Titty from Swallows and Amazons

A book signed by the author always makes a good Christmas present. Each year, I take part in an annual online charity auction organised by Paddy Heron of Children in Read to raise funds for BBC Children in Need.

You can scroll through the site on Jumblebee. co.uk. and choose from an amazing selection of biographies and other books by contemporary authors.

I donated a copy of ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons (1974)’, an illustrated paperback that normally retails for £20 but went for £28 after eleven bids, with a bit of a race at the end. If anyone would like to match it, please contact me via the comments below.

Please click here for the original bidding page.

Funds raised go directly to BBC Children in Need. I pay the postage.

In 2023, items in this Authors and Illustrators’ auction, raised a total of £24,061 for BBC Children in Need.

Over the eleven years that the annual event has been running over £150,000 has been raised. I joined in 2020 and have raised more than £640.

Thank you for supporting this great cause!

A second edition of the ebook ‘The Secrets of Filming ‘SWALLOWS & AMAZONS'(1974) is now available on Amazon Kindle, Smashwords, itunes, Kobo, and Nook for £2.99 . You can download this free of charge if you already own the first edition.

If you would like a copy but don’t have a Kindle, worry not. We have added a link whereby you can download a free Kindle app. Please go to my Book Page and scroll down for the details.

If you already have a copy of the ebook, contact a Customer Advisor and ask for a free update. You just need to give Kindle the ebook’s ASIN number. The ISBN for all online editions except Kindle is: ISBN 9781311761927

Since being contacted by others who were involved in the filming, I have been able to add a few more anecdotes and images, including this beautiful shot of Virginia McKenna in 1973 kindly sent in by the photographer Philip Hatfield.

I found a copy of my original contract for the film and when Jean McGill rang from Bowness, a few more secrets floated to the surface.

CBBCTV’s Cinemaniacs interviewed the screenwriter David Wood and myself on how the original movie of Arthur Ransome’s ‘Swallows and Amazons’ was made back in the summer of 1973. The idea was to use 30 second clips, so please excuse my over-the-top reactions, but you can watch the whole recording below.

‘This has to be one of the most delightful interviews in my recent memory.’ Tim Lewis, USA