Nevil Shute Norway Foundation

Newsletter dated July 2014

Letters to the Editor

From John Anderson

UK Nevil Shute Reunion weekend 2014

Dates: - Friday 29th to Sunday 31st August 2014

Venue: - Holiday Inn, Fareham, Hampshire, PO15 5RJ

Tel: - 01329 443050 and ask for In House reservations. Please book directly with the hotel and mention you are attending the Nevil Shute reunion weekend.

Room rates £70 per room per night based on 2 night stay, £90 per room per night for 1 night stay. Rates include breakfast. There are some twin bed rooms for those who want to share.

Provisional programme:

Finally – if you are planning to attend this event please let me know by email to

j.c.anderson@mail.com

From Bill Levy Levy

I discovered an interesting site on-line that many Shutists may relish. It’s called “Great Aviation Quotes.” “The Magic and Wonder of Flight” section includes a quotation from Slide Rule and another from The Rainbow and the Rose along with numerous quotes from Shutist Richard Bach. (There are many sections I haven’t had the opportunity to explore yet).

http://www.skygod.com/quotes/

In the biography of Dr. Seuss/Ted Geisel by Judith and Neil Morgan (Random House, 1995), I came across a 1978 list (p. 238) of people Dr. Seuss/Ted Geisel called his “credits,” – “There are hundreds of wonderful people who helped me, inspired me, encouraged me, bound up my wounds…” The list of the famous and the non-famous includes Nevil Shute.


From Paul Spoff

Check out Legends 2014 Trailer from chris g on Vimeo


From John Anderson

You may recall that, at the UK 2009 Conference in York, Ian Reed Director of the Yorkshire Air Museum, put forward a plan to re-develop the Old Bus Garage (original home of Airspeed) as a tourist attraction in the centre of York. The Foundation strongly supported this proposal.

Having failed to persuade York City Council to offer a 10 year lease, the Museum, in partnership with a developer, put in a bid to buy the site. This bid was not shortlisted by the Council.

Earlier this year we were asked by Ian Reed to support an application to have the building listed by English Heritage as a means of saving it from possible demolition in future.

In February I wrote to English Heritage detailing the site's historic significance as the birthplace of what became a major British aircraft company.

I have just received a letter from English Heritage saying that the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has decided not to add the building to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest.

Certainly the building would win no awards for architectural interest. It was in a pretty dilapidated condition when we got the chance to look inside in 2008 and it has got even worse since then. Its historical significance was taken into account but has been discounted "because of the lack of physical manifestation of this part of its history in the fabric of the building."

I will contact Ian Reed to see if the Museum wants to appeal the decision. However I fear that, their bid having not been shortlisted, they may not want to do so.


From John Page

You'll find a photo of an Airspeed Oxford at www.sbap.be/museum/brussels/brussels.htm.

Links to a host of air museums at www.sbap.be/museum/museum.htm.

Home page for the Belgium air museum at www.sbap.be/.

All are full of things of interest to the aviation enthusiast.


From Gadepalli Subrahmanyam

I think I read most of Nevil Shute's books, some of them at least four times each.

When I recently re-read, (Old Captivity), I found the narrative rather cut short abruptly. There was no mention of the Psychologist doctor, to whom Ross's dreams were narrated. Nor was mention of the hero and the heroine' living joyously ever after. I wonder whether it was deliberate on his part to leave it to the imagination of the reader or he just missed it. Any clarification ?

FROM THE EDITOR

From the Netherlands, where the weather is typical Dutch. Rain all day yesterday, but lovely weather today.

See you all next month.