swallows and amazons

Working behind-the-scenes on Swallows and Amazons 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.

Ten tips on filming boats

Simon West as John Walker studying the chart before the voyage.

1. It’s good to begin a film with establishing shots that explain what is happening. This could be a chart, a poster, a yacht club, a moored boat or the landscape. Then tell the story, introducing the characters and different boats.

The Swallows on their voyage to Wildcat Island

2. Once you begin filming boats the most important thing is to keep the horizon horizontal.

Simon West and Sophie Neville bring Swallow into the Secret Harbour on Wildcat Island

Alternatively, tilt your camera at a dramatically acute angle – but don’t use compromised shots like the one above.

Dame Virginia McKenna bids the Swallows farewell — Farewell and adieu to you fair Spanish ladies – can you spot the safety officer?

3. When you pan – side to side – first plan and rehearse the shot with good opening and ending frames. Hold for a beat on these – it gives you a transition to the next shot in the same way as a comma or full stop.

Simon West, Suzanna Hamilton, Sophie Neville and Sten Grendon in 'Swallows and Amazons' (1974) — Simon West, Suzanna Hamilton, Sophie Neville and Sten Grendon in ‘Swallows and Amazons’ (1974)

Pans look better if the shot moves from left to right, as that is how westeners read.

A pan works best if it’s ‘motivated’ ie follows action. Only pan from right to left if you are following a subject, then let it pass out of shot.

Avoid panning from left to right and back again. Don’t wave the camera around.

Simon West as Captain John sailing Swallow . Sten Grendon plays the Boy Roger

4. Avoid using the zoom unless it is motivated. Tilting the camera works better eg: open on a shot of a boat’s name and tilt up to find the skipper.

5. A general rule is: If the subject is stationary you can move the shot. If the subject is moving, keep the shot still.

6. Low angle shots are atmospheric – try filming at chair height, especially if you are tall.

Suzanna Hamilton as Susan with Sophie Neville as Titty busy writing the ship’s log

7. Close ups and detail are good, especially if there is some movement. eg: burgee flying in the wind.

A montage of close-ups works well to explain what is happening and explain a passage of time.

8. People do well in front of the camera if you give them something intricate to do or look at. Show what they are doing, possibly from a different angle.

9. You will need to film one boat from another. We were lashed to a camera boat to achieve these shots.

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

10. Make sure your lens is kept clean – or use water droplets for effect. Don’t let your camera get wet but capture the excitement.

Simon West and Suzanna Hamilton at the helm of Swallow with Stephen Grendon

You can read about the adventures had in ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons’ with further explanations in the DVD Extras of the 40th Anniversary DVD of the 1974 film.

Stills from the original film ‘Swallows and Amazons’ (1974) can be purchased from StudioCanal’s website.

Did the original film ‘Swallows and Amazons’ change the course of your life?

I continue to hear amazing stories about how the 1974 film ‘Swallows and Amazons’ has influenced people’s lives. Someone wrote to say, ‘This was my favourite movie growing up in Australia and the main reason I ended up moving to the UK!’

Rob Boden talking to Rupert Maas on BBC Antiques Roadshow.

There has been quite a bit in the popular press about what Rupert Maas, the expert on paintings, said of the movie ‘Swallows and Amazons’ (1974) which he saw aged 14. “It’s fair to say it got me into sailing. Just watching the romantic lives of these children in this wonderful summer. It never seemed to rain, the sun was always out…” He ended up crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

Simon West as Captain John in Swallows and Amazons 1974

Marc Grimston writes, “I was read the books as bedtime stories when I was too young to read them myself… but when I was taken to see the film, the stories became alive to me. I had not seen the Lake District at that point and the film changed everything. I could visualise the landscape every time I read one of the books, that was due to the film. The characters in the stories now had faces I could recognise in my head from that point on. When I read the books now, the characters are still the same 51 years on. The books, the film and the TV series of Coot Club and The Bix Six gave me a love of boats, camping, the Lake District and the Norfolk Broads.

Krista French “Those books were my part of my childhood escape toolkit.”

Simon Leach saw a poster of the 1974 film ‘Swallows and Amazons’ and said that when it came out, “my family was living in South Australia. After watching this, my parents were so homesick, that we returned to the UK.”

Others comment on how it has given them solace during difficult times. One man wrote to say that he watches ‘Swallows and Amazons'(1974) every week.

Fiona Ring said, “It literally shaped my childhood, that was me, I was Titty, the adventures the love for the outdoors. I read and watched it over and over and now it’s even better that I’m reliving it all again with my girls. Travelling up to the lakes each year to find all your secret spots. It’s amazing. Kayaking to wild cat island with our girls in April was a dream come true.”

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

Andy Stuart loved Arthur Ransome’s simple book illustrations. “And equally perfect were the the actors in the 1974 film. If I think of the Swallows and Amazons, those are the faces I see when I read the novels in which their characters feature, and my mind’s eye visions of the Norfolk children and the D’s are conjured from who I imagine would have fitted in alongside the original cast. You were all wonderful, Sophie Neville!”

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

The author Duncan Hall says, “I can’t remember if I read the books or saw the film first. I don’t remember picturing the Swallows and Amazons differently so I maybe saw the film first? But would have been at a similar time. It sparked a lifetime obsession with the Lakes, boats and stories.”

Lesley Bennett and Kit Seymour as the Amazon pirates dancing with rage on Peel Island — Lesley Bennett and Kit Seymour as the Amazon pirates dancing on Peel Island

Rob Twycross said, “I saw myself in the children in the film. We lived our childhood like that, going off exploring, discovering and learning. Halcyon days that I fear are gone now. It’s lovely to watch it again now and feel young again, if only in my head and heart for a little while!”

Sophie Neville in Swallow — Sophie Neville as Able seaman Titty in Swallow

You can now listen to the story of how the 1974 film was made on location in the Lake District on any of the audio-book platforms, including Audible.

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

Letters from the film set – written whilst filming ‘Swallows and Amazons’ in the Lake District in 1973

I’ve been asked to post the hand-written letters that my mother wrote on location while we were making the original film of ‘Swallows and Amazons’. It is amazing they have survived. This was sent to my great aunt who lived on the Solent and knew Buckler’s Hard where Arthur Ransome once moored.

Letter written about the filming of 'Swallows and Amazons'

Mum mentions Claude Whatham, the director, David Blagden our ‘sailing teacher’ who played Sammy the Policeman and Dame Virginia McKenna, the star of the movie who played my mother, Mary Walker.

This must be the cutting from the Daily Mail that I hadn’t seen for more than fifty years and yet remember the photos as being over-exposed. Mum marked me with an X, as in ‘X marks the spot.’

You can find other letters on my previous post.

‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons’, narrated by Sophie Neville, is now available as an audiobook on all platforms, along with Audible where you can listen to a free sample.

Letters from the Lake District written whilst making the movie ‘Swallows and Amazons’ (1974) that was broadcast on RTE over Easter and is now streaming on Amazon Prime

Whilst clearing out my mother’s house recently we found a few letters written by my parents to my great aunt in June 1973. They report on the progress of making the original EMI movie of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ in the Lake District.

Sophie Neville as Titty Walker with Stephen Grendon as the Boy Roger and Simon West playing Captain John Walker on Derwentwater — Stephen Grendon as the Boy Roger, Sophie Neville as Able-seaman Titty and Simon West playing Captain John Walker beside Derwentwater in 1973 ~ photo: Daphne Neville

My mother had been given headed writing paper designed for members of the production to use on location by Brian Doyle, who managed the film publicity.

It looks as if my father used his children’s felt pens.

It is interesting to learn how much my sisters earned as film extras when they appeared in the scenes shot at Rio (Bowness on Windermere).

Kit Seymour and Jane Grendon watch the filming on the jetty whilst Tamzin and Perry Neville eat ice creams with the one man in Cumbria willing to have a short-back-and-sides. You can just see the period cars parked in the background

They made £5 a day, which was the same amount as the green parrot. I calculated that those of us with leading parts, who he describes as ‘the 6 children’ earned £7.50 a day. This was probably because we were only meant to be on set for a couple of hours. As Dad mentions, I effectively worked twelve-hour days but seemed to be thriving.

Until reading this letter, I didn’t know that the movie (or ‘picture’ as Mum called it) was originally due to be released in time for the Christmas holidays. It was launched in ABC Cinemas but not until April. You can read about the film’s release and premiere at what was then the ABC in Shaftesbury Avenue on my website here.

You can read more in ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons (1974)’, which is now available in paperback, as an ebook and audiobook narrated by me, Sophie Neville.

A Writer’s Year – Highlights of 2024

I’m posting this collection of images with immense gratitude for all the help, support and encouragement I received in 2024.

I was unwell for the first six months of the year with one chest infection after another, but whilst languishing in bed I managed to improve a couple of screenplays I’ve been working on and the novels that accompany them.

My biopic on Freddie Mercury’s teenage adventures in Zanzibar won about ten international script awards and was selected for many more including the Best Feature Screenplay at the Berlin Art Film Festival

My WWII story set in East Africa, Burma and Japan won about seventeen awards including the Page Turner Award for Best True Story.

Sadly, I contracted Covid quite badly and couldn’t get to more than one awards ceremony but did make it to a Hollywood party in London.

Fundraiser Caroline Dolby with Sophie Nevillle.

This story was well received in Europe, particularly in Germany.

Florence Film Award for Best Feature Script won by Sophie Neville

I proudly loaded some of the laurels I was sent on my website here.

The cast of 'Swallows and Amazons' (1974) gathered for the 50th Anniversary - photo Lee Pressman of the Cinema Museum — The cast of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ (1974) gathered for the 50th Anniversary – photo Lee Pressman of the Cinema Museum

One of the highlights of the year was celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the release of the movie ‘Swallows and Amazons’. The original cast and screenwriter David Wood gathered at the Cinema Museum in London for a Q&A with Brian Sibley when I was invited to read out a message from Virginia McKenna. You can watch a recording of the often hilarious event here and David Wood’s interview here.

I wrote an article about appearing in the film for Hampshire Life magazine.

and was interviewed by the Church Times.

Fred Pilbrow then invited me to speak about his father, Richard Pilbrow, who had produced the film. After a debriefing at his studio in London

I spoke on stage at the National Theatre after Julie Andrews and before Sir Richard Eyre, grateful for the support of leading theatre technicians.

Sophie Neville with the Puffin copy of 'Swallows and Amazons' brought out to accompany the 1974 film — The Puffin copy of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ brought out to accompany the 1974 film

I then received a message out of the blue from someone I’d never met:

“I was so excited tonight. Your episode of Antiques Roadshow came up. I had to down tools to watch you! Loved all your memorabilia.” Suzie Eisfelder in Australia.

This took me by surprise but there I was on BBC One being interviewd by Marc Allum on the shores of Windermere.

The repeat was covered by OK! magazine and the Daily Mail Online where is accrued numerous shares.

GRUMPYBUG from North Yorkshire commented,’Most actors just take a bit of something for a memento. She nicked half the props.’ The truth was that Richard Pilbrow had sent me the flags from America. The exciting news was that Swallow and Amazon, the dinghies used in the film, have survived and are being renovated for anyone to sail from Hunters Yard on the Norfolk Broads where we made the BBC serial ‘Swallows and Amazons Forever!’ back in 1983.

The broadcast coincided with an online Q&A with the writer David Wood OBE and top Hollywood make up designer Peter Robb-King. All this was great pre-publicity for 50th Anniversary celebrations of the film in Cumbria when I met film fans, signed copies of my books, gave a couple of talks and was interviewed by John Sergeant, president of The Arthur Ransome Society who hosted the two-day event.

A good account of the weekend was featured in Flip the Media. It was covered by BBC News, there was an item on Look North, North West News and BBC Breakfast television.

Sophie Neville, Suzanna Hamilton and Kit Seymour on BBC Breakfast

After chatting on BBC Radio Cumbria I was interviewed by Luke on CalonFM radio.

I returned from the north to write a Foreword to Dr Anthony Mitchell’s book ‘From Dust to Trust’, which describes life around Lake Turkana in Northern Kenya.

I then helped Paddy Heron to raise funds to help a little boy called Max get medical treatment in Germany by auctioning two signed copies of my books and later auctioned another book for BBC Children in Need.

As an ambassador for the UK charity Schoolreaders I was invited to an amazing event at the House of Commons hosted by Giles Brandreth and gave three talks on Zoom.

Sophie Neville is an ambassador for Schoolreaders

Having spoken at the Royal Thames and Army & Navy clubs in London, Arnside Sailing Club in Morecambe Bay and Royal Southern Yacht Club earlier in the year, I gave an illustrated talk at Yarmouth Sailing Club on the Isle of Wight before going on a trip the Galapagos Islands.

I returned to news that my mother had collapsed and focused on aspects of life that weigh-lay us all: hospital visits, repairs and redecorating, general admin and clearing out my mother’s house. She’s made a remarkable recovery. I’m left exhausted but am looking towards the year ahead with hope.

News from the Charcoal Burners of Cumbria

Sophie Neville, Sten Grendon, John Franklin-Robbins, Jack Wolgar, Suzanna Hamilton and Simon West in Swallows and Amazons (1974) — Sophie Neville, Sten Grendon, John Franklin-Robbins, Jack Wolgar, Suzanna Hamilton and Simon West looking at an adder in the original film ‘Swallows and Amazons’

In 2024 a ‘Swallows and Amazons’ festival at Windermere Jetty near Bowness-on-Windermere in Cumbria was organised by The Arthur Ransome Society and Lakeland Arts. Such was the publicity that I was contacted by a Lakeland charcoal burner who kindly sent me a report on his last talk:

‘I, Brian Crawley, am currently President of the Coppice Association North West. In our late 50s, my wife and I embarked on a career change into coppicing, principally making barbecue charcoal. This presentation is not about earthburns in general, it is about but a specific site for them.

‘I had always been aware of the traditional way of making charcoal, ‘charcoal earthburns’ being a stack of wood covered with earth to limit the oxygen intake to the burn.

‘The receipt of a set of photographs of a charcoal earthburn from David Jones, who was a patient of my daughter’s, encouraged my interest in the subject. David’s photos were of an earthburn that had taken place in 1972 and were included in an extract from his book ‘A Lakeland Camera’.

‘I later discovered that the charcoal burn had taken place as a result of discussion between Mike Dow, who was Treasurer of Haybridge Nature Reserve in the Rusland Valley, and Mike Davies-Shiel, a prominent local archaeologist. They enticed local woodland worker Jack Allonby, who had a retired uncle Tyson Allonby, a charcoal burner, to do an earthburn. Jack was helped by Bill Norris who regularly helped local archaeologist Mike Davies-Shiel and lived in the same village as Jack. Mike Dow arranged that a film would be made of the burn and subsequently directed it. Bill Norris narrated it. I was put in touch with Mike Dow through our Coppice Association NW secretary Alan Shepley, who had worked with Mike Dow in earlier years, and I was given the “Charcoal Burners of High Furness” DVD, which I then played to the audience. It was not my way of doing earthburns, but was historically interesting. A photo of the charcoal burners of Furness is available on ebay here.

Charcoal burning in Cumbria — Our helper from Cumbria Woodlands with his 3 sons, John Allonby, Dan Sumner and June Norris with her husband

‘For many years I had been fascinated by the visit of the children in the movie Swallows and Amazons (1974) to the charcoal burners and had always wondered where it was filmed. A gentleman on a charcoal making course, which we ran, explained to us that he was there when it was made and took us to the site not far from where he lived at Ickenthwaite in the Rusland Valley. Myles Dickinson told us how amazed he was that they got a double decker bus up the lane to the site for the children’s classroom. However, our inspection of the site in Glass Knott wood on the very narrow, winding and steep Corker Lane up to Ickenthwaite, plus another look at the Mike Dow film and David Jones’s photos, convinced me that it was the correct location.

‘I can’t remember how I first got in touch with Sophie Neville, who played Titty in the 1974 film Swallows and Amazons, but she gives some interesting details about ‘The real Charcoal Burners – who we met whilst filming ‘Swallows and Amazons’.

Charcoal Burners during the filming of Swallows and Amazons — John Franklin-Robbins playing Young Billy chatting to the real charcoal burner during a coffee break on the set of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ ~ photo: Daphne Neville

‘I was able to make some extra comments to the blog as well as a photograph the site many years after the filming. I then played a clip of their visit from the Swallows and Amazons film, being shown by courtesy of Studiocanal who own the rights.

‘It became my obsession to carry out another charcoal burn on the site and became significant in 2023 when I realised that the original filming had been in 1973, 50 years previously. This year also turned out to be the visit to the North West of the National Coppice Federation annual gathering.

The real charcoal burner outside the hut. Behind him the 35mm Panasonic camera is being mounted on a short section of track ~ photo: Daphne Neville

‘Glass Knott wood is now owned by the Lake District National Park Authority. Permission to carry out the burn was requested and eventually approved with enthusiasm. At the same time Dan Sumner was looking for instruction on how to do an earthburn and we agreed that this was a good time for me to show him how, and for him to be responsible for the burn and provide the timber. The burn took place two weeks before the gathering and we had a fascinating visit to the site from Jack Allonby’s son John together with Bill Norris’s daughter June who had lived in the same small village, Spark Bridge, 50 years ago. A young John Allonby had been at the site with his father during both filmings. We also had a visit from Myles Dickinson who still lives nearby. We had a few very good helpers and some other visitors from LDNPA, Cumbria Woodlands, Coppice Association North West, The Arthur Ransome Society and Ruslands Horizons.

The real Charcoal Burner with the actor — Jack Allonby talking to Jack Woolgar who was playing Old Billy ~ photo: Daphne Neville

‘I then showed some photographs of the weekend’s successful event and a few photos of Sophie Neville’s blog on the web.

The Charcoal Burners - Swallows and Amazons — Arriving at the Charcoal Burners’. Jack Woolgar with Simon West, Suzanna Hamilton, Sophie Neville and Stephen Grendon ~ photo: Daphne Neville

‘To finish, I then showed a DVD of the Millenium Burn, actually held in 2001, at which I learned earthburns from Arthur Barker, who was supported by Alan Waters and his friend Mark, at a site a bit further up the Rusland Valley where Jack Allonby had been filmed doing another earthburn by Sam Hanna, which can now be seen on the internet.’

Earthburns presentation by Brian Crawley, NCFed Gathering Oct 2023

The Real Charcoal Burners 2 — John Franklin-Robbins playing Young Billy with Sophie Neville, Stephen Grendon and the adder.

The LDNPA are keen to do another burn at the site. News can be found on the Coppice Association – North West website.

Evidence of ancient foundry works on Peel Island looks interesting. You can read more here

Brian found an American copy of Swallows and Amazons that I have never seen before, available online in US dollars.

A signed and dedicated first edition hardback of ‘The secrets of filming Swallows & Amazons’ sold for £86 with funds going directly to BBC Children in Need, 2024

An original hardback copy of my book on how we made the 1974 film of Swallows and Amazons was sold in Paddy Heron’s online auction for £86 to raise funds for BBC Children in Need 2024.

It exceeded bids for the autobiographies of Theresa May, Michael Ball, Charles Spencer, Tim Peake, Lynda La Plante, Father Alex Frost and a number of amazing biographies.

An unframed print of a portrait of her playing Titty executed by C. Assheton was also sold in the online charity auction, which raised a total of £14,705 – which is fantastic.

Paperback and ebook editions of my same story are also available at Waterstones and online from all the usual stockists including Amazon

You can find readers’s reviews on my website here

Neville C Thompson

Neville Thompson acted as the online producer on the 1974 film of Swallows and Amazons. He choose an excellent crew and took daily responsibility for scheduling the production on location in the Lake District and later at Elstree Studios where the film was edited and post-synced.

Neville was born in Ipswich in 1933. Although gregarious at times, he was a quiet man who was once a maths teacher in Scotland. He had five children to support, but decided to go to RADA and become an actor. When a pair of twins came along he moved the family to Croyden and went into film production. He began work as a location manager for Mike Newell and became a production manager for Ken Russell.

Richard Pilbrow gained the rights and film finance for ‘Swallows and Amazons’ but came from a background in theatre and knew nothing about film production. He asked Neville to help set everything up.

Neville C Thomas (top centre) with Richard Pilbrow, Claude Whatham et al

Neville came to Burnham-on-Crouch for our sailing audition when the dinghy ‘Swallow’ must have been purchased from the boatbuilders William King.

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 radio on a sunny day in June 1973

Neville was passionate about film making, becoming known as ‘the last gentleman producer.’ He would have been the one making the executive decisions, the man ultimately in charge of the schedule, personnel, safety, insurance and bringing the film in on budget.

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

His daughter, Mandy, told me that he was a wonderful Dad but had been away a lot. ‘He had eight children in nine years and was keen for them to make their own way in the world.’ Mandy became an occupational therapist, George became a ballet dancer, Chris Thompson went into film making. Neville was diagnosed with Lukemia at the age of 47 but lived another twenty years, ending his days in Woodbridge in Suffolk.

Neville Thompson relaxing on set – photo taken on Sunday 24th July 1973, by Daphne Neville

Neville established a production office at the unit hotel on Windermere. By the time he reached the location he was often exhausted. Everything he’d set up was in motion so, like an experienced parent, he could relax and enjoy the boats.

Richard Pilbrow and Neville Thompson ~ photo:Daphne Neville

When Neville died in Woodbridge in Suffolk at the age of sixty-nine in 2002, Richard told me that ‘Swallows and Amazons’ was broadcast on television as if in his honour.

You can find an impressive list of Neville C Thompson’s production credits on IMDb here

Sophie Neville with Sten Grendon, Jane Grendon, Claude Whatham and Neville Thompson — Sophie Neville looks on as Stephen Grendon organises his costume helped by Jane Grendon with Claude Whatham and Neville C Thompson when filming pick up shots near Epsom.

You can find details of how to purchase ‘The making of Swallows and Amazons’ here on line or listen to it on audible and other audiobook platforms.

Points to add to the third edition of ‘The Secrets of Filming Swallows and Amazons’ part ten.

It’s fascinating to hear about links people have with the original film of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ made on location in the Lake District in the early 1970s.

Art Director Simon Holland painting labels for cans of Pemican ~ photo: Daphne Neville

Amanda Currie wrote to say, ‘My family had quite a lot to do with the film. My cousin’s bro-in-law was the art director… My Dad was one of the Lake Wardens he had great fun keeping tourists away from the filming on the lake. Captain Flint stayed at our friends’ hotel and boy did they have some funny tales to tell. The couple who owned it were called Tim and Eileen, they would be in their eighties now I would think. Of course we were all extras.’

She added, ‘We were all massive Swallows and Amazons fans long before the film, as when my Grandma lived in Blackpool they used to stay at what was the Blackett’s house, and on occasion bumped into Arthur Ransome.’

Jean our driver and location nurse operating the radio with Sophie Neville ~ photo:Martin Neville

Jean McGill, our unit driver, used to pick up Ronald Fraser every morning, a difficult task as he was always drunk. “Dreadful man, swearing and shouting around the place,” she said. “Appalling behaviour.” Jean had been the Chief Air Stewardess and cabin services superintendent in Bahrain for what is now Gulf Air. “I had to leave because I wouldn’t marry the general manager, who was having a nervous breakdown.” She was going out with the Captain of the Sir Galahad, the ship that went down in the Falklands, “along with the coffee pot I’d given him.” She also told me that they had a known terrorist one of her flights, “who then got on the BOAC flight that landed in the desert.” He had wanted to free Lela Kallard.

Do you know where the Peak of Darien can be found?
photo: Roger Wardale (with permission)

The Arthur Ransome Group have been discussing the true model for the Peak at Darien. Mrs Ransome told the film producer Richard Pilbrow that you could find it on Windermere.

Paul Flint says that, ‘good contenders are Brathay Rocks and Gale Naze Crag on Windermere’, pointing out that both were well known to the Ransomes. It would be interesting to know what islands you can see from these.

Friar’s Crag on Derwent Water was used for the opening titles of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ (1974) Stuart Clague informed me that it is a dolerite dyke intruded into softer Skiddaw slate, as mentioned in the book Lakeland Geology.

The Arthur Ransome Trust has an App to help you find locations detailed here

This is the platform at Haverthwaite station on the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway in Haverthwaite, Cumbria. Manuel Gurtner points out that the heritage railway also appears in ‘Without a Clue’ (1988), the witty movie starring Michael Caine as Sherlock Holmes and Ben Kingsley as Dr Watson. You can spot the carriages at scenes shot in the Lake District in the film trailer.

You can read more about how the original film was made back in 1973 in the ebook ‘The Secrets of Filming Swallows and Amazons’ or the paperback ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons’ also available on Audible. There are a few pages about it in another memoir, ‘Funnily Enough’.