The RLS Club News Issue No 48 Spring 2017 Royal welcome: Louis was honoured with songs and fireworks as Network delegates met at the Chateau of Fontainebleau Fantastic Fontainebleau THE charm of Fontainebleau is a thing the Château of Fontainebleau, once the France, the Association Sur les Canaux apart, as RLS wrote in his essay on the hunting lodge of French Kings. du Nord in Belgium had been consolidat- French Bohemian idyll where he lived Visiting speakers addressed us on top- ing its route and had held a wealth of and loved in his youth, and the European ics relevant to our status as a Cultural RLS-related exhibitions. Network in the Footsteps of Robert Louis Route of the Council of Europe, and The Forest of Fontainebleau extended Stevenson discovered the truth of his member territories gave updates on their its territory with a hiking route to Châtil- words in November during its AGM activities in 2016. lon-sur-Loire, as featured in last year’s weekend. In the Highlands, the Stevenson Way Summer Update, while in the Cevennes Hosted by the Association Robert Lou- had welcomed a group of teenagers from the Association Sur le Chemin de RLS is Stevenson de Barbizon à Grez, the the Inland Voyage route for hiking, histo- had hosted hikers and students on the event’s programme took us to various ry and a ceilidh. In Bristol, home port of Travels with a Donkey trail as well as places visited by RLS in the Fon- the good ship Hispaniola, the Long John many artistic events. Meanwhile in Scot- tainebleau region, with the AGM itself Silver Trust had developed its Treasure land, the Robert Louis Stevenson Club held in the prestigious surroundings of Island sensory trail. In Belgium and Continued on Page Two Inside: Club Events, RLS remembered in Edinburgh, Colinton and North Berwick 2 The RLS Club News Spring 2017 3 Look who Club Events was coming An Edinburgh MARCH 18 BAXTER’S PLACE ENJOY an RLS panel discussion to dinner... chaired by David Reid at the Mar- A UNIQUE memento of the birth of riott Courtyard Hotel in Baxter’s the Robert Louis Stevenson Club has walk with RLS Place, once the home of Robert Ste- been brought home to Edinburgh. venson. Coffee from 10.30, followed On November 13, 1920, the newly- AN autumn walk saw a group of Club September began at the vault in the New by lunch around 12.30 for a fixed founded club held its first Commem- members exploring a series of sites in the Calton Cemetery where Louis’s parents price of £18. Book by March 4. orative Dinner to mark Stevenson’s east end of Edinburgh associated with lie buried, along with his grandfather birthday, with his friend the poet Robert Louis Stevenson and his family. Robert Stevenson and other members of APRIL 29 Edmund Gosse as guest of honour. Led by Dr Mitchell Manson and with the lighthouse-building dynasty which LOUIS IN PEEBLES During the proceedings at the readings by John Shedden, the walk last he founded. In the ‘grated cell, where VISIT the sites associated with RLS North British Station Hotel, a copy in Peebles where he spent childhood of the printed menu card was signed the rain erases and the rust consumes’, holidays with his parents. Meet at by several eminent members present. as Louis put it it, ‘hard by the house of 11am in the forecourt of the Tontine These included Gosse himself, the kings repose the dead’. Home of the Balfours: The group at Pilrig House, visited by David in Catriona Hotel in Peebles, served by the X62 literary scholar and critic Sir Her- Chairman David Reid hung a wreath the present eastern approach to Princes’ Juvenile Theatre. And so onwards bus from Edinburgh Bus Station. bert Grierson, the artist John Henry on behalf of the club at the front of the Street, the party came to Robert’s family ‘down the walk’ as far as Shrub Hill, The event will include a walk along Lorimer and James Young Simpson, the banks of the River Tweed to vault, which also houses the remains of home in Baxter’s Place, extensively re- past Pilrig Church where the young Ste- Professor of Natural Science and Neidpath Castle. Book by April 22. great-nephew of the famous gynae- RLS’s much-loved cousin Bob and his furbished and opened on December 28 as venson played at churches with Walter cologist. sister Katharine, sadly alienated from a Marriott Courtyard Hotel with a bust of Blaikie, son of the minister there, the MAY 19 A chance discovery in a miscellane- Louis by the quarrel with Henley. the famous engineer unveiled by his Rev Dr William Blaikie. RLS FILM ARCHIVE ous auction lot in the south of Eng- Club members were concerned at the great, great, great grandson James Will. Crossing the Boundary Bar (marking VIEW six short films relating to land gave the RLS Club the oppor- poor internal state of the vault, but de- On the opposite side of Leith Walk the the divide between the old city of Edin- RLS during a visit to the Moving tunity to purchase the menu, de- lighted to find that another building with group paused at the still clearly recog- burgh and the port of Leith) the walk Picture Archive at the National Li- signed by Lorimer and signed also brary of Scotland’s new Kelvin Hall by the Club’s chairman, the poet and strong Stevenson connections is being nisable shop on the corner of Antigua concluded at Pilrig House, long-time premises in Glasgow. Meet 10.30- author Sir George Douglas. given a new lease of life. Street where the young RLS would pur- seat of RLS’s maternal Balfour relatives 11am, Kelvin Hall main entrance. This rare memento is now in the Pausing to inspect the Regent Arch, chase ‘penny plain and twopence col- and visited by David Balfour in Louis’s JUNE 1 Club’s hands and we hope to see it Wreath-laying: Chairman David Reid created by Robert Stevenson to enable oured’ sheets for his cardboard Skelt’s novel Catriona. properly mounted and eventually ISLE OF MAY put on display, quite possibly in Ed- SAIL to the Isle of May, where inburgh Napier University’s unique Louis’s grandfather Robert Steven- Stevenson collection. Journey through the enchanted forest son first built a lighthouse in 1816. Inspired to write Board the May Princess, Anstruther Continued from front page flected on the reception of with tales of an enchanted Harbour at 11.25am. Early booking THERE is still time for students in had been exploring the his works since his lifetime. forest. Back at base with the essential, www.isleofmayferry.com S4-6 to enter the Robert Louis Catriona Trail devised by Our hosts spared no efforts donkeys, we enjoyed a musi- or ring 07597 585200. Stevenson Creative Writing Club member Ian Gardiner. in their hospitality. We re- cal performance by the Competition for Schools, run by the The AGM weekend saw kindled friendships over an group Raven who hiked the BOOKING Club in conjunction with Edinburgh the Network's first formal opening buffet in Ian and Travels with a Donkey route To book an event Napier University. academic session where we Sophie's lovely home in in 2016, giving concerts contact Events Secretary There are prizes of £100 for each were privileged to have the Grez. along the way. Margaret Wilkie at winner in four categories, Fiction, participation of Professor At Recloses we renewed Our one regret was the [email protected] Reflective Writing, Poetry, and Linda Dryden of Edinburgh our acquaintance with musi- departure of Laura Léotoing, or ring 0131 477 6738 Writing in Scots in any of these cate- Napier University and Pro- cian François Éberlé who the Network's dynamic co- gories. The best entrants will also be fessor Jean-Pierre Naugrette moved us with his homage ordinator who is moving on invited to a Writing Masterclass with of l'université Sorbonne- in song to RLS, followed by after making a huge contri- CONTACTS leading Scots writer Louise Welsh. Nouvelle. a lavish dinner produced by bution to the Network and RLS Club Contact: David Reid, Full details and entry form at In a fascinating session at the Fontainebleau team of our European Cultural 20 Beveridge Road, Kirkcaldy, www.robert-louis-stevenson.org/ Au revoir: Laura Leotoing the Hôtel Chevillon in Grez- Fife, KY1 1UX. Tel: 01592 204645 writing-competition traditional poule au pot, Route. We shall miss her sur-Loing, which in the companied by donkeys. Lo- Email: [email protected] The closing date is April 28, by pâtisseries which were the greatly and wish her well for 1870s played such an im- cal members told us about RLS Club News Editor: when all entries should have been stuff of dreams and, of the future. portant role in RLS’s life, the history of the royal do- Jeremy Hodges, 21 Russel Street, sent with an entry form to Duncan course, Modestine wine. This year the European the two professors talked main and hunting forest and Falkirk, Stirlingshire, FK2 7HS. Milne at Edinburgh Napier University, Modestine's memory was Network will come to Scot- about the current state of Geneviève, their own Tusita- Tel: 01324 613072 email [email protected] alive during a walk in the land for its AGM in Edin- la, captured our imaginations Forest walk: With donkeys following in Stevenson’s footsteps Stevenson studies and re- Forest of Fontainebleau ac- burgh on November 10-12.