Sophie Neville author – Page 4

I captured the Amazon

I CAPTURED THE AMAZON

The Arthur Ransome Society has been able to reunite Swallow and Amazon for the fiftieth Anniversary of the 1974 film and to preserve them for future generations. Come to see them both – and even sail Amazon – at Windermere Jetty museum in Cumbria on 29th and 30th June when John Sergeant will be hosting a Q&A with the cast and crew.

Celebrating 50th Anniversary of the movie 'Swallows and Amazons' in 2024 — Celebrating 50th Anniversary of the movie ‘Swallows and Amazons’ in 2024

The challenge is on to fully restore Swallow so that families can set her sails and live out the pages of Arthur Ransome’s iconic books today.

Sophie Neville when president of The Arthur Ransome Society

At the age of twelve, I was cast as Able Seaman Titty when the original film Swallows and Amazons was made on location in the Lake District in the summer of 1973. Dame Virginia McKenna played my mother and the six of us children had fun making Ronald Fraser walk the plank. Now hailed as a classic sailing film, I’m assured it has been broadcast on British television more times than any other movie and is currently streaming on Amazon.com and Netflix Europe.

'Swallows and Amazons' on VHS — The cover of the original VHS version of ‘Swallows and Amazons’

One secret is that the film was made on four different lakes – Coniston Water, Windermere, Elterwater, Derwentwater – and a smelly lily pond. We were able to use Bank Ground Farm as Holly Howe and Brown Howe as Beckfoot, home to the Amazon pirates who careened their dinghy on the lake shore in the company of a 45-man film crew from Pinewood Studios.

David Blagden, David Cadwallader, and David Bracknell looking at the Amazon’s bottom with DPO Denis Lewiston in the background with the Panasonic

Careening the Amazon at Brown Howe, Coniston Water – photo: Daphne Neville

We were only given a couple of days to get used to handling Swallow and Amazon before filming began. Although happy out on the water, the director, Claude Whatham, knew little about boats. To make up for this, we had instruction from a sailing director in the form of a good-looking actor called David Blagden who presented a television programme called Plain Sailing. He’d recently raced crossed the Atlantic in a nineteen foot yacht called Willing Griffin but was unfamiliar with blustery Lakeland winds and did not know how to break down a script. Simon West, aged eleven, who played Captain John, ended up explaining to Claude how to get a decent shot while I tried not to shiver. My costume was designed by Emma Porteous of James Bond fame but consisted of nothing more than a short yellow dress and an enormous pair of navy-blue gym knickers.

Amazon, flying the Jolly Roger, with her seamed white lugsail and heavy centerboard is a lovely boat to sail. Although vital to the story, no one took into account that I needed to take her, on my own, from Secret Harbour on Wild Cat Island and drop her anchor off Cormorant Island. I was given a grey cardigan to wear but had not been asked if I could row. Having grown up handling a Thames skiff, I managed to use the leading lights we’d set up to negotiate the narrow channel and threatening rocks in one take. I repeated the action with Dennis Lewiston, the lighting-cameraman, and his 35mm Panavision camera in the stern but grew so tired that I needed to be carried ashore by a frogman acting as our safety officer.

Sophie Neville in The Amazon with DOP Denis Lewiston, his 16mm camera and a reflector board ~ photo: Martin Neville

Sophie Neville having captured the Amazon, with the lighting cameraman and 35mm Panavision Camera in her stern. Swallow is moored alongside – photo: Martin Neville

Titty later anchors Amazon off Cormorant Island on Derwentwater, but the shot of her wrapped in the sail, sleeping aboard, was taken in Mrs Batty’s blacked-out barn at Bank Ground, with the boat rocking on a cradle made by the unit carpenter. This was for a night scene when Titty is disturbed by burglars hiding a heavy trunk that turns out to contain Captain Flint’s treasure. When the action was repeated out on Derwentwater near One Tree Island, I got soaked. Rain had collected in the furled sails.

My one regret is that we didn’t follow the book when sailing the Amazon back to Wild Cat Island. The wind was up and Claude Whatham needed Captain John to sail Swallow ahead of the Amazon which is the faster boat. I originally took the tiller, as Titty is urged to in the story, but had trouble with the rudder. Mate Susan, played by Suzanna Hamilton, is at the helm on the cover of the Puffin paperback brought out to accompany the film, whilst I am fending off.

One of the film stills taken from the pontoon was used on the cover of the Puffin edition of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ brought out in 1974 to accompany the film.

The second part of the scene was shot on Coniston Water, with the Amazon Pirates, Nancy and Peggy ‘dancing with rage’ on Peel Island. A shot of this was used on the cover of a hardback and a DVD distributed by the Daily Mail.

Not many sailing films have been made and it was unusual for a movie to feature so many scenes set in two small dinghies. Mike Turk, whose family had been boat building for centuries, and Nick Newby of Nicol End Marine near Keswick, took up the challenge of adapting a cross-shaped pontoon to act as a mobile camera mount so that our dialogue could be recorded. This extraordinary vessel had two outboards but wasn’t easy to handle. The dinghies were wired to it with underwater cables but tended to pull away. Swallow’s mast broke the first time she was rigged, but the idea eventually worked and only Sten Grendon, playing Roger, fell in.

Amazon rigged up to the camera pontoon – photo: Richard Pilbrow

Somehow David Cadwallader, the grip looking after the camera equipment, managed to keep the horizon horizontal using no more than a spirit level on the tripod. Shadows were lifted from our faces by using reflector boards and, since the whole movie was post-synced at Elstree Studios, the audience can hear what we say.

Richard Pilbrow and his film crew on the camera pontoon with Eddie Collins operating the 16mm camera. Simon West and Stephen Grendon sail Swallow. Suzanna Hamilton is climbing aboard the Amazon with Sophie Neville

Filming Swallow and Amazon from the camera pontoon – photo: Daphne Neville

Sophie Neville on the pontoon during the filming of 'Swallows and Amazons' — The pontoon on Derwentwater with Richard Pilbrow, Bobby Sitwell, Denis Lewiston, Claude Whatham, David Cadwalader and Sophie Neville aged 12 playing Titty. Eddie Collins looks on ~ photo: Daphne Neville

Sophie Neville on the camera pontoon on Derwentwater – photo: Daphne Neville

The first Amazon, a chunky sea-going fourteen-footer with a standing lugsail purchased in Barrow-in-Furness by the Altounyan family in 1928, was originally called Mavis. After being restored, she was renamed Amazon in line with Ransome’s books but remains too leaky to take out. She now resides in the John Ruskin Museum at Coniston where she can be visited like a great aunt.

None of us children knew that the Amazon we sailed had been used in the 1963 BBC adaptation of Swallows and Amazons made in black and white with Susan George playing ‘Kitty’ as Titty was renamed. Looking at the photographs, it would have been good if Amazon’s hull had been painted black but her varnished planks are a nod to the 1970s when everyone was busy stripping pine.

By 2003, she was owned by the White family who I met when they brought Amazon from Kent to Cumbria to feature in Countryfile and an episode of Big Screen Britain. Ben Fogle met their twin daughters on Peel Island, looking very much like Nancy and Peggy in damp bathing costumes having been swimming in Coniston Water. It has been extremely generous of them to pass such a precious boat on to The Arthur Ransome Society.

Amazon will soon be available to hire at Hunter's Yard, Ludham — Amazon will soon be available to hire at Hunter’s Yard, Ludham

Amazon at Hunters Yard – photo: Marc Grimston

Amazon is currently being kept at Hunter’s Yard near Ludham where you can apply to sail her on the Norfolk Broads, along with the Titmouse and the Teasle, (a cabin cruiser called Lullaby) and a punt called the Dreadnaught featured in the 1984 BBC adaptation of Coot Club. Swallow is also there under restoration, needing a new keel.

Amazon being restored at Hunter's Yard, Ludham — Amazon being restored at Hunter’s Yard, Ludham

Amazon at Hunters Yard – photo: Marc Grimston

The plan is for both Swallow and Amazon to be on display at Windermere Jetty in Cumbria for the weekend of 29^th & 30^th June 2024. We hope some of the steamboats used to dress the Rio scenes set at Bowness-on-Windermere such as Osprey and George Pattinson’s launch Lady Elizabeth can be in attendance. Windermere Jetty is currently restoring the steam launch Esperance used by Ransome as his model for Captain Flint’s houseboat, and you can find the fourteen-foot RNSA dinghies used in the 2016 movie of Swallows and Amazons moored in the wet dock.

In 2021, everyone at Windermere Jetty gasped when Rupert Maas valued Swallow highly on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow, but the true worth of both Swallow and Amazon is akin to Captain Flint’s hidden treasure: instead of gold ingots his trunk contained precious memories of friendship and adventure. They no doubt kept him on course when the storms of life blew in and gave him plenty to write about. Just as Arthur Ransome’s books grant us solace, my prayer is that many will be able to grab the chance of sailing the little boats that take us into the stories immortalised on film so long ago.

You can read more of Sophie Neville’s memories in The Making of Swallows and Amazons’, published by the Lutterworth Press and now available as an audiobook narrated by the author

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

Thanks go to all those who have looked after and lovingly restored the inspirational boats that appear in the adaptations of Arthur Ransome’s books. If you would like to help by making a donation towards the restoration, the link is:

I would like to Donate – The Arthur Ransome Society (arthur-ransome.org)

Sophie Neville with Titmouse at Hunter’s Yard. She will join Swallow and Amazon at Windermere Jetty on 29th and 30th June. Come and join us!

Speaking about Richard Pilbrow at the National Theatre

Swallows and Amazons (1974)

Richard Pilbrow told me that the most difficult thing he ever had to do was to persuade Mrs Ransome to grant him the rights to make ‘Swallows and Amazons’ into a movie.

But he did. He found funding from EMI Films and asked Dame Virginia McKenna to play Mother.

Virginia McKenna at Bank Ground Farm in 1973 ~ photo: Daphne Neville

Neville Thompson put together a great crew

The Production Team on 'Swallows and Amazons' in 1973 — Second Assistant Terry Needham, Associate Producer Neville C Thompson and Production Manager Graham Ford with the unit motoroller on a sunny day in June 1973

with Denis Lewiston as DoP,

Dennis Lewiston, director of Photography on 'Swallows and Amazons' ~photo:Richard Pilbrow — Dennis Lewiston, director of Photography on ‘Swallows and Amazons’ ~photo:Richard Pilbrow

the Oscar winning set dresser Ian Whittaker,

The local fisherman, Ian Whittaker, Simon Holland and Gareth Tandy ~ photo: Daphne Neville

and the avant guard director Claude Whatham fresh from making ‘That’ll Be the Day’ with David Essex and Ringo Starr.

Claude Whatham with the children he eventually cast as the Swallows

Filming on location in the Lake District wasn’t easy.

Producer Richard Pilbrow with Neville C Thompson on Derwentwater in the Lake District in 1973 — Producer Richard Pilbrow and Production Associate Neville C Thompson on Derwentwater in the Lake District in 1973

How they lit the scenes on Peel Island I do not know.

Virginia McKenna with Sophie Neville in Swallows and Amazons — Dame Virginia McKenna as Mother with Sophie Neville as Titty Walker

It rained so hard that Simon Holland had to order black drapes from Pinewood Studios so they could shoot the night scenes in Mrs Batty’s dusty barn.

But the film worked because Richard had insisted that the children playing the lead characters could sail.

Filming Swallows and Amazons (1974) from a camera pontoon

The film didn’t make much at the box office but it worked well on television.

Sophie Neville as Titty Walker in Swallows and Amazons — Sophie Neville as Titty Walker in the ITV trailer for the movie of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ when it was first shown on television in 1977

I’m told it has been broadcast more than any other British Film. Having a U certificate it has allowed many parents a lie-in on Sunday mornings.

Swallows and Amazons 1974 - Simon West, Sophie Neville, Suzanna Hamilton and Sten Grendon in Secret Harbour — Simon West, Sophie Neville, Suzanna Hamilton and Sten Grendon in Secret Harbour

Families assure me that they have watched the VHS or DVD thirty times or more. StudioCanal remastered it for cinemascope Blu-ray and we filled the big northern cinemas.

Sophie Neville as Titty with Suzanna Hamilton as Susan — Sophie Neville with Suzanna Hamilton

The good news is that, fifty years after the premier in Shaftesbury Avenue,

Sophie Neville and Suzanna Hamilton with Ronald Fraser in Swallows and Amazons

we are restoring the dinghies: Swallow and Amazon for families to sail.

I wrote up the diary I kept on location as a twelve year-old. Richard sent me the flags.

At the 50th Anniversary celebrations this April a man in the audience stood up to say that as a young doctor, he was working at a hospital on Good Friday. As he walked around he found peace in every ward, sick children snuggled up and happy. They were all watching ‘Swallows and Amazons’ on television. Richard’s gift.

Swallows and Amazons (1974) sepia film poster (c) StudioCanal — Arnaldo Putzu’s poster for the EMI film Swallows and Amazons (1974)

Richard and Molly’s dream became an inspiration to many.

Here you can see Richard and Molly with Claude Whatham, Neville, Fred, Abigail, Suzanna Hamilton and me at the sailing audition held in Burnham-on- Crouch. Simon West who was cast as Captain John went on to win the Optimist British Championships and represented the UK overseas.

Richard and Molly Pilbrow, Claude Watham, Fred Pilbrow, Sophie Neville, Suzanna Hamilton, Abigail Pilbrow

Writing the foreword to the well-loved novel ‘Swallowdale’ by Arthur Ransome

When Albatros Media in the Czech Republic re-published a hardback edition of ‘Swallowdale’ by Arthur Ransome, I was invited to write a foreword. This was for a special edition of the bestselling book illustrated by the great Czech artist Zdenek Burian.

The somewhat daunting task gave me the opportunity to recommend that readers book a holiday in Cumbria. It’s always exciting to find the actual locations described in a novel, particularly one you know well, although I believe finding Swallowdale is quite a challenge.

I was commissioned by Ondřej Müller, Fiction Program Director who had my words translated into Czech. Here is the English version:

Of all Arthur Ransome’s books, it was Swallowdale that inspired me to go camping. I have since pitched my tent all over the world from Papua New Guinea in the Pacific to Patagonia, which I crossed on horseback. I once spent six months driving down through Africa, sleeping in a tent and using all I had learnt from this beautifully written book. Not long after this expedition, I started to draw maps in the hope that I that might encourage others to travel and explore the world as the Swallows did.

Back in 1973 I had the great privilege of playing the part of Titty in the movie of ‘Swallows & Amazons’ that has been translated into Czech twice. Throughout my life I have received letters from people telling me how Arthur Ransome’s books have given them direction in life, encouraging them to set sail and explore unchartered waters.

If you ever visit the English Lake District take the charcoal burners’ advice and keep a good lookout for adders but in searching for Swallowdale one thing is for sure, you will be walking in Arthur Ransome’s footsteps. He was taken to the summit of Old Man Coniston, the mountain known in the book as Kanchenjunga, as a small baby and rowed into the secret harbour of Peel Island, or Wild Cat Island as the Swallows called it, when he was a boy.

The people of Cumbria still welcome visitors, indeed you can stay at the farm known as Holly Howe and it is possible to take a boat out on the lake below it. Coniston Water is not an exact replica of the map in the book, but you can enjoy looking for Horseshoe Cove and the Amazon boathouse. Rio can be found on Windermere where you might also find the Peak of Darien along with native steamers. Titty would encourage you to let your imagination take you further and I am sure Roger would suggest you take a fishing rod.

Even if travelling does not appeal to you, ‘Swallowdale’ is such a vivid story that you will sail back in time to 1931 quite effortlessly. This classic book is full of wonderful imagery from ‘black wretched thoughts…crowding in like cormorants coming to roost’, to potatoes being in bad mood. It is enjoyable on many levels. I laughed when Titty decided, ‘Miss Turner could hardly be dead if she was complaining of cold plates’ and was uplifted by her joy at discovering, ‘the most secret valley that ever there was in the world.’

I am so pleased that Albatros Media are able to bring you this beautifully illustrated edition, to read, enjoy and perhaps pass on to others.

If you are in North America and are looking for a copy of ‘Swallowdale’ in English, copies are on sale here for U$15.77 The illustrations are by Arthur Ransome himself.

Sophie Neville in Hampshire Life magazine

The April issue of Hampshire Life magazine has a four-page feature celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the release of the original movie ‘Swallows & Amazons’ (1974) in cinemas, which you can now read online here.

The link with Hampshire is that my father grew up in Lymington and learnt to sail on the Solent. I met my husband Simon at an archery match in Worcestershire and was amazed to hear he lived on the Lymington River. I came down to the South Coast just before we got engaged but didn’t move in until after we returned from our honeymoon in Spain.

I’ve lived in Hampshire for twenty years now, give talks at the Southampton Boat Show and meet the Nancy Blackett when she sails down to Buckler’s Hard on the Beaulieu River where my parents spent their honeymoon.

It feels odd being described as an actress, but it’s good to get a front page byline.

Great British Life have a Spring Offer for magazine subscriptions, which make a good present.

The books mentioned are for sale from the Nancy Blackett Trust and all the usual places online.

50 years ago – when the EMI film ‘Swallows and Amazons’ (1974) was launched in cinemas

The original film ‘Swallows & Amazons’ was first screened at a preview in London on 31st March 1974.

Brian Doyle, the film publicist, noted it in his diary. This was sent to me by his daughter, Pandora Doyle, who was taken along with her mother Jo and friend Alison.

Brian Doyle, the publicity manager on 'Swallows and Amazons' — Brian Doyle, the film publicist on ‘Swallows and Amazons’ (1974)

The cast of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ either joined them there or at an afternoon press screening on 2nd April. We certainly went to one preview. It utterly amazed us. I had not remembered the Lake District being so sunny.

The premiere was also held at the ABC cinema in Shaftesbury Avenue, London, at a Royal Gala Premier on 4th April 1974.

The film has since been dubbed into at least eight different languages and screened all over the world. A number of different titles have been used from ‘Svaler og Amasoner’ to ‘El Capitan Pirata’.

They do not provide a release date for the Czech Republic, but it has been dubbed into Czech twice and is popular there. You can easily buy copies of the French version

the cover of the French DVD of 'Swallows and Amazons'(1974) — Caught shrieking on the cover of the French DVD of ‘Swallows and Amazons'(1974)

It is now screening on Netflix Europe and Amazon Prime.

There was a big splash when ‘Swallows & Amazons’ was first screened in Gloucester. Sten Grendon, who appeared as the Boy Roger, and I were taught to swim at the leisure centre there. Chris Maloney, who was awarded an MBE for his part in founding the Special Olympics, began to coach me when I was ten. I’ve been told that he also taught Sophia Loren to swim for ‘The “Goodness Gracious Me” Heiress’.

As we lived locally, Sten and I were asked to attend the first screening at the newly converted triple screen ABC in Gloucester, which was daunting. They were also screening ‘The Sting’ and ‘The Great Gatsby’ that both starred Robert Redford.

Chris Maloney later got Suzanna Hamilton and I jumping off the high board at Gloucester Leisure Centre. She was far braver than I.

You can read more in ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons’ available in paperback from £15 or ‘The Secrets of Filming Swallows & Amazons’ an ebook for only £2.99

The Making of Swallows and Amazons by Sophie Neville — Different editions of ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons’ by Sophie Neville

Sophie Neville interviewed in the Church Times this month

Writer Sophie Neville on the Solent — Sophie Neville on the Solent

As the 50th Anniversary of the original film Swallows and Amazons (1974) approaches, Terence MacMath interviewed me for the Church Times. You can read the article here It is free to read online this March.

My book on travelling around southern Africa, Ride the Wings of Morning, was reviewed here

The Church Times also reviewed Funnily Enough. It can be found here

Terence is interviewing Suzanna Hamilton next. We are being joined by Simon West, Sten Grendon and Kit Seymour to give a Q&A with Brian Sibley and David Wood before a big screen showing of Swallows and Amazons at the Cinema Museum on 6th April 2024 and will be going to the Swallows and Amazons Festival at Windermere Jetty on 29th and 30th June 2024.

Up to date information on forthcoming events can be found on the Events Page of this website here

The Best Script Award

This was exciting – I won the First Time Screenwriter Award for a feature length screenplay at the at the Best Script Award in London at the London Director Awards on 16th February.

My screenplay set in East Africa, Burma and Japan was nominated for the Grand Prix and for Best Historical Scrrenplay. The ceremony was held at the Close Up Cinema after a number of short films were screened.

About 400 scripts were entered and 25 selected for prizes.

A script entitled ‘Muddy Shoes’ won the Grand Prix but I was awarded an Honourable Mention for an Historical Screenplay, which was encouraging.

A Writer’s Year – Highlights of 2023

2023 started with a bang when I learnt that I had won the Eyelands Book Award for an unpublished historical novel, but that wasn’t all.

My true life story ‘Funnily Enough’ came out out as an audiobook – available on Spotify, Audible and all the other platforms.

My guiding light Virginia McKenna was awarded a DBE . It is well-deserved. You can find photos and read more on this website here.

Since 2023 marked the 50th Anniversary of making the original film in the Lake district, I gave a number of talks and ran a series of #OTD – On This Day – social media posts. Having spent years in Africa, I am wrinklier than Swallows’s flag, but my hair has become darker. At least it is my natural colour.

50th Anniversary of filming Swallows and Amazons in the Lake District

The Arthur Ransome Society were able to acquire both Swallow and Amazon, the dinghies used in the 1974 film. Hunters Yard near Ludham on the Norfolk Broads, who already own heritage boats used in the BBC adaptations of Coot Club and The Big Six are making them available for hire.

My WWII novel was shortlisted by both the 2023 Chanticleer Award for wartime fiction in the United States and Flash 500’s novel opening competition. Another won third prize in Louise Walters’ Page 100 competition, which was flattering.

But – I slipped on the Pembrokeshire coastal path – walking around a pile of fly-tipping – and broke my wrist. Six weeks later, I broke it again.

I was unable to type for a while. We ended up doing #NoMowMay, June, and July and I couldn’t go litter-picking until September.

I ran an online workshop for writers on photographing their books.

The author Wendy H. Jones interviewed me on The Writing and Marketing Show.

I attended the Romantic Novelists’s Association Conference at London University meeting an editor from Pan MacMillan.

and gave four talks on the Foredeck Stage at the Southampton Boat Show 2023

We had the iconic dinghy Amazon on display and I had a four-page feature article published in the national magazine Practical Boat Owner.

It was a great opportunity to meet sailing enthusiasts and speak in front of the camera.

Sophie Neville speaking at the Southampton Boat Show

I hugely enjoyed speaking at The British Christian Writer’s Conference at Ridley Hall in Cambridge where I met other members of Resolute Books.

I donated a signed copy of ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons’ to the 2023 Children in Read charity auction, which raised so much for BBC Children in Need that I added a signed DVD and a number of other books to the package.

In December, we received the sad news that Richard Pilbrow, who produced the original film of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ died at the age of ninety. He would have been thrilled to know that the remastered version of the film was broadcast on television in Ireland on 23rd December.

We were hoping Richard could join us for the 50th Anniversary celebrations of the release of the film in cinemas. The screenwriter, David Wood, has organised Q&As at two screenings at the Cinema Museum in London on 6th April 2024.

Lakeland Arts and The Arthur Ransome Society are planning a Swallows and Amazons Festival at Windermere Jetty on 29th and 30th June 2024.

Other events and more details for 2024 can be found on my Events Page.

Come and join us in 2024!

Sophie Neville with Amazon, the dinghy from 'Swallows and Amazons'(1974)

Very Happy Christmas

Very Merry Christmas, all my love for 2024 and a big thank you to all those who have reviewed my books.

Richard Pilbrow, who produced the movie ‘Swallows and Amazons’ (1974)

Daphne Neville with Richard Pilbrow1 Richard Pilbrow produced the original movie ‘Swallows and Amazons’ (1974) in which I appeared in a as a girl. I’m told that it has been broadcast on television more times than any other British movie and has been an inspiration to many.

Back in the early 1970s, Richard was busy producing iconic West End musicals such as ‘A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to The Forum’ when he was inspired to make a film adaptation of Arthur Ransome’s novel while taking a break in the Lake District.

Richard Pilbrow and Neville Thompson — Richard Pilbrow on location with his colleague Neville Thompson ~ photo:Daphne Neville

He said the most difficult task he ever took on was persuading Mrs Ransome to grant him the rights. Arthur Ransome had famously disliked a BBC adaptation and passionately did not want a ‘Disneyfication’ of the book based on his own childhood memories.

Sophie Neville appearing on the cover of Swallows and Amazons published by the Daily Mail

Richard said that raising the film finance was relatively easy. Nat Cohen of EMI Films happened to be looking for a classic story akin to ‘The Railway Children’, which had been a box office success. He’d never heard of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ but an assistant in his office was wildly enthusiastic and Richard secured a budget of £250,000 to make a ninety minute movie entirely on location in the Lake District.

Richard Pilbrow and Claude Whatham in the Capri — Producer Richard Pilbrow and Director Claude Whatham discussing the script in the Capri on Derwentwater. Molly Pilbrow is in the boat with them ~ photo: Daphne Neville

Richard loved being out on the water and took Mrs Ransome to find authentic locations. Being determined that the six children playing the Swallows and the Amazons should be able to sail well, he advertised in yacht clubs and interviewed about 1200 candidates. I met the director at the Theatre Project offices in Shaftesbury Avenue. Those short-listed were taken on a sailing weekend in Burnham-on-Crouch to see how they coped afloat.

The final audition for 'Swallows & Amazons' in March 1973 — Richard Pilbrow, Claude Watham, Fred Pilbrow, Sophie Neville, Suzanna Hamilton

Mrs Ransome kept a close eye on the script, insisting that the part of Titty was played by ‘an English rose’, which must be why I was cast as the heroine.

My mother came up to look after us six children who played the Swallows and Amazons. We landed on Wild Cat Island and began playing out the characters that sprung from the pages of the book.

Daphne Neville and Richard Pilbrow on Peel Island on Coniston Water in 1973

Claude Whatham was actually the second director appointed to work on the film. He had only made one other feature – ‘That’ll Be The Day’, starring David Essex and Ringo Starr, but he was an outdoorsy person and got on well with Richard who gave him a free rein. They embraced the 1929 period and the idea of somehow capturing childhood innocence.

Richard Pilbrow and Claude Whatham at The Secret Harbour on Peel Island, Coniston Water — Producer Richard Pilbrow with Director Claude Whatham in their wet weather gear at The Secret Harbour on Peel Island, Coniston Water

Unpredictable Lakeland weather and working out on the water could make scheduling and logistics a nightmare but Richard had the support of an excellent production team working under Neville Thompson who also organised the post-production work at Elstree Studios where the film was post-synced.

Neville was passionate about film making, becoming known as ‘the last gentleman producer.’ Although gregarious at times, he was a quiet man who had begun working as a location manager for Mike Newell and became a production manager for Ken Russell.

Neville C Thompson on the houseboat — Neville C Thompson, the Associate Producer relaxing on set – to be fare this shot may well have been taken on Sunday 24th July 1973, by Daphne Neville

Neville was diagnosed with Lukemia at the age of 47 but lived another twenty years, ending his days in Woodbridge in Suffolk. you can find his impressive list of production credits here

Richard Pilbrow with the Swallows in Egham — Director Claude Whatham with Sophie Neville, Stephen Grendon, Suzanna Hamilton and Simon West. Producer Richard Pilbow looks on ~ photo: Daphne Neville

The Pilbrows spent their family holidays on the Isle of Coll, so it was not surprising that Richard wanted to make ‘Great Northern?’ as a sequel even though Mrs Ransome wasn’t keen.

Swallows and Amazons Coot Club — Henry Dimbleby and Rosemary Leach in ‘Coot Club’ and ‘The Big Six’

Sadly it was too difficult in the mid-1970s to raise money for filming and Richard never produced another movie. He sold the rights to adapt ‘Coot Club’ and ‘The Big Six’ to the BBC, and I saw him in Norwich in 1983 when I was setting up the drama series with Joe Waters.

When Richard heard that I was giving talks on ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons (1974)’ he kindly sent me Swallow’s original burgee and Captain Flint’s white elephant flag, along with a Jolly Roger – all handmade props used in the original film.

We last met up in Covent Garden when he came to London to receive an honour from the Central School of Dramatic Art where he had originally studied Stage Management and Technical Theatre Studies.

He later wrote to thank me for collecting information on how the film of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ was and writing about the impact it had. He loved hearing about our Q&As at cinemas and admired StudioCanal’s remastered DVD. ‘They really did a beautiful job—a very subtle enhancement.’

I sent Richard and his family on safari to the Waterberg in South Africa, where he ended up riding a horse past grazing rhinos. He is survived by his three children, grandchildren and his wife Molly who worked as his assistant on ‘Swallows and Amazons’.