The Arthur Ransome Society
All the information you need to know on all things TARS
First established in June 1990, the Arthur Ransome Society Limited has its registered office at the Abbot Hall Museum of Lakeland Life in Kendal, England. It was chosen because the museum had an existing permanent exhibit - the Ransome Room - which houses many items of memorabilia donated to the museum by Arthur Ransome's widow, Evgenia.
The purpose of TARS is to celebrate the life, promote the works, and diffuse the ideas of Arthur Ransome, author of the world-famous 'Swallows and Amazons' series of books for children.
- encourage children and others to engage, with due regard to safety, in adventurous pursuits;
- bring the public's attention to Ransome and his work;
- sponsor research in relevant areas;
- be a communications link for those interested in any aspect of Arthur Ransome's life and works.
Events : Catering to the needs of a diverse spread of members, both in terms of their areas of interest and location, members have access to a varied programme of activities, events and pursuits during the year. Have a look at the Upcoming Events listing to see what is happening in your region.
Publications : TARS produces a range of quality publications for its members throughout the year. This includes a news magazine, a literary journal and a magazine geared towards Junior and family members. More information about all of these is available on the Publications page of this site.
Ship's Baby Fund : Awarding bursaries to young TARS to help fund Ransome-inspired activities.
TARS Library : A members' lending library housing an extensive collection of books, including copies of books that Ransome read, Carnegie-medal winners and many other books of interest.
TARS Stall : Offering Ransome-related retail therapy to members. Includes books and other treats!
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TARS holds an International Gathering and Annual General Meeting (IAGM) in late Spring or early Summer. Hosted by a different UK Region each year and open to all members of the Society, the TARS IAGM weekend boasts a diverse programme of activities and literary events. |
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A residential Literary Weekend is held biennially in the Autumn in the UK. Past locations have included Greenwich, Norwich and Windermere with the 2007 event having been held in Leeds, Ransome's birthplace. Literary Transactions, a transcript of lectures given during these weekends is published in a single volume after each meeting and is available to members from the Society Stall. |
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There are six Regional Groups in the UK, all of which run their own programme of activities and events throughout the year, which any TARS member is welcome to attend. See the Upcoming Events listing for more details about events at both Regional and National level. |
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There are Overseas Groups in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States, and the Society has a friendly relationship with the Arthur Ransome Club (ARC). Founded in Japan in 1987, the ARC predated the formation of TARS by three years. |
TARS owns Coch y Bonddhu, one of Ransome's dinghies, which appears as Scarab in the books. Cochy is currently on loan to the National Maritime Museum, Cornwall.
Cochy used to be on display in the Swallows & Amazons exhibition at Windermere Steamboats & Museum in Bowness, alongside the original Amazon (to whose restoration and exhibition many TARS members contributed), and Esperance, thought to be the inspiration for Captain Flint's houseboat. Amazon is currently on display at the Ruskin Museum, Coniston until further notice.
Please note: while it plans to hold some Open Days, the Windermere Steamboats & Museum is currently closed for an extensive restoration project. More details of the Steamboat Salvage Scheme are available on the Lakeland Arts Trust website.
The best place for finding answers to questions about TARS is on this website. If you still can't find what you're looking for, then please contact the TARS Company Secretary by writing to the Registered Office address or eel-mailing tarsinfo@arthur-ransome.org. If you live in one of the Overseas Regions with an area representative, use the details on the Contact page.
How do I join TARS?
The General Membership Application Form should be used for anyone in the U.K. and any overseas countries other than Australia, which has its own form.
| Application Form | For use by all U.K. + Overseas residents (except Australia) |
| Australian Form | Link to TARS Application form for Australian residents |
A Recipe for Bunloaf
Sailing the Humber
