road, which is signposted to “Pony Club”! Do not be deterred by the fact that there’s a boat trailer, not a horse box on the back of your car, and drive down here, taking the second gate on the left. Continue along the track and you’ll see the lake on your left and the camping ground ahead.

Do let us know if you are interested in coming by contacting Helena Nelson-Smith via Iain Khan-Gilchrist (iaingk@gmail.com)

SUMMER SAILING CAMP AT COBNOR: Friday 16th to Sunday 18^th August 2018

This is our longstanding summer sailing camp, held over three days every August, camping and sailing in shared boats at Cobnor on the gorgeous Chichester Harbour. This was a favourite sailing haunt of Arthur Ransome, and the whole harbour looks and smells like Secret Water! There are resident seals too. The harbour contains several creeks and lots of space without having to go past the Beach End buoy, as it were. This gives plenty of scope for longer voyages, exploring and boat picnicking, for experienced sailors, and also safe paddling and sailing in sheltered waters for the less ambitious. A favourite short voyage is from Cobnor point – where we launch – up the reach to Bosham, for an ice-cream and a look around this most beautiful of little villages. There’s a Saxon church to visit, and back before the Norman Conquest, the Godwinessons kept their fleet here, so we’re in good company.

This is always a popular event, with adults of all ages and plenty of children, but there’s lots of room; there’s a small charge for camping (the campsite is private and very lovely!), and day visitors are welcome. There’s always a campfire.   Do let us know if you are interested in coming by contacting  Iain Khan-Gilchrist (iaingk@gmail.com)

Southern region future events

Open to TARS members from any region, and non-members are welcome to get in touch for an invitation.

The Southern region committee