child star – Sophie Neville

Look what I’ve found! A school exercise book containing essays written whilst we were filming on location in the Lake District making the original movie ‘Swallows and Amazons’ in 1973. I must have been asked to write about the first time we sailed the dinghies on Windermere.

Preparing for filming Swallows and Amazons by sailing on Windermere, written by Sophie Neville, when aged 12 — Preparing for filming Swallows and Amazons by sailing on Windermere

I was twelve years old. Whilst the trans-Atlantic sailor David Blagden taught us how to handle Swallow and Amazon, my spelling was neatly corrected by Margaret Causey, a local supply teacher employed as our tutor. Since all six members of the cast were under the age of sixteen, we were legally obliged to complete at least three hours of schooling a day. This was tricky logistically, especially while filming out on the water.

My mother decided it would be acceptable if we completed fifteen hours a week, decided sketching action props would count as Art and that learning to sing sea shanties would do for Music lessons.

Since I was interested in the technical side of movie making, Mrs Causey had me recording my first impressions. I battled to express myself at first.

I’m not sure how my composition fitted in with the National Curriculum, but the director asked if we could be taught about a certain aspect of history in line with Arthur Ransome’s story.

Let me know if you’d like to see more.

First draft of a diary kept whilst filming 'Swallows and Amazons' 1974 — First draft of a diary kept whilst filming ‘Swallows and Amazons’ 1974

My mother maintained that keeping a diary could replace English lessons.

Since this looked promising, journals were purchased and we began to keep daily accounts of who we met, what we did, and indeed what was said at the time, pasting accompanying artwork in to scrapbooks. How this enabled me to write my end of year exams I’m not sure, but I have a school report:

I doubt if the nuns at my convent ever saw the diary I kept but the result was a pretty comprehensive record of how we spent our time on location. I read extracts in the audio book of ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons’, now available on Audible.

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

My mother, Daphne, started working as a television presenter for Harlech Television in Cardiff. By 1973 Mum was working at the HTV studios in Bristol two days a week, presenting an afternoon programme called Women Only with Jan Leeming, and doing a bit of radio work for the BBC. Occasionally she appeared on other shows.

Mum appearing as a member of the Salvation Army on 'The Dick Emery Show' — Mum appearing as a member of the Salvation Army on ‘The Dick Emery Show’

While my father’s life was influenced by Arthur Ransome, my mother drew inspiration from the author Noel Streatfield and her novel Ballet Shoes, the story of three little girls who went on the stage. Before her own three daughters were old enough to read she was dreaming dreams. Since she worked at the HTV studios in Bristol, it was natural enough for us to take part in their drama productions that were being made locally.

Daphne Neville in 'Arthur of the Britons' HTV — Daphne Neville appearing with Tamzin Neville and Shaun Dromgoole in the HTV drama ‘Arthur of the Britons’ in 1972. I am not sure who the bearded man is.

When I was offered the part of Titty in Swallows & Amazons, Mum somehow managed to take enough leave to come up to the Lake District and work on the film as a chaperone, although she had to return to Bristol for two HTV commitments. She missed some of the best scenes, and some of our worst moments.

‘You owed your life to Simon West, of course.’

‘Did I?’

‘Oh, yes. Simon was such a good sailor. He was totally reliable.’ She was thinking of the scene when Swallow was meant to narrowly avoid colliding with the Windermere steamer, the Tern, when we only just avoided a terrible accident.

‘You would have gone under the Tern if Simon hadn’t been so calm and controlled. He would never have got into the situation himself, he would have gone about much sooner but was waiting for Claude to give him the cue over the Motorola radio. Claude was too late. He had no idea about boats.’

My mother returned from working in Bristol to find my father, Martin, was not happy about how things were being handled when we were on the water. They stayed up, talking all night, making what must have been one of the first ever risk assessments.

‘Quite a few things changed after that.’ You can tell from studying old call sheets.

‘The ridiculous thing was having to strap the kids into life jackets to go to Peel Island, which was not risky at all. Martin and I then discovered they were BOAC rejects.’

newspaper cutting of cast in life jackets — Lesley Bennett, Simon West, Kit Seymour, Sophie Neville, Sten Grendon and Suzanna Hamilton on Coniston Water 1973

Simon told me that he really couldn’t remember much about being in Swallows & Amazons. Looking back on it all, he reckoned that if I had talked through each day with Mum it would have reinforced memories. My diaries, which were certainly more detailed than those kept by the other Swallows, were supplemented by Mum’s photos, taken on a daily basis and looked at repeatedly. You have seen them all. They have that early Seventies tint to them.

Daphne Neville in 'Diagnosis Murder' — Daphne Neville in the 1975 film ‘Diagnosis Murder’ with Christopher Lee

Meanwhile my mother’s own memories are coloured by how things have changed over the last forty years, the other films she has been in the actors she has met.

‘Ronnie Fraser was perfectly nice. He was treated like a star and kept very much apart from us. He behaved like a star. Now stars have PAs, but he didn’t!’

Mum went on to appear in all sorts of movies. If you don’t blink, you can see her as a Victorian Lady in The Invisible Woman – Ralph Fiennes’ portrayal of Charles Dickens, soon to be released in cinemas.

For more photos of Daphne Neville in character roles, please click here