LETTER OF THE MONTH SUPPORTED
BY OLD PULTENEY WHISKY94 CLASSIC BOAT SEPTEMBER 2016
Letters
Ransome’s writing is dated
Sailing is good for
our MPs’ brains
In these times of extraordinary political folly, I was
gladdened to read that a group of MPs had found time to
step back and race 10 Enterprise dinghies up the Thames
past the Houses of Parliament. Even when the country is
split into tribes for and against, and we live in fear of the
next mindless, selfish and cruel attack in the name of
freedom, it’s good to know that our elected
representatives haven’t forgotten that a hearty few
minutes getting soaked and breathless on a classic dinghy
is likely to give them greater perspective on the right way
forward than anything else.
Sailing was always the great leveller and it’s good for
the brain, too.
Martin Allaway, via emailWhere is Fiara?
Through your columns I hope I might be able to locate the
whereabouts of the Mylne designed yawl Fiara, which I had the
pleasure of crewing on in the early 1960s. I believe she is still
afloat and possibly in the Plymouth area. In those days she was
owned by John Garle, a part-time flatmate, and kept on a mud
berth at Itchenor when not cruising the Continent and Baltic. I
recently came across some old sailing pictures and attach one
of Fiara waiting for the lock gates to open at Trouville, I think,
circa 1962.
Chris Coles, via emailAs one of the many sailors today who was brought up on
the Swallows & Amazons books, loving each one more than
the last and well remembering the sad moment I when
finished the final one, Great Northern, I pricked up my ears
at the news of a new Swallows film. I must admit, though,
when I’ve tried to read the books again as adult, they have
grated to such a degree that I really can’t get beyond a few
chapters. Ransome’s prose today is cliché-ridden and
stilted to an almost comical degree. His characters are
simply nauseating and his plots have dated to make them
plain dull. It’s more than that, though. There is something
about the books that I really don’t like. It surprises me that
they became so popular. I suspect strongly that I won’t be
reading them to my children, but I will be in line for a ticket
to see the film.
Rupert Handley, Hants
Editor replies: We review the new film on page 21 and
interview the producer on page 48.C/O CHRIS COLESC/O STUDIO CANALC/O ADPR