TARS LITERARY WEEKEND – Stop Press

Bookings are going well for this event, to be held at Leeds from September 7-9. If you still haven’t booked but would like to come, we can probably fit you in if you act at once. I can take bookings  up to Wednesday 5 September (after that date, you'll have to take your chances and turn up at the venue). For information on how to book, and directions to get to the venue, click here.

There is one major change to the advertised programme. Unfortunately Victor Watson had to have an operation in late July, so there is no hope of him being sufficiently recovered in time for early September. This is a great disappointment to him, but obviously unavoidable.

In his place, to speak at the Saturday dinner, we have been able to attract Hilary Clare. We asked her for a short description, as would have gone on the booking form, and she says:
“Hilary Clare has been writing about children's books for 30 years and is co-author of The Encyclopaedia of Girls’ School Stories (2000) and Chairman of the Violet Needham Society. She recently contributed an essay on Parrots in Children’s Literature to The Role of the Parrot in Selected Texts from Ovid to Jean Rhys (2006).” She adds that if there had been more space she would have mentioned that she had been a passionate Ransome devotee for 50 years!

Since I sent out the confirmation letters, there have been a number of questions asked about the facilities at Devonshire Hall. Here are the answers:

1. The standard rooms all have a washbasin. Since the building is over 100 years old, the staircases are not all the same, having between one and five bedrooms on each floor. There is a shower room and a separate toilet on every floor. En-suite rooms have a shower and toilet. All rooms have tea and coffee-making facilities.
2. The stairs up to the meeting room start with a rather magnificent stone surround, and from the sixth step there is an ordinary handrail on both sides. The first flight is 14 steps, when there is a half-landing. After another 13 steps there is a second half-landing, and then a single step up to the meeting room.
3. There is very limited parking inside the courtyard, and it should not be used without asking first. There is more available outside the accommodation blocks, both standard and en-suite, and if that is full, there is plenty of space for on-street parking. Cumberland Road is a cul-de-sac, so there is little traffic.
4. Contrary to what I said in the early confirmation letters, the Nancy Blackett Trust will have its stall at the weekend, but since Jenny Wedick will be running the main one at another event, it won’t have the usual full range of stock.
5. A little more information about finding the bus at the railway station. The exit (No. 2) for City Square is a long way from the ticket barrier, but there are signs saying ‘Buses’ leading you towards it. There are ramps to avoid all the steps. City Square is immediately opposite the exit, with the fish restaurant on the far side. Turning left into Infirmary Street, you will find bus stop D on the right. Beyond it is stop C, and then stop B, which is helpfully only marked ‘M’. However, bus No 1 does stop there. Total distance from the train is about 400 yards. Cumberland Road bus stop is only about 200 yards from Devonshire Hall.

I look forward to seeing you at Leeds.

Alan Hakim