Nevil Shute Norway Foundation

Newsletter dated September 2015

Letters to the Editor

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

Nevil Shute Conference, Oxford, 2015 

Take 37 dedicated Shutists, locate them in the historic setting of Balliol College, Oxford (Shute's Alma Mater), add a mixture of fascinating presentations, excellent excursions and you have some of the elements that went to make the 9th Nevil Shute Conference last week such a success.

It was great to renew old friendships with those who have been to these events before (including two have attended all nine) and, in particular, to welcome those for whom it was their first time. I hope, like me, they experienced the camaraderie of the group, founded upon a mutual love of Shute's novels and a desire to share views and experiences of our favourite author and learn more about his varied careers as an engineer, traveler and writer.

For me there were many highlights, but the candlelit Conference Banquet in the Great Hall had a magical air, with an excellent after dinner talk by Angie Groves with humorous reminiscences of her family and "Uncle Nevil."

Meticulous planning and preparation by Alison Jenner over many months ensured that everything ran smoothly.

Thank you Alison. It was a truly wonderful event that will live long in the memory.

A full report, together with abstracts of the presentations etc. will be made available as soon as practicable.


Editor: Back in 2002, I discovered John Henry’s Nevil Shute website. At that time, the foundation website didn’t exist. John took the website offline,  but he kept it.

FROM John Henry johnhenry@changeover.com

Laura has asked me for some history for the Nevil Shute Convention and I supplied it. I asked if she would like the files for the 1999 website and she said yes. There were 175 files and I figured it would be a pain to send by email so I put them up at www.packmachbook.com/shute

So now the 1999 website is fully functional again. I recommend sunglasses, the graphics are a bit odd but that was the fashion then.

I'll leave it up until I need the space on the server.

If you plug the site in the newsletter, please plug my Packaging Machinery Handbook on whose server the Shute site sits. www.packmachbook.com


FROM Cedric dalsecl@prtel.com

The Goodyear blimp will be retired after 13 years.For most people it is the only representative of the age of dirigibles
Semi-rigid airships will be the replacements. 

http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2015/aug/06/goodyear-blimp-final-flight-los-angeles-video

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodyear_Blimp#/media/File:Wingfoot_One_(N1A).jpg


FROM Gadepalli Subrahmanyam gsmani174@gmail.com

I am glad to inform of introduction of a new reader to Nevil Shute works.

I was debating as to which book would be the best initiation. My choice was between 'A town like Alice''and  'Pied Piper. I left the choice to the new reader and gave him both these books. He started with ATLA, and liked it so much, that I am happy to announce another Nevil Shute addict. 

My wish is that more effort to introduce new readers, rather than to the films/DVDs based on his novels be made. In fact, his depiction of the characters and the surroundings is so graphic, that a film is unnecessary. Some e-book websites do carry some of his works but not all.

Anyway, a nice book, with some things to munch during reading, is the best way to spend time. 

 

FROM THE EDITOR

Back in the Netherlands, after a wonderful week in Oxford, spent with fellow Shutists. And what a beautiful location. You will soon find photo’s on the website. Many of us had a Harry Potter feeling.

The newsletter is very short this month. We think that it needs a bit of modernizing, and are working on that now.

From the Netherlands, where we are having wonderful weather.

See you all next month.