The RLS Club News

Issue No 43 Autumn 2014

Stevenson masterclass: The weekend ranged from Durisdeer to Ballantrae, where RLS stayed at the inn In the steps of the Master UNDAUNTED by a forecast of heavy visiting the local parish church with box rain and October gales, 22 staunch Ste- -pews dating from the time of the ’45. vensonians assembled on the banks of Durisdeer church also brought back the River Nith for a Master of Ballantrae memories to John Shedden, who once weekend. occupied the pulpit as the Rev Micah Meenister and Session Clerk Based at Blackaddie House Hotel in Balwhidder in a TV production of John Sanquhar, the event was masterminded Galt’s Annals of the Parish. by Nigel McMurray, whose love of the At Irongray Parish Church, visited by Club conducts its novel dates back to childhood. After a Stevenson in 1873 with his father, we superb first-night dinner from Michelin- found the tomb of Helen Walker, the own Kirk Session starred chef Ian McAndrew, Nigel posed presumed original of Jeanie Deans. Ste- ON the Sunday nine of us went to some puzzles about the novel’s locations, venson wrote: ‘One gravestone was Durisdeer Parish Church for the while Gillean Arjat considered literary erected by Scott (at a cost, I learn of 11.45am service, only to find it was influences and Ian Nimmo reflected on £70) to the poor woman who served him being held in another church. Stevenson’s writing processes. as heroine in the Heart of .’ But our leader Nigel McMurray’s Friday’s tour called first at Durisdeer, Father and son later visited Dumfries, wife Linda is a retired Methodist home of the fictional Durie family, and where we followed in their footsteps to minister and, appointing Mitchell the Bard’s last home. Stevenson record- Manson as session clerk and ed: ‘We saw Burns’s house – a place choirmaster, she conducted the that made me deeply sad.’ But our spirits service there as planned. were raised at Burns’s local Globe Inn, We all sang lustily, to the with a memorised rendering of Tam astonishment of one somewhat O’Shanter before the open fireplace. puzzled visitor, who was happy to Then it was on to Kirkcudbright, join in. For some of us, that thought to be Stevenson’s model for St inspired little service in the hills in Bride’s in The Master. At the Stewartry farming country and Linda’s most appropriate words was one of the Museum we viewed the light from the most meaningful of our lives. House of Durie: Borgue in ruins Continued on Back Page Inside: Two Robbies Homecoming, Samoan pilgrimage and our top young writers 2 The RLS Club News Autumn 2014 3

A Homecoming Day-long journey of discovery THE Club will celebrate RLS Day in this year with Stevenson’s Travels, an all-day reading of Louis’s travel writing at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. for two Robbies Join us on November 13 for morning coffee and Edinburgh Picturesque Notes, then a stroll in Buck- FOR a once-forgotten young poet it was a happy inghamshire before taking the boat train to Bohemian Homecoming, honoured in his home town by two of Paris. By lunch we’ll be canoeing on an Inland Voy- ’s greatest writers who both acknowledged age before Travels With A Donkey In The Cevennes. their debt to his genius. By early afternoon we’ll be joining the Amateur Emi- and both grant to New York and Across The Plains to California paid tribute to and were anxious to for further adventures in Monterey, San Francisco and ensure a fitting memorial in kirkyard Silverado. Finally, after a brief health trip to Switzer- where the author of Auld Reekie lies buried follow- land, we’ll embark on a last voyage to the South Seas. ing his untimely death at 24. This is a free, drop-by event from 11am to 6pm. To take part, email [email protected] And in September just under 30 Club members met at the Robert Fergusson statue by the to pay fresh tribute as Ian Nimmo introduced a spe- WHEN they buried Robert cial Homecoming event. Louis Stevenson 120 years ago At his signal the spirits of the two other Robbies on the summit of Mount Vaea, appeared – John Shedden as RLS and Peter Berry as it was truly a labour of love for Burns – to transport us on a delightful journey of the Samoans who cleared the nostalgia and discovery on the . rainforest and carried the It began by the gravestone of Fergusson, then world’s best-loved author safe- moved to the nearby resting-place of Burns's muse ly to his last resting place. Clarinda, followed by an amusing rendition of Death and Doctor Hornbook for two voices. Anyone who has stood by Heading up the Royal Mile, Ian regaled us with the the grave, crafted from tons of history of the wynds and closes (The Playhouse and concrete carried up the same Paisley Close) until we paused in the secluded gar- Literary tour: John Shedden, top right, and Peter steep and slippery slope, can den behind the Scottish Book Trust to hear the love Berry, right, as RLS and Fergusson, above only marvel at the dedication poems of both writers – plus a spirited sequence from of the friends Louis made, Kidnapped for which the Robbies transformed into Alan nearly 10,000 miles from Breck and Uncle Ebenezer. home in Edinburgh. Remembering Fergusson At Carrubers Close the actors performed a rather tipsy For Club member Jeremy EACH year the Scottish Arts Club organises a A Mile and a Bittock, then on to Advocates and Anchor Hodges it was the final stage of service and readings around Robert Fergusson’s Closes, with a dedication to Scots at home and abroad, a biographical pilgrimage Summit: Jeremy Hodges and Toetu by Stevenson’s grave before crossing to the steps by St Giles described in Edin- grave in the Canongate, with contributions on stretching back 20 years to October 16 this year from Burns and Stevenson burgh Picturesque Notes, followed by To a Louse, The Spaewife, and Holy Willie's Prayer. when, as a journalist working expert David Purdie. Last stop was outside the Writers’ Museum for a pow- in Scotland, he first began re- 10,000 miles, 120 Members of the Robert Louis Stevenson Club erful rendition of Dr Jekyll's Final Statement by John, searching the life of a charis- are always invited to attend the 11am event in rounded off with A Man's a Man for A' That, Requiem, matic but complex author. memory of the young man with whom Stevenson and Auld Lang Syne. At the same time, 100 years years from home felt such affinity, and once confided: ‘I believe The party then retired to Vittoria’s restaurant for a after the death of RLS, the of Mount Vaea by the patient Fergusson lives in me’. splendid lunch at which the actors could deservedly wet Robert Louis Stevenson Mu- and courteous Toetu, stretch- their thrapples! seum opened its doors in Sa- ing out a helping hand and moa at Louis’s last home fanning them with banana Vailima, lovingly restored to leaves! Young writers inspired by Stevenson its former glory. It was a hard slog, repeated To mark the two anniver- by numerous Samoans in 1914 CLUB members were out in force for this which RLS in Samoa imagines a spiritual saries, Jeremy presented mu- when the ashes of Stevensons’ year’s presentation of awards to the return, with a skilful interplay of Samoan seum general manager Mar- young winners of our RLS Writing Com- imagery and Scottish history and myth. wife Fanny were carried up to garet Silva with the RLS petition, co-sponsored by Edinburgh Na- The presentation day, hosted by Edin- be interred in the grave with pier University. burgh Napier University, also featured Club’s best wishes and a gift her beloved husband. Overall winner of the George Addis Me- the Writers' Workshop with selected – a special edition of Edin- At the summit in 2014, morial Trophy was Alexandra Lane of entrants by poet and author James Rob- burgh Picturesque Notes, Toetu sang a Samoan version Banchory Academy for her short story ertson, to whom we owe a great debt for kindly donated by Club treas- of Requiem, to which Jeremy Hidden Skin – an original and sensitive his continued support. Along with the urer Eric Wishart. responded with the familiar reworking of the Selkie myth in poetic Eng- trophy and certificates he presented win- As well as being shown words set to a Scottish air: lish, with confident use of dialogue in Scots. ners with texts by RLS and himself. around Vailima, Jeremy and The poetry award was won by Ysabella The Club is indebted also to Professor ‘Home is the sailor, home his wife Christine were per- Solen Arnaud of Glenalmond College, Linda Dryden and her colleagues at Na- from sea, and the hunter home Edinburgh: Margaret Silva sonally conducted to the top Poetry: Ysabella with James Robertson with her poem Return to Scotland, in pier for their support at every stage. Winner: Alexandra with James from the hill.’ with Picturesque Notes The RLS Club News 4 Autumn 2014 Cummy and the Duchess THE day is Wednesday, August Louis Stevenson. He recalled: 19, 1908, and Alison Cunning- ‟In her later days she became ham sits outside Swanston Cot- very deaf and could only com- tage receiving an important visi- municate with strangers in writ- tor – the young Duchess of ing. She always carried a pencil in a magnificent hat. and note-book [clearly visible in Cummy was 90 years of age at the picture] for this purpose and the time and well used to receiv- became very proficient in this ing Scotland‟s great and good at one-sided form of conversation. her door during those twilight „She was much lionized, chief- years. Two years after the pic- ly by American visitors who ture was taken, Cummy took a came to visit Cummy and rather fall, broke her leg and died soon gushed over her. It did not seem afterwards. to turn her head, she seemed But why did the Duchess visit her more amused and amazed than and what were the circumstances? flattered. What was the connection? What was Among other visitors was the the conversation? Duchess of Sutherland, who was Walter Blaikie, who had Cum- photographed along with her. mie as his nurse before she went „“Look at that, Mr Walter,” she to work for the Stevensons, pro- said. „“Fancy me being photo- vided the answer in his contribu- graphed with a duchess and me sit- tion to I Can Remember Robert ting while she‟s standing.”‟ Ballantrae Country Continued from Page One Ayr south along the coast to Stranraer, Muckle Ross lighthouse on the Solway, then east by Glen Luce and Kirkcowan designed by Stevenson‟s father, along to Wigtown, whence he returned to with various documents. Edinburgh by train. Only the first part Across the firth we inspected the of his trip survives in the essay. atmospheric ruins of Borgue House, We passed the ruins of Crossraguel possibly a model for the Durie home, Abbey and the castle in Maybole, then built for the Blair family in 1689. on to Turnberry where, as Stevenson Today its gaping windows and wrote, Ailsa Craig loomed „like a cheerless fireplaces lie open to the refraction, magnified and deformed of elements but through thinning trees and the Bass Rock‟. Funding for RLS pouring rain, white horses racing In Ballantrae, where Stevenson stayed shoreward amid leaden-grey waves, at the King‟s Head, the landlord regaled poetry in motion you could imagine Captain Crail‟s free us with tales of smuggling. Out in the -traders landing their contraband. bay the breakers rolled in as we sped on THE ‘Walk with RLS’ and Poetry Trail at Back at the hotel, John Shedden and through moorland and hilly pasture to Colinton will be unveiled on October 25, Wigtown and its alluring bookshops. with thanks to the RLS Club for its recent Peter Berry entertained us after dinner After dinner back in Sanquhar we cheque for £400. with a rendition of Ephraim Mackellar heard a recording by the American The money goes to Colinton Community and the Master aboard the Nonesuch, Conservation Trust which has put up followed by a BBC Radio Scotland musician Rita Leonard of her ballad, plaques along the walk down the Long recording of Jack in the same role. The Heart of Ballantrae, and a Steps from the decorative arch, featuring On Saturday the sun broke through convivial weekend was rounded off poems from A Child’s Garden of Verses. and in our coach we followed with John Shedden‟s unique rendition Our picture shows Pat Watt receiving the Stevenson‟s 1876 six-day Winter‟s of Ticonderoga. cheque from Club treasurer Eric Wishart Walk in Carrick and Galloway, from GILLEAN SOMERVILLE-ARJAT at the New Club, with Neil Ross looking on. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, IAN CLUB CONTACTS THE newsletter could not pass up the RLS Club Contact: John Macfie, 17 Heriot Row, Edinburgh EH3 6HP. Tel/Fax: chance to congratulate its former editor Ian +44 (0) 131 556 1896 Nimmo on his recent 80th birthday, and to wish him and Grace every happiness in their RLS Club Newsletter Editor: Jeremy Hodges, 21 Russel Street, , - new life together in . shire, FK2 7HS. Tel: 01324 613072 Email: [email protected]