FROM John Page
palatineboor@gmail.com
Here is something I think Mr. Shute would have appreciated.
https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2016/may/03/wooden-radial-engine-inspires-online-viewers
FROM Richard Michalak
richardmichalak@me.com
I am reading Steve Job's (co-founder of Apple) biography. Very interesting and many parallels with Round The Bend. Steve Jobs wanted parts of the Mac people would never see to still look neat and tidy like Connie said work hidden from view must be perfect. Also, the real life possible model for Connie was an obsessive aero maintenance guy who was very particular that work was done perfectly. Connie was shown as a placid guy but Jobs and the possible (to me very likely) model for Connie could both difficult to get along with at times because of their obsession with precision.
FROM Mike Cunningham mikecunningham.mail@gmail.com
Being a confirmed Shute-ist for over fifty
years, as well as being one of England’s most unsuccessful authors,
with the lack of book sales to prove it; I have often hoped to view
the film allegedly made from the Nevil Shute’s novel ‘Lonely Road’
and was forever frustrated by the British Film Institute’s
reluctance to digitise or release the copy which they possess. I can
now understand the BFI’s reluctance, as they quite rightly assumed
that a modern audience just would not understand the truly awful job
perpetrated upon the minor masterpiece which was Shute’s novel,
‘Lonely Road’.
If I might expand and explain my comments.
•
Neville Shute’s central figure of ‘Lonely Road’, a reluctant
hero, whose complex character is the result of inherited wealth, a
love of the sea, and of the ships which sail on the waves; as well
as a longing for adventure in his youth; a man who massacred all the
crew of a surrendering German submarine who had previously killed,
mainly by machine-gun, all but two others of his Q-ship’s crew; a
man unused to feminine companionship: drives home whilst very drunk,
runs off the road in his car; but ends up unconscious after being
slugged by an unknown assailant.
•
The book details the time when Malcolm Stevenson, a Royal
Navy Lieutenant served on board a Q-ship, and of the action against
a German U-boat. The Q-ship was attacked, taking several direct hits
after the ‘panic party’ had departed in a lifeboat; leaving just one
gun available for action, and the officer in charge was Stevenson.
The sub surfaces, Stevenson aims and fires at the submarine, and
holes her, causing the crew to surrender. But the Lieutenant,
knowing that his friends lay dead in the lifeboat, fires again and
again, until the U-boat submarine sinks and all the Germans are
killed or drowned. Everything before that action was, in Stevenson’s
mind, just ‘fun’. Everything afterwards, from awaking on a morning
to drinking too much and too often, was simply getting through his
day!
•
In the film, Stevenson states that he surfaced his (British)
submarine directly in the path of a large ship, and the resultant
collision killed all but he.
•
The novel takes great care to establish the intricate
thinking, philosophy and motives behind the political thinking which
encouraged the importation of dozens of sub-machine guns,
explosives; the discovery of which, adjacent to a strike-hit section
of the Welsh coalfields would, of necessity; devastate the Socialist
dreams of the Labour Party who would be blamed for the importation
of revolutionary equipment just before a General Election: of which
they were, naturally, entirely blameless.
•
The film gives the viewer a ten-second set-piece of some
wild-eyed idiot, whose political ambitions are detailed in a single
poster, pinned up on a wall: who is presumed responsible for the
plot to import the weaponry.
•
The novel goes into some detail of the importance to
Stevenson of his fleet of small coaters and how he maintains, runs
and cossets both the crews and the vessels.
•
The film gives the viewer a thirty-second clip of the leading
lady mopping the deck of a yacht, and that is it!
•
The book travels a winding road to establish a close
friendship between Stevenson and Sir Phillip Stenning, his cousin’s
husband, a WW1 fighter pilot and flying-boat enthusiast; this
friendship allows the plot to import illegal weaponry to become
known and reported to the police. The naval man’s friendship with
the aviator stemmed from his cousin’s decision to marry ‘outside of
her class’, and Stevenson’s defence of that marriage with his wider
class-besotted titled family.
•
Stenning does not appear at all in the film.
•
The novel ended with the murderous attack by Stevenson on the
small vessel which held three of the conspirators, two of which were
responsible for the machine-gun attack on his home, where his
new-found love had been mortally wounded!
•
The film gives a ‘happy ending’, with the promise of true
love, flowers and sunsets in the distance.
•
& on, & on, & on!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B009VCXZT6
FROM John Anderson
j.c.anderson@mail.com
UK Shute Reunion weekend 7th-8th May 2016.
The sun shone as we boarded the Southampton to
Cowes car ferry at the start of the UK Shute reunion weekend. There
in Southampton water were the landmarks that feature in Shute’s
books, Hamble Spit buoy, Hythe and Calshot Spit. Once docked at East
Cowes we met the two Island residents, Angie Groves and David
Henshall to cross on the chain ferry to West Cowes. There was
Flanagan’s Yard, mentioned in Pilotage, sadly recently damaged by
fire. Lunch was at the New Inn at Shalfleet then on by various
tracks to the coast to see the beach, still with its concrete ramps,
where tank landings were practised and feature in “Requiem for a
Wren”. Then on to Newtown River, a tranquil anchorage and the
setting for one of Shute’s short stories.
Having missed this tour, I headed to Yarmouth,
featured in “In the Wet” and “What Happened to the Corbetts”.
Although now a very busy harbour, popular with Solent sailors from
dinghies to floating “Gin Palaces” it still retains much of its
character and would still be recognisable to Shute.
Our base was the Premier Inn at Newport. After checking in we walked
down to the Bargeman’s Rest for a convivial Saturday dinner complete
with live music.
On Sunday morning we gathered in a meeting room at the Newport
Community Centre. There I presented some of the recent research
findings provided by Richard Thorn. These included Shute’s
introductory chapter to a book about the wartime exploits of
Australian forces on East Timor, and a fascinating file of
correspondence with Dick Casey, Australian Minister for External
Affairs, who became a friend of the Norway family.
Laura then outlined plans so far for the conference next year in the
USA. The favoured location at the moment is Rhinebeck about 100
miles north of New York city. It had good conference facilities and
transport links (bus and rail) to New York. Further details be will
made available as planning progresses.
Lunch was taken at Medina Quay restaurant before we dispersed, some
to look explore the island further and, in my case, to catch the
ferry back to the mainland.
Many thanks to Alison Jenner for organising this weekend and to
Laura Schneider, Andy Burgess, Joost Meulenbroek, Bettina Neezen,
Angie Groves and David Henshall for making it such a memorable
event.
FROM James Fricker
fricker@optusnet.com.au
The airshipmen: a novel based
on a true story: a tale of love, betrayal and political intrigue
and Book
by Dennington, David.
Publication Date 2015
ISBN 9781518642524
Excerpt: and / Dennington, David.
is available at Eastern Regional Library now
(specially added at my request).
A riveting story that plays out against the background of one of the
most intriguing chapters in aviation history. David Dennington
weaves a fascinating web of romance, courage, tragedy and shattered
dreams and gives the reader a front row seat to eye-opening,
high-stakes political battles on two continents. A real page turner
with the constant feeling that something new and unexpected is about
to unfold.
David Wright, former journalist with the Daily Mirror.
Dennington studied and attended workshops on
fiction and screenplay writing and created two screenplays. He
carried out many years of research on the subject of the British
airship program (which had fascinated him since reading
Nevil Shute's Slide Rule as a teenager) through books and
on-site visits in the UK and U.S.A. In the end, he had enough
material to write two novels. This is the first. He had thought of
changing all the names of real people in the story, but in the end,
decided he wanted to honor the real characters--each heroic in his,
or her, own way in the struggle called 'life'.
Good read.
FROM Mike Berliner
mberliner1@earthlink.net
Scott McConnell’s interview with Henry Crawford
has been published (in three parts) in Filmink, the
premier online Australian film magazine. Although it contains
no new copy, there are numerous photos supplied by Mr. Crawford for
this publication, and I think that the newsletter readers would be
interested in seeing them. Here are the links:
https://filmink.com.au/2016/an-epic-journey-the-making-of-a-town-like-alice-part-1/
https://filmink.com.au/2016/an-epic-journey-the-making-of-a-town-like-alice-part-2/
https://filmink.com.au/2016/an-epic-journey-the-making-of-a-town-like-alice-part-3/
FROM Paul Spoff
paulspoff6@aol.com
PAN AM CLIPPER DEC. 7TH 1941
Neat video about Pan Am's Pacific Clipper and WWII.
Some history most people know nothing about: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=Ms84WfJwalI&feature=pla%20yer_embedded
FROM Richard
Michalak
richardmichalak@me.com
This may be old news but I just read, in
Wikipedia, about Sir Alan Cobham:
On 25 November 1926, Cobham attempted but failed to be the first
person to deliver mail to New York City by air from the east,
planning to fly mail from the
White Star ocean liner
RMS Homeric in a
de Havilland DH.60 Moth floatplane when the ship was about 12
hours from New York harbour on a westbound crossing from
Southampton. After the Moth was lowered from the ship, however,
Cobham was unable to take off owing to rough water and had to be
towed into port by the ship.
I would guess that Shute used this incident as the basis for one of
the stories of Pilotage.
It seems, that summer has arrived here in the Netherlands.
Loving it.
See you all next month.
