Feb 08

Bristol Central Library Exhibition Comes To An End

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Finally, after an amazing three months, our RLS exhibition at Bristol Central Library has come to an end.

Many thanks to all who came along to see it, especially those who made tremendously supportive comments.

Our particular thanks most go to the kind and helpful staff at the library who helped make it happen, our ECR partners in the Cevennes who put the RLS panel display together and generously lent it to us, and not forgetting PROPS, Barrie Hope and Rolls-Royce for allowing us to beg, borrow or steal their display boards to help it all come together.

Our final thanks must go to Butcombe Brewery for helping to sponsor not only the exhibition but our Treasure Island Trail as well.

Click image to enlarge:-

 

 

 

 

 

Feb 01

January Fund Raiser for LJST

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The Beaufort Arms in Hawkesbury Upton kindly organised a fund raiser for the LJST.

On Thursday 28th January a brewery visit by customers of the Beaufort to Cotswold Spring’s and Severn Vale’s magnificent new home at Tortworth raised £80 for the LJST (thanks mostly to the breweries’ generosity).

The picture shows the pub’s very own Bishop of Wigan, Stan Fillingham, getting a chair lift at the brewery with bearers Tony Harcourt and brewery owner Mark Francombe.

Many thanks to all who attended and contributed to the event, we had a terrific reception at CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year the Salutation at Ham afterwards, and once again Westward Travel ably provided the transport.

Beer expert Tom Salt provided the picture – thanks again.

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Dec 24

Seasons Greeting 2015

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2015 has been a momentous year for the Trust and many thanks to everyone who helped make it happen.

After years of hard work we managed to establish our Treasure Island Trail around the docks in September.

In November we set-up the “Travels with Robert Louis Stevenson – Celebrating Bristol’s connections…” in one of Bristol’s most prestigious and important buildings, Bristol Central Library.

And also in November we hosted our partners for the brand new European Cultural Route ‘In the Footsteps of Robert Louis Stevenson’ where we had the huge honour of accepting the official accreditation ceremony on behalf of the ECR in Bristol Records Office.

More good news is that the Exhibition is continuing until early January and that we are poised to deliver an enhanced Trail for late Spring 2016.

The Long John Silver Trust wishes everyone a great New Year and looks forward to more adventures on the high seas of the Floating Harbour.

Yo – Ho – Ho and a bottle of rum this Christmas …

christmas_rum

Nov 28

Handover of European Cultural Route Certificate – November 2015

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Handover_of_ECR_Certificate_November_2015

From left to right we have Prof Bill Fairney, Long John Silver Trust Chairman; Cllr Simon Cook, Bristol Cabinet Mayor for the Arts; Stefano Dominioni, Director of the European Institute of Cultural Routes; Michel Legros, Chairman of the European Cultural Network ‘In the Footsteps of Robert Louis Stevenson’ and Cllr Clare Campion-Smith, Bristol Lord Mayor.

“Last weekend, Bristol based charity the Long John Silver Trust proudly hosted the latest AGM of the brand new Council of Europe, European Cultural Route (ECR), ‘In the Footsteps of Robert Louis Stevenson’.

Over 50 delegates assembled at Bristol Records Office from all over Britain, France and Belgium to not only meet but also have the huge of honour of being made an ECR – only the third such in the UK and one of only about 30 europe-wide.

The Routes are sponsored by the Council of Europe to promote cultural exchange around a common theme and in our case it’s Scotland’s Robert Louis Stevenson, the man and his works. One of Britain’s greatest writers.

The Long John Silver Trust was formed over 10 years ago to celebrate Bristol’s literary and maritime connections through the medium of RLS’s Treasure Island, which was of course partially set in Bristol.

You may have already seen the recently created ‘RLS Treasure Island Trail’ around Bristol’s historic Floating Harbour. A set of 8 oak planters made of recycled Bordeaux wine barrels complete with palm trees and information plaques, a free to visit attraction not only telling the story of Treasure Island but also some of each locations history – we even have a Smartphone App!

The number of delegates swelled to over 70 at the accreditation ceremony with LJST friends, members and supporters, including our sister charity PROPS from Fishponds who helped create the Trail – post 16 special needs students who are also helping to maintain it as part of their work experience.

As well as enjoying the 850 years of archives in the BRO the delegates went on a harbour cruise, John Nation’s Graffiti Tour, visited our exhibition at the Central Library (and what treasures are in there!), the Art Gallery, Clifton Hill House (home of Stevenson’s Bristol friend John Addington Symonds) and the Wulfstan windows in Hawkesbury.

We played particular heed to the work of illustrator Mervyn Peake who is featured on our barrels and in the exhibition and to actor Robert Newton, who’s classic film of Treasure Island was shown at Clifton Hill House as part of Stevenson Month. The exhibition is now going on until the end of December.

All of the assembled guests loved Bristol and are planning to come back, especially as we now part of our very own European Cultural Route!”

Picture kindly provided by Chris Chubb, LJST Grants co-ordinator, photographer, presenter… (Thanks Chris)

Sep 18

Building Treasure Island Trail – Day 3

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PROPS students and LJS Trustees ‘doing the biz’ at our final installations …

Below: Black Spot ‘A’ outside of the Merchant Venturer’s Almshouses at the Broad
Quay end of King Street (the origin of the first ever Treasure Map in
literature – 1815).

Below: Black Spot ‘B’ at the Welsh Back end of King Street outside of the famous
Llandoger Trow – doubling in “Treasure Island” as Jim’s family pub, the Admiral Benbow.

If you can make it, please come along to the Grand Opening of the Trail at
1pm 19th September 2015 at Black Spot ‘A’. (click for Treasure Island Trail map)

Bristol’s Lord Mayor and PROPS students will be doing the honours, and then
we’ll all be off to be the first to ‘do’ the Trail with Trustees as guides.

We’ll finish at the Arnolfini in time for a screening of Aardmans Pirates!
at 3pm (Tickets still available @ just £5 Bristol Ticket Office).

The day will finish with two sailings on board the Matthew (a family one at
5pm and an adult one at 6pm) – for availability please go to the Matthew Box
Office.

See you all on Talk like a Pirate Day! – Saturday 19th September – pirate
dress optional.

See links on two previous blogs for booking Information.

Sep 16

Building Treasure Island Trail

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Day 2 of creating our Treasure Island Trail has seen us now complete three quarters of it.

We started on Tuesday by completing Black Spot ‘G’, ‘F’ and ‘H’ installations at the Ostrich, Redcliffe Caves and Merchants Landing respectively.

Today, Wednesday  16th September 2015, we completed Black Spot ‘E’, ‘D’ and ‘C’ installations at Redcliffe Wharf, Hole-in-the-Wall and Welsh Back respectively.

Our thanks must go to Nick and his fabulous PROPS students, Landscaper John of Cotswold Garden Solutions, Hawkesbury builder Tom Cole for donating the top soil and drainage rubble and Trustees, Patrons and LJST members Chris, Leon, Mark, Royston and Bob.

Fingers crossed but we’re on schedule for Trail completion Thursday and opening Saturday 19th September 2015 – International Talk Like a Pirate Day.

Tickets for The Pirates! film at the Arnolfini at 3pm are still available at Bristol Ticket Office and for Matthew sailings at 5pm and 6pm at the Matthew Box Office. Please see our previous post for online links.

Building the Trail … Photos below:-

Sep 13

Press Release – Treasure Island Trail to open on September 19th 2015

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Press Release
September 10th 2015
For Immediate release

Treasure Island Trail to open on September 19th 2015
After 10 years of campaigning the Bristol-based Long John Silver Trust will open the Treasure Island Trail around the city’s historic Floating Harbour at 1pm on Saturday, September 19th 2015.

Members of the public are invited to join The Lord Mayor of Bristol, Cllr Clare Campion-Smith and guests, outside the Merchant Venturers’ Almshouse at the Broad Quay end of King Street for the official opening.
Following the opening there will be guided walks around the trail which celebrates Bristol’s connections with Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel Treasure Island.

“Throughout our campaign we have worked with Fishponds-based special needs charity PROPS to create the trail and they will be present on the day to assist the Lord Mayor with the ribbon-cutting ceremony,” said Long John Silver Trust vice chair Mark Steeds.

The trail will be marked by eight recycled 54- gallon wine barrels from Bordeaux. Each barrel is planted with a palm tree and carries information about the trail and the relevance of the eight sites to Treasure Island – the early part of the book was set in Bristol.

The barrels will also feature selected Mervyn Peake Illustrations from the classic 1949 edition of Treasure Island. In keeping with Bristol’s Green Capital and Cycling City status the barrels will incorporate innovative double cycle stands which also act to secure them to the ground.

The opening of the Treasure Island Trail will be followed by a special screening of ‘The Pirates’ by Aardman Animation at Arnolfini at 3pm (tickets just £5 from www.bristolticketshop.co.uk). From 5pm there will be two special piratical sailings of The Matthew from outside Arnolfini.
September 19th is also International Talk Like a Pirate Day, inspired by Robert Newton’s portrayal of Long John Silver in Disney’s 1950 adaptation of Treasure Island. Pirate dress for the day is optional.

Notes to Editor
Contact details: Vice Chairman Mark Steeds (mark@beaufortarms.com) Richard Jones (07890 267983 richard@tangentbooks.co.uk)

For further details visit www.longjohnsilvertrust.co.uk
Tickets for the showing of The Pirates are available from www.bristolticketshop.co.uk or on the day at Arnolfini.

For details of the special sailings on The Matthew, visit www.matthew.co.uk
The trail has been funded by members of the public who donated more than £5,000 at Treasure Island walks and talks and received £2,000 in sponsorship from Butcombe Brewery.

The barrels were sourced from Bernard’s Barrels of Yate, the information collars were made by Wards Signs of Barton Hill, the cycle stands were manufactured by Simbars of Ashton Vale. PROPS special needs charity will be helping with the installation and maintenance of the barrels.

Press call: There will be an opportunity to see the first barrel being installed on King Street by students from PROPS and members of the Long John Silver Trust at 11am on Thursday, September 17 at 11am.

Photocall: The Lord Mayor will arrive at 12.45pm on Saturday, September 19 in King Street.

The Treasure Island Trail has been designated a European Cultural Route – In the Footsteps of Robert Louis Stevenson. In November, a delegation from the Council of Europe will visit Bristol to present the Network with its accreditation on the occasion of its AGM in the city.”

A free App of the Trail is available – go to the App Store and search for ‘Treasure Island Trail’.

End

On the run up to the creation of our Trail, please see students of PROPS finishing off the painting on the barrels, prior to Trustee Leon taking them to Wards Signs to get their collars fitted:-