Nevil Shute Norway Foundation

Newsletter dated May 2015

Letters to the Editor

FROM Alison Jenner alisonjenner@yahoo.com

Bookings are coming in for the conference in Oxford. We have not yet reached the threshold we need to do to be sure of breaking even, so do please sign up if you are ready to do so. We're are also open to suggestions for new presentations. Go to the website http://www.oxford2015.info/

The registration website is now live and you can access it from the conference website at http://www.oxford2015.info/registration.html

Once you have registered, you can pay by credit or debit card or (better for us) by direct funds transfer to the Foundation bank account. All the details are on the registration web site.

Anyone who wants to stay in single ensuite rooms on the Balliol campus, we have reserved rooms in the historic college setting and there will be quite a number of us there. You can email me directly or use the link from the top right hand corner of the website http://www.oxford2015.info/. Or use the form below.

Once we have your details we will invoice you for your accommodation.

If you want to book a twin ensuite room in the Jowett Walk accommodation, 10 minutes from Balliol, please contact the college conference organiser Jacqueline Fossey at jacqueline.fossey@balliol.ox.ac.uk , with the dates you want to stay.

If you have decided to book at the Randolph or Hawkwell hotels there are conference rates available to our group members; or if you wish to stay at another hotel there are some suggestions on the conference website. Email me if you have any problems.

We can look forward to a really lovely setting for our meeting!


FROM John Anderson j.c.anderson@mail.com

Oxford 2015
I'm really looking forward to the Oxford Nevil Shute Conference, to meeting old friends and making new ones in the historic Balliol College setting.
The end of August may seem a long way off, but it will be upon us before you know it!  There will be a wide range of topics from the speakers, coupled with 2 excellent excursion days, not to mention the Conference Dinner in the Great Hall! A unique opportunity to learn more about your favourite author in surroundings he would have known well.
There is still time to register and full details are on the Conference website www.oxford2015.info together with a link to online registration.


FROM Tony Woordward awoodward03@rogers.com

After reading the latest Newsletter and a props of airships which have always fascinated me, Id like to hear a discussion on Dynalifters from people who know more about them.  They were supposed to be the next generation of lighter than air aircraft, using helium for safety and having real wings for control, with a hefty payload. They seemed like the 21st century equivalent of the DC3 Dakota in that they would need no airfield whatsoever but could deliver freight anywhere.  What could be bad?  But I have heard nothing for several years. Did they die through design flaws or were they killed by vested interests?  I was fascinated and I would love to hear from more knowledgeable people than me.


 FROM Paul Spoff paulspoff6@aol.com

THESE PIX SHOULD BE SERVED WITH A DROOL BUCKET AND A TOWEL...........

FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN FLYING AND PLANES

https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#%21topic/nnfs-2/gJY_V_GzVF8


FROM Mills and Nancy Dyer wmdyer61@charter.net

DVD version of A Town Like Alice: 
 
This was discussed with the producer or director (cant recall which) who attended the 2005 Gathering on Cape Cod.  As I recall, he said that no one knew what happened to the original film.  Several long-time Shutists at the meeting said that they had tried to locate the original without success.
  I have suggested A Town Like Alice" to The Criterion Collection, hoping that they might have the resources to locate the film and reproduce it.


FROM Shirish Joshi shirish.joshi@sbcglobal.net

I found a source for the DVD version of ALTA.
The website is :

http://www.raretvondvd.com/search/?Page_ID=3610&refpid=4&id=1169,
And he clearly states that it is a copy from the VHS tapes.

The sample clip on YouTube is of fairly good quality, (you can see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hTIEEyuXzE) so I think it might be better than the single DVD copy, which is pretty bad (yes, I have that too).

As well, I plan to go to Costco and see if they will convert my VHS tapes to DVDs.

 

FROM THE EDITOR

David Dawson-Taylor, who has been our webmaster and UK librarian for at least 12 years, has decided that it is time that someone else, with perhaps new ideas, should take over these responsibilities.

John Anderson has already volunteered to take over as webmaster, and indeed has been shadowing David for the last two months. He is happy to continue doing so as well as his other duties as Vice President and Chief Researcher for the Foundation.

Of necessity, the UK library must be run by someone resident in UK.

If any of our members are willing to take this on, would they please contact David by email (davidandkatie@btinternet.com) to discuss details.

From Holland, where it is a little cold, but the sun is shining, and the trees are green again. See you all next month.

PS. I just spoke to John Anderson on the phone. He lives in England. Its raining over there.

See you all next month.