Daphne Neville actor actress

Daphne Neville with Sophie Neville while filming 'Swallows and Amazons' in Cumbria — Daphne Neville with Sophie Neville while filming ‘Swallows and Amazons’ in Cumbria in 1973

It wasn’t until we were making preparations for the 50th Anniversary of the EMI film ‘Swallows and Amazons’ that I began to list all the work my mother, Daphne Neville, accomplished behind-the-scenes.

Daphne Neville accompanying Suzanna Hamilton, Kit seymour, Sten Grendon, Simon West, Sophie Neville, and Lesley Bennett out to the houseboat on Derwent Water

When I was offered the part of Titty Walker, she’d been invited to work as a chaperone, along with Sten Grendon’s mother, Jane Grendon. This proved to be a pretty demanding job. Getting us ready and into the minibus every morning alone must have been challenging. We stayed at the Oaklands Guest House where there were only two bathrooms shared between twenty-three residents – the eight of us, various students from the Charlotte Mason College of Education and the five members of the Price family who owned the house. We had to move out over Whitsun when it had been booked by holiday makers.

Dressed for the Cumbrian weather: Daphne Neville with Liz Lomas ~ photo: Richard Pilbrow

Mum was pretty horrified by the spaghetti hoops, cuppa soups and pasties given to us for supper and asked if we could have a fruit bowl in our school bus. Location catering in 1973 was good but aimed at providing electricians with meat and two veg, rather than food for children. We enjoyed salads and chicken drumsticks but baked beans could ruin a take and sugared food made us over-active and probably annoying.

Location catering — Suzanna Hamilton, in her red tracksuit top, seeing what the location caterers had for lunch on the set of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ by Coniston Water

On film sets you normally have female costume assistants or dressers to help change actresses into their costumes. On ‘Swallows and Amazons’ we had Terry Smith the wardrobe master and my mother. Whenever there was a scene with film extras, Mum helped him to fit them with shoes and hats, helping the ladies into costumes for the opening scene at the station.

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

Our hair was cut and looked after by Ronnie Cogan but mine had to be washed every night by Mummy. She moved me into her bedroom, which was tiny, but had a basin. This seems a small thing, but watch the film and you see my hair flying around the whole time indicating the ever-present wind.

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

Mum tried to keep us warm on location, getting us into life jackets and sunhats before we were taken off to the set, which was often either a boat or island.

Daphne Neville with Sophie Neville and Simon West on Coniston Water

Having won prizes for archery, she taught the Amazons to shoot with a bow and arrow for their scene on Wild Cat Island.

Daphne Neville teaching Lesley Bennet, who played Peggy, how to shot with a long bow

She also took a vast collection of behind the scenes photos, some of which were very good.

Ronald Fraser with Daphne Neville and Sophie Neville on Derwentwater in 1973

I couldn’t bear it when Ronnie Fraser flirted, but Mum enjoyed every moment of being on set. She longed to appear in the film as a supporting artist. My father, Martin, appeared in five different shots but Mum missed the crowd scene at Bowness and sequences taken aboard the MV Tern the next dau.

Jane Grendon with other film extras on the original movie ‘Swallows and Amazons’

Back home, she had a part-time job working for HTV who had given her leave but called her back to Bristol to present an episode of Women Only and promote the channel at the annual Bath and West Show. You can read more about this on her website here.

A Day Off in Blackpool — Suzanna Hamliton, Simon West, Claude Whatham Sophie Neville, Kit Seymour, Jean McGill with Daphne Neville kneeling at Blackpool funfair in 1973

While other members of the film crew were given one day off a week, our chaperones’ work never ended. Jane took us shopping or on walks up into the fells. Mum came with us on a trip to Blackpool.

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

She must have driven me to Epsom for a pick-up shot in September when members of the Walker family had more haircuts and enjoyed being reunited.

Daphne Neville with Stephen Grendon, Suzanna Hamilton, Sophie Neville, Jane Grendon and Simon West

While we hated the publicity that came with marketing the film, Mum embraced it to the full, collecting every newspaper and magazine article.

Sophie Neville and cast of Swallows and Amazons off to the Puffin Club Party at the Commonwealth Institute in London — Sophie Neville, Suzanna Hamilton, Daphne Neville, Lesley Bennett, Kit Seymour, Sten Grendon and Simon West off to the Puffin Club Party at the Commonwealth Institute in London

She took us to London for a Puffin Club show at the Commonwealth Institute devised by Kaye Webb,

Kaye Webb's Puffin Club 1974 — Kaye Webb’s Puffin Club Show – April 1974

and to the Lord Mayor’s Show when we rode on a float set up by EMI Films.

Suzanna Hamilton, Stephen Grendon, Leslie Bennett, Simon West and Kit Seymour sailing the streets of London in 'Swallow' — Suzanna Hamilton, Stephen Grendon, Leslie Bennett, Simon West and Kit Seymour sailing the streets of London in ‘Swallow’

Mum was thrilled when invitations to the film premier arrived and bought me a green dress to wear to the ABC Cinema in Shaftesbury Avenue where it was held.

Daphne Neville at the London premier of 'Swallows and Amazons'. It was billed along with 'The Exorcist' — Daphne Neville at the London premier of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ in Shaftesbury Avenue.

She framed a film poster and kept every photo, every scrap of paper related to the film along with the LP and other items of movie memorabilia.

Fifty years later the items were valued on BBC Antiques Roadshow as being worth over £4,000.

To read Daphne Neville’s articles on being a chaperone, please find three earlier posts on this website beginning here.

The Saucepan and her mother on a scenic railway in Cumbria in 1973 ~ photo: Martin Neville

Daphne is currently staying at Denville Hall in Northwood, west London, with other retired actors. You can become a Friend of Denville Hall here.

A full account of making the original movie can be read on the ebook ‘The Secrets of Filming SWALLOWS and AMAZONS (1974)’ where you can read the first section free of charge.