Nov
24
Tag Archives: Building the Trail
Oct
12
Treasure Island Trail Audio App Launch
10am, Thursday 13th October 2016 is launch date for our Treasure Island Trail Audio App launch.
Supported by a Wellbeing Grant from the Cabot, Clifton & Clifton East Neighbourhood Partnership, huge thanks must go to them for making our sensory Trail a reality.
Radio Bristol’s top presenter Steve Yabsley has agreed to help with the launch and students from PROPS, who have been with us all the way making it happen, will be there touring the Trail along with Long John Silver Trustees and dignitaries, enjoying the story of Stevenson’s immortal classic.
If you’re free that morning for a one hour jaunt, please come along and join us.
We’re meeting at the start of our Trail at Black Spot ‘A’ – the Merchant Ventureres Almshouses, King Street (Broad Quay end).
See you there, mateys …
Jun
11
1st Phase Sensory Treasure Island Trail Launch
Captain’s Blog Stardate 4th June 2016;
Activity; first phase launch of the Sensory Treasure Island Trail.
Location; Benjamin Perry Boathouse, Redcliffe Wharf, Bristol, England (or, as we like to call it, Betty’s Boathouse).
Our main project for 2016, with kind support from the Cabot Neighbourhood Partnership, is to create a sensory aspect to our Trail and to this end we’ve had our colleagues at PROPS growing special plants.
Some of the plants weren’t quite ready in time so the Trail was augmented, in double quick time, with more planting; petunia’s, pansies, lobelia’s, curry plants, cineraria’s … smell, touch, colour, all appertaining to characters and episodes from T.I. – huge thanks to Tracey from PROPS, Trustees Chris and Sal for planting them all so beautifully.
Unfortunately our timing was a bit off as Bristol happened to be ‘Protest Central’ in Britain that day – anti-fascist, anti-immigration and pro-refugee marches all converging around us.
17 hardy followers commenced the Trail in King Street (at Black Spot ‘A’) – Trustees Mark providing the background and Chris the explanation as to why the plants were chosen and what they represented.
Black Spot ‘C’ on Welsh Back provided the most amusing highlight. The chapter headed ‘Captains Papers’ representing the commencement of many a Bristol based voyage of adventure, not just the Hispaniola but also real life vessels like Woodes Roger’s Duke and Dutchess.
Just as Mark was pointing out Woodes Roger’s house in Queen Square, the square was filled with Naked Cyclists! – each one baring a black spot …
After completing the Trail we retired to the Boathouse for pizza’s and storytelling, Blackbeard losing his bonce a la the Hairy Bikers and an abridged version of Treasure Island with Trustee ‘Billy Bones’ Fairney stealing the show as ever with his renditions of Blind Pew and Ben Gunn.
Huge thanks to Betty for our booking, Gareth at Woodchoppizza, the team at PROPS and all of our Trustees and friends for making it happen.
May
23
Sensory Planting Upgrade of the Treasure Island Trail
Continuing our celebrations of Bristol’s Treasure Island, the Long John Silver Trust is launching the first phase of its sensory planting upgrade of the Treasure Island Trail on Saturday 4th June.
Meeting 1pm at ‘Black Spot A’, Trustees will take you on a trail of adventure and discovery, exploring the connections between Bristol and RLS’s Treasure Island through the medium of our unique plants and planters.
At 2pm we’re convening at the Benjamin Perry Boathouse on Redcliffe Wharf for pizzas and tales of pirates …
First up will be Blackbeard’s demise, as featured here on TV with the Hairy Bikers
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b079nh1l/the-hairy-bikers-pubs-that-built-britain-12-bristol
This will be followed by a ‘PROPS Pirate Tale’ directed by Oscar Kolkowski and then, finally, Professor ‘Billy Bones’ Fairney reprising the Trust’s abridged infamous re-enactment of Treasure Island itself.
A must for all the family!
Mar
28
Preparations for our Sensory Treasure Island Trail
LJST’s partners PROPS are cracking on with preparations for our sensory Treasure Island Trail launch later in the year.
Trust horticulturalist Chris has combined with the team at PROPS to come up with some stunning planting that will emphasise the Treasure Island story and lead characters therein.
Watch this space …
Dec
24
Seasons Greeting 2015
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 …
Sep
24
LJST Trail Launch - At last the Trail is here!
At last!! after several years of planning our Treasure Island Trail is really here! A glorious day for the Long John Silver Trust, the weather was perfect at the opening, and a great time was had by all our friends as we walked the Trail.
Click here to view images and a video of the Launch
Click here for Google map
Sep
18
Building Treasure Island Trail - Day 3
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
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
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 ([email protected]) Richard Jones (07890 267983 [email protected])
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:-
