This photograph of Richard and Neville sitting on the deck of Captain Flint’s houseboat in the pouring rain must epitomize the struggles they went through to work around the weather and bring ‘Swallows and Amazons’ in on budget.
It was Claude Whatham’s dream to end the movie with an aerial shot of Swallow and Amazon sailing away from Captain Flint’s houseboat. He had a helicopter pilot standing-by with a special cameraman, but it wasn’t to be. He needed bright sunshine for the shot to cut with our farewell sequence after the battle. We waited three days but the weather was too dull and wet to film anything useful. I’m so glad. Claude ended up freezing the simple shot that captures Arthur Ransome’s book completely. It was used on the front of one of the first VHS copies of the movie.
I’m afraid we hung about the very nice Waterhead Hotel in Ambleside getting bored and precocious, or so the evidence suggests. Since John and Margaret, our location caterers, had returned to Pinewood Studios, we were taken to the hotel restaurant for lunch.
We loved the cinema in Ambleside. Was it the same then as Zeffirellis, the cinema in Compston Road operating today? The adults must have found it a good means of keeping us peacefully entertained, but then again they were all film-makers who loved movies. Zanna didn’t come to the cinema that afternoon. She walked four miles up Wanstell Pike with Jane Grendon.
Albert Clarke, the stills photographer on the film crew, had given us contact sheets of the black and white photographs that he had taken during the filming. I spent my time at the Kirkstone Foot Hotel, where Claude and Richard were staying, with a tube of Copydex ~ or ‘rubber solution glue’, as they kept saying on Blue Peter, sticking the tiny photographs into the scrap books that I had been keeping.
Richard Pilbrow kindly let us choose large 10’x 8′ versions of the photographs, which we are able to take home to our families. I kept mine all these years, never using them for anything, but treasuring them as a memory of those happy, fulfilling days spent in Cumbria in 1973.
You can now read about making the movie in the ebook ‘The Secrets of Filming Swallows and Amazons’ or the paperback entitled, ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons (1974)’ available at most online distributors or to order from your library or local bookshop.
Sophie Neville 
I am really enjoying this Sophie..Swallows is one of my favourite films and it is very interesting to see what went on behind the scenes…fascinating
Thank you! I’ll move on to ‘Coot Club’ and ‘The Big Six’ soon. I worked on the serial behind the camera for the BBC in 1984. It was a bigger project than ‘Swallows and Amazons’.
Excellent! I can’t wait.
YES !!! That closing shot is just perfect and brought tears to my eyes the first time I saw it. I think the musical score intrudes at times in the film but in the arrival at Holly Howe and that finale, the sound-picture mix is powerful, evocative stuff!
That ‘Niagara’ still is a great shot too.
Roger
I will talk about the music next – or very soon.I spelt Niagara wrong didn’t I! Always do.
If there are any film makers still working who are interested in making ‘innocent’ films ( no swear words, sex nor violence!) I do think that ‘Secret Water’ would make an excellent film. The bit about getting nearly drowned on the causeway could be left out!
Pete
I think nearly drowning is quite educational. It would act as a warning to duffers.
Great! Next question is where we can get hold of Coot Club and Big Six, as I’ve never managed to see them. Any ideas?
You could write to the BBC and ask them to repeat the serial. If you reminded them that Julian Fellowes was the baddie they might just re-release it. Controller BBC One, BBC TV Centre, Wood Lane, London W12 7RJ
Try Amazon. There are a couple (or were) on there.
Yes, it’s on DVD. I have one.
Well, there’s one fewer now as I’ve just bought it! Thanks, Barry. Looking forward to a DVD treat when I’m back in UK.
Let me know what you think of the DVD. We thought the title graphics were wonderful at the time! They have dated horrifically but the main body of the drama was pretty true to the book.
I don’t think the program itself has dated at all. Watched it when it was on tv and watch it every couple of years even now. Very sad that none of the child actors went further with a career (that I can see). The Death & Glory lads especially were about the best actors.
So glad you like the serial – the Death and Glory boys were great. I’ll write about casting and making of the adaptation in due course.
Do write in and ask the BBC to repeat it. I am sure it would proove hugely appreciated early evening weekend viewing.
I also love the closing shot of the film; I don’t think an aerial shot would have worked any way near as well.
I agree! Ariel shots went right out of fashion in the 1980s – and were scorned for a while – but they are back in vogue.
Please don’t mention aerial shots, I spent a day in a chopper being swirled back and forth to film a scene for the opening of the film, ‘Snow for Christmas,’ and most of the next day recovering. Assistant camera man with motion sickness and helicopters don’t mix!
I have seen Coot Club, but can’t remember seeing The Big Six? Sometimes the TV channel Talking Pictures TV will screen the older films, from the 1970’s. Maybe they will screen them? They have a Saturday morning picture show and screen many of the CFF (Children’s Film Foundation) films and they are wonderful. Usually a very simple plot and some lovely early shots of places and some very young actors that have gone on to other things. I saw a very young Michael Crawford in one just the other Saturday! Always worth a look.
Do please share more of these fabulous memories, this series has been my daily pleasure to look forward to. Thank you for keeping us all misty eyed for an earlier age!
As a former camera operator, I arrived early at an airport to see the helicopter pilot removing a forward-facing seat to replace it with a legs-and-lens-out-the-door seat. This was held in with four 8mm bolts. He asked if I wanted to finish tightening them up.
There was no way I wasn’t going to take him up on the offer! 😉
When I appeared in a helicopter in a CFF movie, ironically titled ‘The Copter Kids’, I looked down to see that the seat I was belted into hadn’t been bolted down. The door of the helicopter had been removed so that I could lean out and shoot cattle rustlers from above. I was only attached by my headphones.
Would you like to read more about The Copter Kids?! I shot at cattle rustlers from a helicopter piloted by Mr Derek. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0290167/