Claude Whatham – Sophie Neville

David Blagden’s role in making the movie ‘Swallows and Amazons’ (1974)

David Blagden as Sammy the Policeman in ‘Swallows and Amazons’

I was interested to learn that David Blagden was born in New York in 1944 and went to school there. He had no hint of an American accent when we knew him in 1973.

Sophie Neville, Suzanna Hamilton, Stephen Grendon, Lesley Bennett and Kit Seymour with David Blagden on Peel Island on — Sophie Neville, Suzanna Hamilton, Stephen Grendon, Lesley Bennett and Kit Seymour with David Blagden on Peel Island Coniston

A young trans-Atlantic sailor, David handled boats with fluency and won the trust of the producer and director of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ who gave him the job of sailing director on the original film. Tall, good looking, and impervious to wet weather, he had an infectious enthusiasm for high adventure out on the water. We children all adored him.

Cormorant Island — Stephen Grendon and Sophie Neville in Swallow, wired to the camera pontoon with Richard Pilbrow, David Blagden, Calude Whatham, Dennis Lewiston, boatmen and other members of the filmcrew

I now realise that although he could splice a rope and was respected for his experience on high seas, David had never worked in film or television production. He claimed to have read the book of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ forty-two times, but evidently did not breakdown the script. As ‘sailing director’ he should have listed what was needed in each action scene, prepared methodically, and conducted what would now be deemed ‘risk assessments’. I look at the photo above and can only imagine what could have happened out on Derwentwater if we had been hit by a Lakeland squall. When my father eventually tested one of the old BOAC life vests we were equipped with, it failed.

As young actors, we only had two days on Windermere to get used to the boats. David concentrated on sailing with Captain John and Nancy, forgetting that Titty and Roger have quite a bit of tricky rowing in vision. They row back from the charcoal burners and row out to Cormorant Island in Swallow, while Titty needs to row Amazon out of the shelter of Secret Harbour into Coniston Water. It was madness not to have trained for a twelve year-old girl for this. I ended up with the precious 35mm Panavision movie camera onboard. We would have had plenty of time to practice as we were all hanging around at Brown Howe where we could have spent an afternoon rowing Swallow.

Contact sheet sailing Swallow & Amazon in 1973 — Contact sheet sailing Swallows & Amazon in 1973

One climax of the story is when Titty sails the captured Amazon back to Wild Cat Island, and yet he failed to teach me how to sail her. This was sad in that is was one aspect of Arthur Ransome’s book that could easily have been fulfilled.

The Amazon on her side with David Blagden (Sailing Director), David Cadwallader (Grip) David Bracknell (First Assistant Director) with Dennis Lewiston (DOP) with the Panasonic in the background ~photo: Richard Pilbrow

Although he was fond of boats, what David wanted was to to act. Claude Whatham, the director, gave him the part of Sammy the Policeman.

David Blagden, the Sailing Director before he had his hair cut to play the Policeman, and my mother Daphne Neville, Chaperone to the six children acting in ‘Swallows and Amazons’

The idea of having his hair cut was challenging but David accepted the fact that a police officer of 1929 would have a short back-and-sides and was shorn at Bank Ground Farm by Ronnie Cogan, the unit hairdresser. Off came his fashionable shaggy locks, which was seen as very brave.

David Blagdon who played Sammy the Policman ~ photo: Daphne Neville

David adopted a Lancashire accent for the part, “Now then Miss Nancy…” and was so proud of his haircut that he removed his policeman’s helmet in vision. This worked well as it gave him appropriate reticence. He remained in character whilst in uniform and his performance was both well timed and convincing. He obviously prepared well for that.

David Blagden as Sammy the Policeman in 'Swallows and Amazons' (1974) — David Blagden as Sammy the Policeman

David had played Grant in The Adventurer, a TV series made about an American government agent made in 1972. He’d also appeared as a prison officer in the 1971 film ‘Kidnapped‘ starring Michael Caine and Jack Hawkins, which we went to see at the cinema in Ambleside on a precious day off from filming ‘Swallows and Amazons’. IMDb lists David as voicing seven episodes of ‘The Water Margin’ and appearing in one episode of ‘Omnibus’ as a talkative actor. He also presented a British television series called ‘Plain Sailing’, which by all accounts did well, and is remembered for his book ‘Very Willing Griffin’ about his remarkable crossing of the Atlantic in a 19′ Hunter, completing the OSTAR race in fifty-two days.

Adrian Mitchell, an old friend of David’s, emailed me to say, ‘Your recollections of David whilst you were filming with him are both interesting and amusing. He was always very strict when he was at Conway and the thought that he would grow his his hair so long is really very funny…. and having it cut off for his policeman’s role in the film even funnier.’

Adrian remembers him from the 1960s as David Blagdon Marks. He might have decided to use Blagden as a surname if there had been another actor called David Marks or David Blagdon registered with Equity at the time.

We are currently unearthing more facts about the misadventyuire that cost David his life. On Sunday morning on 10^th September 1978, skipper and his girlfriend Eleanora Murk-Jansen were planning to sail to Fleetwood (near Blackpool) from Ramsey on the Isle of Man, but had engine problems and their departure was delayed. The weather forecast at midday on the 10^th for sea area Irish Sea appeared not too bad, as follows….

Pressure. 1015 -1018 hPa, falling steadily.

Wind South West. 4 – 5, increasing to force 6

Sea State. Moderate, becoming rough later.

Weather. Broken cloud, showers, good visibility between showers.

This was probably not seen by David as particularly onerous, especially for someone who had sailed the Atlantic, solo, some years before. However, the coastguard was worried and advised David not to leave the harbour as by evening an Atlantic depression had deepened and was moving east from Ireland across the Irish sea. David might have thought that as he was going to be heading south east, he could cope with the sea conditions. It would only be a sixty mile voyage. This should have taken around 10-14 hrs. They left around 10pm that evening, heading south east to Fleetwood.

But during the night of 10^th September, the barometric pressure dropped rapidly with a south west wind blowing Force 7 to 8. By midnight the pressure had dropped to 1000 hPa, a dramatic fall in such a short time would suggest worse weather was to coming, and that was the case, increasing to Force 9 and 10 as the night wore on. This was beyond the limits of a 26ft yacht. It is likely that the wind would have been astern of the boat and large seas could have pitch-poled it (stern over bow), smashing it to bits in shallow water off the nearby coast.

That night a tornado hit the town of Anchorsholme near Blackpool, damaging homes and throwing a large cycle shed through the air. The storm approached the area from the Irish Sea – recorded at Force 9 to 10, west north west.

Meanwhile, early in the morning of the 11^th September the coastguard (possibly from Ramsey or Fleetwood) alerted the RNLI that a yacht was overdue and probably in trouble off the Blackpool/Fleetwood coast and the Fleetwood and Lytham lifeboats were launched. They searched through the night and well into the day on Monday 11^th without success.

On Tuesday 12^th September, the Birmingham Daily Post reported that a 26ft sloop, Jain, on passage from the Isle of Man to Fleetwood with a man and a woman from London on board had been lost on the night of the 11^th September. The body of a young woman, along with yacht gear, were washed up on Blackpool beach. Wreckage was retrieved by a trawler, being from the wreck from a depth of just 1.4m close inshore, including a mast with numbered sail and harnesses that were identified as having come from the yacht Jain. David’s body was washed up nearby a week later.

An alternative account of the tragic shipwreck off Blackpool can be found on the Fleetwood Lifeboat’s site here.

A full account of the adventure had filming ‘Swallows and Amazons’ in the summer of 1973 can be found in the ebook ‘The Secrets of Filming Swallows and Amazons’ and the audiobook or illustrated paperback.

Story strips that accompanied the original film ‘Swallows and Amazons’ when it was launched in cinemas in 1974

“The graphic novel version of ‘Swallows and Amazons’?” Not exactly. These illustrations made up a five-part “serialisation strip” or “picture strip” provided for cinemas to include in promotional material advertising screenings of the original movie. They were designed to be, “particularly suitable for running on the Children’s Page of your local newspaper for the five days proceeding the film’s premiere.”

These were distributed in April 1974 along with colour photographs, black and white stills and background information on the characters and the actors who played them. The quotes are quite fun: ‘Ronald Fraser has few illusions about either his face or his dramatic abilities. “…it’s the old hooter that does it you know… I read Swallows and Amazons many years ago as a young rip and seem to remember imagining myself as John, leader of the Swallows. Now it turns out that I’m Uncle Jim after all.”‘

Dame Virginia McKenna said how much she loved the books, explaining that she was on a family holiday in Sardinia when she was offered the part of mrs Walker. Her husband, the film actor Bill Travers, accepted on her behalf, knowing she would love working in the Lake District.

Swallows and Amazons story strip featuring Sophie Neville as Titty

The film director, Claude Whatham was also profiled. He had previously made the movie “That’ll Be The Day” with Ringo Starr and David Essex, which was released in cinemas with an LP featuring pop songs of the 1950s.

The LP that accompanied ‘Swallows and Amazons’ was narrated by David Wood, the screenwriter who had adapted Arthur Ransome’s novel. It is rather wonderful to have a recording of Wilfred Joseph’s iconic score. I was amazed to find pictures of myself on the cover.

Specialist advertising material such as this, being over fifty years old, is both rare and collectable. Four jigsaw puzzles and the Puffin paperback were produced, featuring film stills taken on location by Albert C Clarke.

There were puzzels, such as this maze, along with pictures to colour and “spot the difference” blocks, which you can see on an earlier post on this website. All these ideas were probably generated by our wonderful film publicist Brian Doyle. I’ve written about the preview screenings and his work on an eariler post here.

Brian was on location the entire time we were filming, showing around journalists almost every day. You can read the full account of how we made the film in ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons’, which is now available as an audiobook, narrated by me, Sophie Neville.

The audiobook of 'The Making of Swallows and Amazons' — The new audiobook

Finding the scrapbook I kept whilst filming ‘Swallows and Amazons’ in 1973

I thought I’d lost it! But, on clearing out our mother’s house, my sister found the cuttings book I kept whilst making the original movie ‘Swallows and Amazons’ in 1973.

It includes a plan of the London double-decker bus where we received rudimentary lessons on location. Three bunkbeds on the top floor were meant to be used so we could rest after lunch. Mum said she forced me to lie down everyday but I can only remember a couple of occasion, once when I was reluctant, once when I was freezing cold after a swimming scene.

We changed into our costumes at the top of that bus, enjoying warmth from a gas stove that leaked rather alarmingly on one day necessitating an evacuation.

The exterior looked liked a conventional Routemaster with added curtains.

Lesley Bennett's photo of the double decker buses at Bank Ground Farm in 1973

Once sitting at my desk, I found my italic fountain pen and began keeping a diary. One version of the first seven days spent in Cumbria is pasted into the scrap book. I later re-wrote a slightly more detailed and interesting version in a couple of notebooks and wrote about how I got the part of Titty, and the filming from different perspectives.

These pages describe the day spent travelling to Ambleside and a couple of days spent getting to know each other along with Dame Virginia McKenna, who played the Swallows’ mother, the producer Richard Pilbrow, David Blagden who was in charge of the sailing and the film director Cluade Whatham.

Encouraged by my mother, we began pasting in newspaper cuttings.

Newspaper cutting published in May 1973 detailing the beginning of filming the original movie 'Swallows and Amazons' in Cumbria

The Times and the Guardian were at Havethwaite Railway Station to take photographs on the first day of filming. The BBC Radio 4 newsreader, Alan Smith, who grew up in Cumbria, was a film extra that day and can be spotted standing in train doorway with his brother. He wrote to me with his memories of the day.

I began adding photos from contact sheets that Albert Clarke, the film’s stills photographer, took of the cast and crew. I wrote about the opening locations here.

There are pages of dictation and a few sketches of the film props. I drew the yellow Austin ‘taxi’ we drove in at the station.

There were some cuttings that I hadn’t seen for years until until I opened the pages of this mislaid cuttings book. Others can be found on earlier posts.

Sophie Neville's collection of newspaper cuttings while making Swallows and Amazons

I took pages of dictation, learning about the plants and geology of the Lake District, about Beatrix Potter and the National Trust, but it’s a wonder any schoolwork was accomplished at all. We spent so much time on set. I fell behind in French and Maths but gained respectable exam grades that summer, gaining 80% in Geography. Perhaps I wrote about glacial lakes.

You can read more about the adventures we had whilst filming ‘Swallows and Amazons’ in books detailed on this website.

'The Making of Swallows and Amazons (1974) by Sophie Neville' — Different editions of ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons (1974) by Sophie Neville’

There is now an audiobook on ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons’ published by The Lutterworth Press and available on all online platforms including Audible.

‘My Take’ interviews the author Sophie Neville

Can you tell us when and where you were born?

I arrived two weeks early and was born at home, delivered by my great-grandmother in my parents’ cottage, the Old Bakery in the village of Clent in Worcestershire in 1960. Tell Laura I Love Her and Save the Last Dance For Me were top of the charts.

Sophie Neville as a child ~ photo: Martin Neville

Can you give us background on your parents and what they did for a living?

My father worked in Press and Publicity at BIP where he launched fibre glass boat manufacturing by setting up an experimental workshop in Covent Garden. My mother married on her 21^st birthday just before graduating from RADA. She was in the same year as Susannah York and the playwright Hugh Whitmore, but took a break in her career to get married and have us children.

Painting with my father on the shore of Coniston Water

Do you have any siblings?

I have three little sisters, so I was never lonely. Perry had a small part in the classic HTV series Arthur of The Britains and later played the teacher in Bernard’s Watch. Tamzin had leading roles in six television productions playing Elka in Arthur of the Britons, Anthea in The Phoenix and the Carpet and Linda in Love in a Cold Climate with Judi Dench and Michael Aldridge playing her parents.

My mother playing mother and Tamzin as Anthea in *The Phoenix and the Carpet*

My adopted sister Mary-Dieu suffered from polio as a baby so was in hospital a lot or on crutches, but appeared as a film extra in Abide With Me and the wartime drama Tenko, which she enjoyed.

Where were you schooled and were you academic?

I am a visual learner and could have gone to art college but concentrated on English, history and geography, going on to read anthropology with ethnography and psychology, subjects I draw on continuously as a writer. The most useful subject I took at university was cartography. All the best books contain maps and I draw my own.

Swallows and Amazons map of Coniston Water

Did you have any early career aspirations and did you go onto further education?

I went to the University of Durham, where I made wonderful friends including Alastair Fothergill who produced Our Planet and most of Sir David Attenborough’s iconic serials, along with a number of wildlife movies for Disney. I missed my viva – an oral aspect of my Finals – because I opted to go filming in the Charmague, but would you turn down that opportunity? We went on to film in Kenya and recce locations in Zaire and Uganda.

Alastair Fothergill making ‘Wildlife on One’ at Lake Nakuru ~ photo: Sophie Neville

Where did your creative flair and love for acting and writing come from?

We are all born to create. There are times when I have been tempted to take a more managerial path but I feel called to write, so that’s what I do.

Sophie Neville with some of the books she has written

Did you come from a creative family?

My father loved design concepts and developed products with his team at work, notably the cable tie. You find them everywhere now. My mother has always held a burning desire to act and brought out a children’s book in the 1980s, which is still in print. I feel she has more talent as a writer than an actress but she loves the social aspect of filming. At the age of 85, she appeared in Top Boy and was involved in filming The Repair Shop when they visited Denville Hall, the actors’ retirement home in November 2025.

Daphne Neville and Christopher Plumber in Diagnosis Murder — Daphne Neville with Christopher Lee in ‘Diagnosis Murder’

How did you manage to get your lucky break as an actress?

I was able to play the piano. I took my music along, practiced seven or eight hours a day, and did what I was told.

Sophie Neville playing Elieen Brown in the BBC adaptation of ‘Cider with Rosie’

Can you recall your first acting credit?

As a child, I appeared as a film extra in classic drama serials such as The Changes and Arthur of the Britons but gained my first acting credit as Eileen Brown in the BBC play Cider With Rosie, adapted by Hugh Whitmore. I had my hair chopped off for my first movie, and went on to act in a few more productions.

Sophie Neville having her hair cut on location for the part of Titty Walker in 1973

Your C.V. covers several areas including behind the scenes television and film related roles. Let’s start at the beginning of your career and find out what inspired you to become an actress and did you have any early influences?

I wasn’t so much inspired as simply offered an amazing opportunity, which is exceptionally rare. I was invited to an interview to appear in an adaptation of Arthur Ransome’s book, Swallows and Amazons when I was aged twelve. Of all the parts in all the books, I was asked if I would like to play Titty. How could I turn that down? I loved the Lake District, enjoyed camping and was happy in a boat. I did it for fun.

Swallows and Amazons is a classic family film released in 1974. Can you tell us about your experiences working on the film? What are your overriding memories and what does the film mean to you personally?

It proved hard work and involved a lot of hanging around in the cold, but I loved the period aspect and thrived spending time outdoors on location. Filming on Derwentwater was amazing. We had our own desert island, pine trees to climb and a houseboat to attack. Making Ronald Fraser walk the plank was fun. He did it rather well.

Cormorant Island - Sophie Neville as Titty filming 'Swallows and Amazons' 1973 — Sophie Neville as Titty on Cormorant Island ~ photo: Daphne Neville

You’ve written two books on your experiences of working on Swallows and Amazons: The Making of Swallows and Amazons and The Secrets of Filming Swallows and Amazons. What made you decide to write two books on the film and were your memories still fresh and vivid when recounting the stories?

I had the amazing cine footage that my parents took behind-the-scenes on location that they BBC put on a DVD when they made Countryfile and Big Screen Britain, presented by Ben Fogle. I’d already set up my own publishing company and was employing a formatter who suggested we brought The Secrets of Filming Swallows and Amazons as a multi-media ebook, including this unique footage and my parents photos (that you would never be allowed to take on location these days). This did so well as an ebook that it was picked up by the publisher Classic TV Press. They gained permission to add official stills from the film and brought it out as a large paperback with colour plates entitled The Making of Swallows and Amazons. It was then bought by The Lutterworth Press who re-designed it in 2017.

How were your books on Swallows and Amazons received by fans and critics?

Each edition had been received with huge enthusiasm. I had terrific publicity in the Times, Telegraph and Daily Mail and am hugely appreciative of all the book reviews left by readers online. I didn’t want to spoil the magic of the film but nearly fifty years have passed since it first came out and fans like to visit the locations. I’ve included maps and all the information needed to find them.

Can I ask your take on the film’s fanbase, how it’s regularly shown and embraced by new audiences? What do you think is the film’s overall appeal?

Being a family classic, as you say, it has become generational. People who originally watched it in the cinema in 1974 want their children and children’s children to see it. When an audience of 250 piles into a cinema to see the re-mastered version, you can appreciate what an amazing landscape movie it is. The humour is drawn out when you watch it with an audience, which is wonderful and you emerge from the auditorium feeling elated.

You’ve appeared in several classic television serials and programmes: Crossroads, The Two Ronnies and Cider With Rosie. What are your memories from working on those shows and did that exposure lead to other opportunities?

I didn’t realise that Ronnie Baker directed the Two Ronnies, or at least the Charley Farley and Piggy Malone serial with in it. He inspired me to direct comedy. I adored working with him and only wish we’d done more together. He had me for an informal interview on location one lunchtime. I blew it, but did end up directing a bit of comedy at the BBC.

Ronnie Corbet with Sophie Neville filming ‘The Two Ronnies’

6. Who have you enjoyed working with the most in front and behind the camera? Have any of your colleagues acted as mentors and have you gained greater knowledge about the industry from any of them?

So many! Suzanna Hamilton and Anthony Calf are the actors I’d want to work with again. They brought out the best in me. Claude Whatham was the mentor who advised me before I went for my first interview to work in television production. He said, ‘Filming is all about using your time well.’ Writers are wonderful about sharing every tiny piece of knowledge but my own formatter Lisa Skullard mentored me on new technology, for which I am grateful.

7. What made you decide to make the transition from an actress to a behind-the scenes member?

Even as a child I was more interested in the logistics and production side of making dramas.

Can you talk about some of the projects you’ve worked on including being an assistant floor manager of EastEnders, My Family and Other Animals, Bluebell, Doctor Who along with your directing and producing credits?

I was very fortunate to work in BBC Drama Series and Serials at the very zenith of production in the 1980s. It was such a privilege to work on My Family and Other Animals as it was made entirely on location in Corfu. I helped cast the little boy and did the research, interviewing Gerald Durrell, who came out on location with his lovely wife Lee Durrell. I carried out the historical and film research on Miss BlueBell’s life and met her in Paris where we filmed one summer. I also worked on the zoo vet series One by One, and became a location manager on Rockcliffe’s Babies. Producing my own series, INSET, shot in Cumbria, Wiltshire and Sheffield was unforgettable. I had such a good team and we were in a position to do ground-breaking work.

Sophie Neville not at 10 Downing Street but on the lot at Elstree Studios — At Elstree Studios for the BBC Drama Directors’ studio course. I am wearing a green sweater.

You are an award-winning writer with several books to your credit. What made you decide to become a published author and of the books you’ve written, which are you most proud of and why?

Writing Funnily Enough was a huge challenge. I felt I was laying my whole life out before the world. It’s a dark comedy. As all the stories expose my friends and family, I opted to self publish so that I could make changes. My brother-in-law was working in Libya and I didn’t want him to be shot. In the end I was only asked to change the name of a town and the names of three characters. I’ve changed them back now. My brother-in-law now regularly talks about his book on Libya on Sky Television.

Funnily Enough – the paperback with black and white illustrations

9. How does the creative writing process work for you? How long does it take you to prepare and plan a book and do you have a set time for writing?

I need at least two years to write, edit and develop a novel, even though I put in about eight hours work a day. I often start at 6.30am and am a complete work-aholic. Only other writing, such as articles, and inevitable admin get in the way. My husband has to do the shopping.

Ride the Wings of Morning by Sophie Neville — A travel book with a difference

We’ve spoken about the many areas and capacities you’ve worked in: Acting, a floor manager, a researcher, producer, director and a published author. Do you have a favourite discipline and if so, why?

I loved every aspect of directing – felt as if I was flying – but you need huge stamina and total application. My husband needs me at home, so writing is an easier career path to follow although I travel quite a bit giving talks and conducting research.

11. Away from your creative endeavours, can we discuss some of your other loves and interests: Anthropology, your love of animals, charity work and archery.

My family have kept tame otters for almost forty years, hand-rearing abandoned babies and lecturing on conservation. I am now Patron of the UK Wild Otter Trust. I emigrated to southern Africa in 1992 and ended up volunteering on a number of projects, helping to set up a charity to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic. One million people still die from AIDS every year. We continue to run HIV prevention and awareness in schools, employing a nurse to care for those on anti-retrovirals and keep an eye on the orphans, many of whom are in their teens.

I learnt to shoot with a long bow on the set of Swallows and Amazons. This was pivotable as it led to a leading role in an adventure movie, The Copter Kids, with Sophie Ward and Vic Armstrong. The sport also introduced me to my husband. He was Chairman of the archery society my parents belonged to.

Sophie with her husband on the coast of South Africa

Can I also ask you what made you decide to emigrate to South Africa and can you tell us about your 12-years living there?

You’ll have to read my books, ‘Funnily Enough’ and ‘Ride the Wings of Morning’. Every details lies within the pages.

Final Questions to Finish Interview

1. What’s your favourite past time? Walking along beaches

2. What’s your favourite film and why? I have to admit that Swallows and Amazons (1974) is a nostalgia trip for me. It’s been described as ‘mesmerizing’.

3. Who’s your favourite novelist? Karen Rosario Ingerslev

4. If you could have had a different profession what would it have been? Mother

5. Who has been your greatest inspiration in life? Jesus

6. Do you read a newspaper? If so which one? The Telegraph

7. What’s your favourite food? Black cherries

8. Who is your favourite cultural icon? Virginia McKenna

9. What’s your favourite curse word and why? I try not to swear

10. What’s your favourite place or holiday destination? The Okavango Delta

11. Who is your favourite music artist and what’s your favourite album? Cat Stevens greatest hits

12. What’s your greatest achievement to date? Publishing Funnily Enough and finishing my historical novels.

13. How do you wish to be remembered? As an inspiration to others.

‘What is the film of Swallows and Amazons about?’ Nigel H Seymour’s review of the 1974 movie made on location in the Lake District

The Eternal Swallows and Amazons by Nigel H Seymour

I recall being contacted by a friend who had just passed his driving test, and wished to spend a lazy day in the Lake District where he’d insisted on hiring a rowing boat in Bowness on Windermere in order to ‘enjoy the beauty of the lake’. While heading out from the jetty towards the ‘Lily of the valley’ island in rather a clumsy fashion, I was asked. ‘Who do you want to be, the Swallows or the Amazons?’

At a later date I was given the book ‘Swallows and Amazons’ written by Arthur Ransome together with a video and an original vinyl of the music soundtrack. Turning the pages of the 1930 novel was like opening a door to several other worlds for suddenly the lakes swept in like the most refreshing breeze that kindled an inner passion for hills, mountains, lakes, sleepy streams and mists, early morning stillness on the water and sailing adventures.

Watching the film for the first time was a turning point in my rather dull experience of being at school in the north west of England with its drab corridors, gray walls and endless smoking chimneys out to the horizon.

Within a very short time I too have taken a seat on a train en route to the Lake District in 1929 that had a family travelling together in one of those wonderful old carriages consisting of four children and their mother who were to spend a holiday together in a beautiful farmhouse nestling in the trees by the lake.

For some reason William Wordsworth’s immortal words ran through my mind: ‘Beside the lake beneath the trees fluttering and dancing in the breeze.’

The story touches on many human aspects that we all learn to accept as a part of our evolvement into adulthood and which today seems to have got lost in the quest for an increasingly fast world understanding and a computer generated experience.

The joy of the family arriving at the farmhouse and standing there looking out over the glorious Lakeland towards their dream island where it’s hoped they will be able to embark on a camping holiday after receiving permission from their absent father.

The four children, John Susan Titty and Roger Walker, all displayed an individual aspect of evolvement, with Titty engrossed in the book ‘Robinson Crusoe’, using her vivid imagination to create the island realm and keeping a hand written diary, while John seemed to be moving towards a Naval leaning by spending his time learning the basics of Morse code, boat handling and navigation. Young Boy Roger enjoys stuffing himself with anything he can possibly eat, appears to be showing signs of enjoying the great outdoors, and wants more adventure. Susan comes across as the mother figure who thinks about the younger siblings and what they all will be eating while on their adventures.

The story unfolds as the children receive the go ahead in a telegram from their father to sail over to their island to camp in a borrowed dinghy called ‘Swallow’. A burgee is sewn up to fly from the mast depicting a swallow. This news is received with unadulterated delight by the children who immediately begin the preparations.

The lake and mountainous surroundings featured in the film begin to open up as the children undertake their journey to discover sailing rivals in Nancy and Peggy Blackett who live in one of the houses bordering the lake and own a dinghy named ‘Amazon’ that sports a ‘pirate’ burgee.

Initial rivalry erupts between the Walkers and Blacketts, which results in eventual harmony as the two sides join forces to capture a common enemy who just happens to be the Blacketts’ ‘Uncle Jim’ who owns a houseboat on the lake and is busy writing a book.

The Swallows and Amazons decide to host an expedition to capture Jim (‘Captain Flint’) and the houseboat, and, to determine who should be the leader, they make an attempt at capturing each other’s boats.

This requires sailing at night and some pretty shady manoeuvres, which are grievously frowned upon when discovered by the Walkers’ mother when she made a journey to the island to check up on the children and found Titty on her own. John has to confront his mother and explain his reasons to sail in the dark. She reluctantly accepts his explanations but with a proviso that no further actions of this sort will occur again for the remainder of the holiday.

Titty won the day by seizing an opportunity to capture the Amazon boat while the Blackett’s were on Wild Cat Island, making the Walkers the winners. This leads up to the finale where there is a sea battle as the Swallows and Amazons launch an assault on Captain Flint and the houseboat when he is captured and made to walk the plank. The end of the film sees Titty gifted with Flint’s pet parrot who seemed to have taken quite a shine to her, and everyone resolves to be kindred spirits for ever!

After watching this film my mind was transported to the lakes and sharing the beautiful sunny days, crispy clear water and blue skies with the backdrop of the mountains the wooden jetties and a sailing journey into Bowness for supplies. I could sense myself seated in the lugsail rig and feeling the tug on the main sail as the boat crept closer to the wind before going about and heading away onto another tack.

I was carried with the family into that other realm and other time where innocence and responsibility were coming to the fore, where family values were held dear and independence was something young people strove to achieve within the simplicity of their everyday existence. For the brothers and sisters to go camping on a small island in the middle of a lake away from any overseeing adult, and to arrived there by sailing over in a borrowed boat, leaves little to the imagination.

There was a sense of adventure with the children, and a wanting to show they could be responsible and look after themselves, something in today’s society we have to a degree lost touch with. That immortal sense of adventure within a landscape never changes, except within its own light that we know and love today as the Lake District.

This film is a journey into another dimension and another world steeped with love and belonging, adventure and moral understanding, which is shared between a family and accepted.

The characters are bought to life almost as if they are an infinite, integral part of the immortality of the story, each giving that picturesque understanding the viewer finds impossible to explain.

After watching this film one arrives back in real time with a resounding bang! We wonder why such a simple story can create such an iconic understanding, why watching this film can make you feel happy, totally complete and yearning to return again and savour that wonderful, eternal landscape we have all learned to grow and love as The Lakes.

Do think of leaving a review of this film on the International Movie Base site. The link for ‘Swallows and Amazons'(1974) is: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072233/

What are your favourite lines from the 1974 film ‘Swallows and Amazons?’ Screenwriter Brian Sibley’s hilarious Q&A with the cast of the classic movie made in location in the Lake District 50 years ago.

On 6th April, the original cast of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ (1974) gathered to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the film’s release in London with David Wood who wrote the script.

It was unexpectedly amusing as can be seen in this recording kindly brought to us by Lee Pressmen and volunteers of the Cinema Museum where the original movie was shown before we were invited on stage by Brian Sibley.

The cast of 'Swallows and Amazons' (1974) gathered for the 50th Anniversary - photo Lee Pressman of the Cinema Museum — Brian Sibley talks to Simon West, Suzanna Hamilton, Sophie Neville, Sten Grendon, Kit Seymour and screenwriter David Wood – photo Lee Pressman of the Cinema Museum

As soon as self-confessed ‘super fans’ arrived, the venue began to buzz with the question, “What was your favourite line from the film?”

“They’ve got India rubber necks.”

“They’re girls!”

“… must be a retired pirate. He’s working on his devilish plans.”

Sten Grendon, who played Roger, said it was undoubtedly: “I said – ‘Yes’.”

I’ve always liked: “X marks the spot where they ate six missionaries.” Although I often use, “Here we are, intrepid explorers making the first ever voyage into unchartered waters,” I think “I’ve got her. I’ve got her!” is the most appealing.

One viewer on Instagram claimed their favourite line was: “Titty that way.”

What is your favourite line?

Do add your line to the Comments below.

A recording of Brian’s interview with the screenwriter David Wood can be watched on this website here.

Photos of the event can be found on an earlier post on this website here.

For those who couldn’t make it to the Cinema Museum in London, here is a brief profile:

Speaking about 50th Anniversary of the classic film ‘Swallows and Amazons’ on Radio Calon this Thursday 29th August at 9.00pm

Sophie Neville spoke to Luke Durnell on Screen Facts, his hour of music from the big screen, on Thursday 29th August at 9.00pm.

Catch up on recent Radio Calon broadcasts via their website – with further details on how to listen here

The full ‘ship’s log’ relating to the adventures we had making the film can be found in the illustrated paperback published by The Lutterworth Press or ebook entitled ‘The Secrets of Filming Swallows and Amazons’. This can be downloaded this onto your phone and used as a guide book if you can grab a chance to visit the locations.

David Wood who wrote the screenplay of the classic film ‘Swallows & Amazons’ (1974) interviewed by Brian Sibley at the Cinema Museum

On 6th April 2024, the author and screenwriter Brian Sibley interviewed award-winning writer David Wood OBE at the Cinema Museum for the 50th Anniversary of the release of the classic film ‘Swallows and Amazons’. This can now be viewed on YouTube. I read a special letter from Dame Virginia McKenna towards the end.

Sophie Neville, Suzanna Hamilton & Sten Grendon with David Wood and Claude Whatham in 1973

Until I listened to this interview I didn’t know that Peter Hammond was originally going to direct the film or that Bernard Delfont was behind financing the movie at EMI. He also brought out ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ in 1974 and ‘The Deer Hunter’ in 1978.

Other secrets are revealed. Mrs Ransome (who held the rights) wanted all the Swallows to have blonde hair and blue eyes.

I’ll feature the Q&A with the cast on another blog in a few days time. Do sign up so you don’t miss it.

You can watch an excellent recording of Brian Sibley’s Q&A with the cast and David Wood on this website here and find photos of the event here.

Brian said he drew his knowledge from ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons’, which is now available on audible.

A copy of the paperback is currently being auctioned to raise funds to help a little boy called Max who is very ill. You can see how the bidding is going on jumblebee

Did the Swallows wear hats – and should they have worn them in the films of ‘Swallows and Amazons’?

Sten Grendon (Roger), Simon West (John), Virginia McKenna (Mother), Suzanna Hamilton (Susan) and Sophie Neville (Titty) with their hats ~ photo: Daphne Neville

Arthur Ransome wrote ‘Swallows and Amazons’ in 1929 when hats were worn in England, certainly in north Lancashire where the book is set. Would members of the Walker family have been wearing them?

When I took part in Claude Whatham’s movie ‘Swallows and Amazons’, made in the early 1970s, we were given school hats to wear when we arrived at Holly Howe in the opening sequence. While the boys had caps, I was given a straw hat but found it blew off when we ran down the field to the Peak at Darien where I spotted the island of my dreams. It ended up being quite a useful thing to hold in my hands.

In later books in the series such as Peter Duck, Missee Lee and Great Northern Arthur Ransome depicts the Swallows wearing white linen sunhats but these do not appear in the Lakeland books until the hot summer of Pigeon Post. It only seems to be the Amazons who wore hats in Swallows and Amazons.

Sten Grendon, Simon West, Kit Seymour and Lesley Bennett in Secret Harbour

I rather envied the warmth these provided out on the water but they could get hot. This is possibly because in 1973, when they were sourced locally by the second assistant director, they could have been made of acrylic rather than Westmorland wool.

Claude Whatham, Richard Pilbrow, Gareth Tandy, Peter Robb-King, Ronnie Cogan and Neville C Thompson with Kit Seymour and Lesley Bennet trying on hats for Swallows and Amazons — Claude Whatham, Richard Pilbrow, Gareth Tandy, Peter Robb-King, Ronnie Cogan and Neville C Thompson with Kit Seymour and Lesley Bennet trying on hats

The first knitted hats that turned up on our film set were pink, and quite a bright pink at that. This photo shows them being tried and rejected, which is why Nancy and Peggy are not wearing hats in the scenes set at Beckfoot.

Kit Seymour and Lesely Bennett — Kit Seymour and Lesley Bennett playing the Amazons

It seems natural enough, shows them in a different light and works well when they are careening Amazon.

Kit Seymour with Claude Whatham, 1973 — Kit Seymour with the director Claude Whatham, 1973

The second hats to arrived on set may not be have been exactly right in design but they weren’t too bad. Does anyone know if they were knitted specially and by whom?

Sophie Neville, Kit Seymour, Suzanna Hamilton, Sten Grendon, Simon West and Lesley Bennett in ‘Swallows and Amazons’ (1974)

Would the Amazons have removed their hats inside the houseboat? The great aunt would have certainly taken tea in her hat and this was a pirate feast.

Kit Seymour and Sophie Neville in 'Swallows and Amazons' — Kit Seymour as Nancy and Sophie Neville as Titty with the green parrot

Perhaps the fact that the Swallows don’t sail in hats adds accent to the Amazon pirates and Nancy triumphantly wearing hers.

Kit Seymour in 'Swallows and Amazons' (1974) by the film poster artist Arnaldo Putzu — Kit Seymour in ‘Swallows and Amazons’ (1974) by the film poster artist Arnaldo Putzu

My mother was given one of the pink rejects but wore a huge floral Donny Osmond cap on set.

She made me wear both a hat and sunscreen behind the scenes in an attempt to stave off sunstroke.

There were not many very sunny days but it was I who wore a hat at Beckfoot. I now prefer something with a wider brim and a string under the chin to ensure it doesn’t blow off and sink to the bottom of Derwentwater as my mother’s did.

Sophie Neville at Beckfoot — Sophie Neville at Brown Howe, the location used for Beckfoot

You can listen to the audiobook on ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons’ or find more behind-the-scenes stories in the paperback available online.

Channeling Titty’s unique style with the help of costumes designed by Emma Porteous.

Sophie Neville and Sten Grendon in Swallows and Amazons 1974

When I played Titty Walker in 1973, I tried to capture something of the style of the 1920s and portray her as the nine year-old girl in the illustrations Arthur Ransome’s drew in his book Swallows and Amazons. Although I shared the Scots/Irish/English ancestry of Titty Altounyan, a real little girl who the character had been based on, I lacked her Armenian heritage and dark, bobbed hair. However, Mrs Ransome had insisted that in the film Titty was to be played by ‘an English Rose’. Dame Virginia McKenna had accepted the part of our mother, who grew up in Australia, it seemed right that one of her children might have fair hair.

Virginia McKenna and Sophie Neville on Peel Island ~ photo: Daphne Neville

My Scottish grandmother would have been aged sixteen in 1929. She loved clothes and had great style. People say that I look like my mother but I bear a greater resemblance to Granny in her youth.

I’d inherited my father’s long legs, which made me a couple of inches taller than Simon West who played my elder brother, John. Since this would clearly look wrong on screen, I was encouraged to devise ways of disguising my height, but this was difficult to do in boats.

Sophie Neville as Titty and Simon West as John

We often had to sit on the ground in Swallows and Amazons. The long legs needed to be folded up, exposed as they were by the short dresses or divided skirts designed by Emma Porteous.

I remember meeting Emma at a fitting at Angels Costumes on Shaftesbury Avenue in London when I tried on the original silk dress worn for our arrival at Holly Howe. It came with a straw hat similar to one I’d worn as a child.

Simon West, Stephen Grendon, Suzanna Hamilton and Sophie Neville as the Walker children dressed as they arrived at Holly Howe at the start of their holiday in the Lake District ~ photo: Daphne Neville

I had no idea how well known Emma Porteous was to become. She designed the costumes for the James Bond movies, along with Aliens and Judge Dread. Finding the boy’s school uniforms must have been a bit dull for one so talented but she found elegant vintage dresses for Dame Virginia McKenna who looks elegant in every scene.

Stephen Grendon, Simon West, Virginia McKenna, Suzanna Hamilton and Sophie Neville, trying not to look as tall as she was in 1973 ~ photo: Daphne Neville

Emma had most of my clothes made up for me. These included a brushed cotton nighty, worn at Holly Howe, pajamas for camping, and a swimming costume with little legs. Mine was far from glamorous being red, wooly and apt to ride up in the most unflattering manner. I was given a smart yellow coat to wear in the train, but it was too hot in the compartment and, although pretty, it was never seen in the finished film. It had buttons in the shape of flowers and may have been an original garment from 1929.

Sten Grendon, Suzanna Hamilton and Sophie Neville

The silk dress revealed my ‘passion killers’. These navy blue elasticated gym knickers were an item of clothing requested by Claude Whatham, the film director, who remembered wearing long underwear himself. He insisted that I tucked my dress into these voluminous knickers, which the crew called ‘passion killers.’ This seemed natural as it was common practice. I’d done it myself, as had the Altounyan girls, but the tucking in became difficult to maintain and my legs were too gangly to warrant exposure. The knickers contained a hanky, used on two occasions. Growing up in the 1960’s – with a Scottish grandmother – I’d keep a hanky in my own over-knickers so found this quite natural. Even aged eleven my school uniform listed gym knickers (brown) and underpants.

Emma admitted to my mother that the dresses she’d had made for me would have been longer in 1929. She chose shorter, ‘out-grown’ hemlines as a nod to ‘Seventies fashion but these made my skinny legs look even more alarming.

Mum liked the pale yellow dress with scalloped detail. I didn’t then, but do now, although I don’t have the right colouring wear either yellow or green.

Simon West and Sophie Neville in Swallows and Amazons (1974) — Simon West and Sophie Neville on Peel Island in 1973

By the time I was pretending to be Robinson Crusoe, the yellow dress had been paired with a grey cardigan buttoned up to my neck for warmth. The quality of the material gave it a more natural, scruffy look than the white spotty dress with a Peter Pan collar. This looked a bit new for Titty, although it was much like the dresses Granny made for me, by hand, when I was aged nine. There was a little bit of smocking below the shoulders. I rather preferred Susan’s low-waisted gingham dress.

Simon West, Suzanna Hamilton and Sophie Neville reading BETTER DROWNED THAN DUFFERS IF NOT DUFFERS WONT DROWN — Simon West, Suzanna Hamilton and Sophie Neville

Did anyone find jackets for us to wear out on the water? No! We froze but the flimsy costumes we wore sailing to the island do give them impression of an idyllic summer holiday.

Sophie Neville, Suzanna Hamilton and Simon West sailing Swallow in 1973

Emma only ever made one visit to the location, early on when Dame Virginia McKenna was on set. Our clothes were looked after by the wardrobe master Terry Smith who kept them crumpled up in suitcases rather than on a costume rail. He had no assistant or dressers except for my mother who helped him fit the film extras with costumes and had me wriggling into mine.

Terry Smith, Sophie Neville and Daphne Neville on location in the Lake District — Wardrobe Master Terry Smith with Sophie Neville and her mother Daphne Neville outside the Make-up caravan on location near Keswick in Cumbria

Apart from the school shoes I arrived in, we wore white(ish) gym shoes, which were forever getting wet. I would have preferred gumboots but the Swallows wore ‘sand shoes’ in all the books, so that was that. Terry dried them with the help of a gas heater, which once leaked dangerously in the Routemaster bus that was used as our dressing room. There could have been an explosion.

People often ask what my favourite costume was. This undoubtedly consisted of the floral blouse and dark divided skirt, which equated with the illustrations in the books. I went to such an old-fashioned convent so was used to wearing a tailored divided skirt on the school games field and found it always hung well. Mum buttoned up the collar so that I could wear a vest underneath when we were sailing. It was in this Tomboy-ish outfit that I discovered the treasure and bordered the houseboat. Ultimately this style sold the movie, although my blouse was painted an alarming shade of pink on the film poster designed by Arnaldo Putzu. I got away lightly. He depicted Virginia McKenna in orange.

Sophie Neville as Titty in 'Swallows and Amazons' (1974) by the film poster artist Arnaldo Putzu — Sophie Neville in ‘Swallows and Amazons’ (1974) by the film poster artist Arnaldo Putzu

I was asked recently if I was able to keep any of my costumes. I was told they would be used in other films and wonder if they could still be at Angels Costumes.

I do still have the dress I wore to the premier, along with a pink gingham prairie dress that my mother wore to the wrap party that has shot back into fashion.

The Neville girls off to the premier of Swallows and Amazons in 1974

My mother wore Donny Osmond caps on location. One of these sunk to the bottom of Derwentwater, but I wear a purple velvet one of the era. It should probably be on display at the V&A but I find it useful in the rain. The film producer, Richard Pilbrow, sent me Swallow’s flag. It is the very best of accessories anyone could wish for.

The navy blue woolen hat that I wore to the original sailing audition has been attacked by moths but was stuffed into a cupboard with other memorabilia from the film. I’ll bring as much as I can along to Windermere Jetty for the 50th Anniversary of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ on 29th and 30th June 2024. Join us there if you can.

‘The Secrets of Filming Swallows and Amazons‘ is available as an ebook here, while the audio book of The Making of Swallows and Amazons, narrated by me, Sophie Neville, can be found on all the usual online platforms. Let me know how you get on.