This year, Amazon, the iconic dinghy used in both the 1974 film and 1963 BBC serial of Swallows and Amazons was on display at the Southampton International Boat Show. The Arthur Ransome Society, who now own her, brought her down from the Norfolk Broads especially for the event.
Thanks to volunteers from the project ‘Sail Swallow and Amazon’, it was great chance to find out about the literary society and chat about grabbing the chance to sail Amazon yourself. She has been renovated and is looked after by Hunter’s Yard near Ludham.
Sophie Neville, who captured the Amazon when she played Able Seaman Titty in film, gave illustrated talks on the Foredeck Stage at the Southampton International Boat Show on the afternoons of:
Friday 15th September – Press Day
Thursday 21st September – Women and Marine Day
Sophie signed copies of her book on ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons’ at the Medina Bookshop near by. Based in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, they specialise in maritime books.
You will find the story of how Sophie handled the Amazon as a twelve year-old in this month’s edition of Practical Boat Owner magazine and you can read more here.
You can watch Practical Boat Owner’s video taken last year.
Amazon is available to hire from Hunter’s Yard on the Norfolk Broads from 27th September until the close of the season on about 6th October. Please contact Hunters Yard near Ludham who also have the Titmouse available.
An article published in Classic Boat read:
This film gives you a quick squizz around the Boat Show when you see the Foredeck Stage where Sophie was speaking.
Sophie Neville 
It sounds a wonderful weekend. I only wish I could be there to hear your talk.
Hopefully I will be giving another talk at Windermere Jetty in Cumbria on 28th or 29th June 2024, which will be amazing as we’ll be near the film locations.
I shall definitely be at that one!
Great!
Hello Sophie
I think this the is first time I have contacted you but I have followed your wonderful internet blog for many years. You may have heard my name, Nigel West, because I am Simon West’s father. Sadly my wife Dorothy, Simon’s mother, died of cancer in 2009. We only visited Simon once in the time he was filming in the Lake District but saw nothing of the actual filming. However, we did see your double decker school and dressing rooms. Also we did have to take Simon to post-synching in London, Waldorf Street if I remember correctly.. There was also one scene shot on a small countryside hill somewhere in the London area, that we took Simon to, some months after the main filming period. Long hair for boys was the fashion then and Simon had let his hair grow, but he had to have a short-back-and-sides haircut again before that filming, much to his annoyance. And we did watch the filming from afar.
I was a totally ignorant of theatrical matters in the 1970’s so we failed even to try to get Simon registered with Equity, nor realised the advantages, so all he got out of S & A was £15 a day during the filming! I guess most of you other child actors will have fared much better and will have grown fat on your residuals in the light of the film being shown all over the world in cinemas and TV. However, for Simon, it was a very character forming and enjoyable experience for him.
You probably know of John Barker who was Chairman or President of the Ransome society at one time. Well he was a near neighbour of ours until recently and he tried, to get Simon interested in making public appearances but Simon was not interested.
By the way, I was fascinated by your S&A director’s association with wall paintings in Windsor Castle – a wonderful story – Sorry forgotten his name for the moment but that is the penalty of living to the age of 92
Kind regards
Nigel West.
Dear Nigel,
How good to hear from you. I’m so glad you enjoy the posts.
Do please feel free to ask me any questions. I worked out that we received £7.50 a day, which was only a little more than the parrot earned. None of us received residuals. I don’t expect anyone predicted that the film would entail such long days or hard work – both before and after the filming – or that it would have such a remarkable longevity. I checked my contract – and even sent it to Equity, but it seems there is little we can do. However, appearing in Swallows and Amazons was a great experience and we learned a lot.
I didn’t know John Barker but I have been helping The Arthur Ransome Society since about 2011. Plans are afoot for 50th Anniversary Celebrations next year. I’ll let Simon know when we have more information.
Do write again.
Love Sophie
I went to Wolverton Hall this July. Georgia told me that you’d worked there during the war. I was with our long bow society, which I joined party due to appearing in ‘Swallows and Amazons’ as our interest was awakened on location when the prop master made us all bows. I later played an archery champion in an adventure movie called ‘The Copter Kids’, a part that I gained on the strength of ‘Swallows and Amazons’.