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2003-4/April 2003NOTES: Any recipient not wishing to receive this newsletter should reply with the word REMOVE in either the subject line or the text. The NSN Foundation does not send e-mail with attachments. Newsletters are sent as e-mail text. Because of the limitations of some servers, the newsletter may be truncated. Should that occur, the entire text of all newsletters may be found on the Newsletter Page of the NSN Foundation web site.
Greetings from The Land of Enchantment. Apologies for the late newsletter, but we have just returned from The Land Down Under, and things are a bit hectic. There is much to report from our trip to OZ. FOUNDATION In Alice Springs, we met with the Alice Springs Mayor and the Nevil Shute Memorial Library Staff to present them with a check from the Foundation. The idea was that we would donate approximately $3,000 (Australian dollars), to provide matching funds for a Nevil Shute Memorial at the library. That amount included a separate $500 donation from Aussie Shutists Chris and Penny Morton. When we presented the check to Mayor Fran Kilgariff, she informed us that instead of voting matching funds, the Town Council had voted $20,000 toward a Nevil Shute Memorial at the library! The combined amount, approximately $23,000 (Australian dollars), will be used to renovate and landscape the library garden, provide benches with appropriate plaques, and rededicate it as the Nevil Shute Memorial Garden. The library has also created a very nice display for the hardbound Nevil Shute collection the Foundation donated in 2001. At the present time, and in addition to the display copies, the library has available for loan two complete sets of Nevil Shute books, plus a complete set of recorded books. Considering that two years ago, they did not have even one complete set; that there was not a single Nevil Shute recorded book available; and that there was nothing to even indicate that the library was officially named the Nevil Shute Memorial Library, they have come a very long way in a very short time! As an added and totally unexpected bonus, Mayor Kilgariff agreed to join us for UK2003, and be our dinner speaker! A brief report of the presentation, along with photo, may be seen on the Web Site under the FOUNDATION Page. Back in Melbourne, we visited Moorabbin Airfield, presented the Nevil Shute Norway Excellence in Aviation Scholarship check to the Royal Victorian Aero Club (RVAC), and met the first recipient of the scholarship, an outstanding young man with his sights set on a career in aviation. As a matter of interest, Moorabbin is where Nevil Shute kept his Percival Proctor, and the RVAC is where his wife, Frances Norway, took her flight training. A report of that presentation, with photo, may be seen on the Web Site under the FOUNDATION Page. In addition to those presentations on behalf of the Foundation, Zia and I met with and interviewed a number of friends and associates of Nevil Shute. Our trip included two days spent with Fred and Ruth Greenwood, and two days with Pauline Edwards and family. Fred Greenwood was the manager of the Norway farm in Langwarrin, and Pauline Edwards is the widow of Jimmie Edwards, the real life ringer who Nevil used as the model for Joe Harmon in A Town Like Alice. There is much to report in that regard, but we will save that for UK2003. LIBRARY Shutist Ed Yess has had NSN Library responsibility for one year now, and he has been doing a booming business. The 2002 statistics are as follows: Unfortunately, we have lost two videos to a borrower in France (obviously someone disguised as a true Shutist). We have replaced both tapes, but a Pox on those who would discredit other Shutists by borrowing materials and not returning them. Also, a small number of borrowers have neglected to reimburse the library for postage due. I am sure that these incidents are simply oversights. However, if we are to keep the library going as a free service to Shutists everywhere, it is important that patrons reimburse postage costs. FOOT IN MOUTH DISEASE For some time now, I have been in the habit of referring to Nevil Shute as Uncle Nevil, a term of affection and respect that was not intended to suggest any actual kinship. Several other Shutists have taken up the practice, whether from my bad example or on their own, I do not know. In any event, this has led a number of our readers to mistakenly believe that I am related to Nevil Shute. That is certainly not the case. As much as I admire him and his work, I cannot claim any kinship other than the bonds of common ideals. Additionally, Nevil's relatives have indicated that they do not care to have him referred to as Uncle Nevil by anyone not actually related to him. Henceforth, I will refrain from referring to him in that manner, and request that others also avoid the use of that term. Mea Culpa!
Long time Shutist Allan LeBaron has begun a review of Nevil Shute's Flight Log. The first installment of his review is posted on the Web Site under the BIBLIOGRAPHY section. More to come! COMMON ERRORS CORRECTED In the March Newsletter, I mentioned that there were some common errors between the thumbnail descriptions provided in the House of Stratus Nevil Shute editions, and in some of our earlier book reviews. When we pointed this out to Tom Baldwin, our friendly House of Stratus representative, he opined that the Stratus Thumbnails had likely been lifted from the Nevil Shute Norway Web Site, but when and by whom were not known. After we assured him that he was most welcome to use the web site as a resource, he asked for assistance in correcting the errors for the next printing, which was in progress at that time. We were happy to comply with his request. Future House of Stratus editions should be free from these errors.
From HREM (Her Royal Event Manageress) Steph Gallagher: Dear Friends. FUNDING Donations to the Nevil Shute Norway Foundation, either through the PayPal button on the web site home page, or through foundation@nevilshute.org are always appreciated. Also, anyone interested in leaving a bequest to the Nevil Shute Norway Foundation is encouraged to contact the Foundation Secretary at letters@nevilshute.org. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Note: Letters to the Editor are published, complete with the name and e-address of the sender, unless the sender specifically asks that his or her name and/or e-address not be published. Also, we like to list letter writers' full names and locations, just to give our readers some idea of the areas of the world that the web site and newsletter cover. When writing, please include full name and country/state/region. From in North Carolina: A useful guide for the book collector may be found at:From Emily Browning-Jung in Jakarta, Indonesia Dear Dan:From in the UK: Hello Dan.That's it for this month folks. Please keep those e-cards and e-letters coming. Regards from The Land Of Enchantment, Dan
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