Date/Time
Date(s) - 27/07/2020
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

A Footnote to Somerville and Ross – a discovery tour with Peter Fiennes.

BOOKINGS CLOSE TONIGHT AT 5.15PM

Edith Somerville and Violet Martin (aka Martin Ross) were the authors of the hugely popular ‘Irish R.M.’ stories. Even after Violet Martin’s early death, Edith Somerville insisted that her name should continue to appear on their new books as co-author.

In 1895, before their years of fame, they set off on horseback around north Wales and to climb Snowden, writing and sketching for the book that became “Beggars on Horseback: A Riding Tour in North Wales’. They were quite a sight for the times: two young women, travelling together, encumbered by safety skirts, riding habits and wide-brimmed hats, their hired horses reeling under over-stuffed holdalls, shying and zigzagging down the high street in Welshpool before galloping off ‘to the unknown and the unpronounceable’. The resulting travel book is a joy from start to finish.

Enjoy it at home

We’ve adapted to the times and are thrilled to be following in the footsteps (or hoof-prints) of Somerville and Ross in the company of award-winning author Peter Fiennes. The tour will be held on Zoom using Google Streetview, and will be recorded too. It will take approximately 60 minutes, and there will be a chance to discuss these two brilliant authors’ lives and works.

Fiennes‘ Footnotes: A Journey Round Britain in the Company of Great Writers

“As enjoyable a guide to the relationship of writers to the landscape of Britain as one could hope to read: beautifully written, moving in its reflections, and often very funny.” Tom Holland

There will be readings from Somerville and Ross’s work and Footnotes. 

After booking, you will receive a confirmation e mail (this may take a few hours).

You will then receive details of the Zoom meeting vie e mail within 3 hours of the start of the tour – the email will include a link to the virtual tour. Unfamiliar with Zoom? It is advisable to sign up to Zoom (it’s free to you as a participant) – do that right away. View this video about joining a Zoom meeting. Please note that Zoom has updated it’s settings since 31 May 2020 – you will need to update your Zoom before entering the tour (this only takes a matter of seconds).

Join the meeting a few minutes before the start time (treating it like going to the theatre and taking your seat).  Within 5 minutes of the tour beginning, we will lock the meeting, so no one else can join the tour – this is a security measure to try minimise what’s called “Zoom bombing” and late arrivals cannot be guaranteed entry. 

Can’t join on this date / Missed your chance to join – send us a note via our Get in Touch form as if we have sufficient sign ups we may run it again.

BOOKINGS CLOSE TONIGHT AT 5.15PM

To book, there is no set ticket price on this Virtual Tour – we leave it up to your discretion (may we suggest £8-£12) – just use the PayPal Donate button below.  Standby Places are free, if you make a donation you are guaranteed a place. Standby tickets will be released if places are available, within 3 hours of the start of the event.

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Fancy reading Peter Fiennes’ “Footnotes”? – order from an Independent Bookseller via Hive

Featured image credit: British Library

 

Bookings