### Swallows and Amazons Cast Reunite for 50-Year Anniversary with Inspiring Family
To mark the 50th anniversary of the iconic 1974 film “Swallows and Amazons,” a family-friendly weekend celebration is set to take place on June 29 and 30 at the Windermere Jetty Museum. This event promises to be a nostalgic and heartwarming reunion, featuring six of the original cast and crew members, including Suzanna Hamilton (Susan), Sophie Neville (Titty), Simon West (John), and Kit Seymour (Nancy). Scriptwriter David Wood and make-up artist Peter Robb-King will also be in attendance, among others.
Organized by the Arthur Ransome Society, the event will utilize the scenic lakeside facilities of the Windermere Jetty Museum. It offers a unique opportunity for fans to meet the cast and crew and hear their behind-the-scenes stories from the filming 50 years ago. Adding to the excitement, the two original boats used in the film will be present, with attendees even having the chance to sail in the Amazon.
The weekend will be packed with free activities, including crafts for kids, artwork displays, and memorabilia exhibitions. There will be a recreation of the ‘swallows’ camp, a lively folk concert, and screenings of the iconic film. Insightful talks with the cast and crew will provide a deeper understanding of their experiences during the making of the film. The event will also feature a selection of Karen Babayan’s work from her touring exhibition “Swallows and Armenians” and an exhibit on the life of Arthur Ransome.
Arthur Ransome’s book, published in 1929, was inspired by his friend’s children, a family from Syria called the Altounyans. Ransome taught them to sail the previous summer in the original Swallow and a second dinghy called Mavis. Mavis, the model for Amazon, is still owned by the Altounyan family and will be on display during the weekend celebration. Several members of the Altounyan family, including direct descendants of the four children, will also be attending the event.
The event promises to be a nostalgic celebration for the whole family, with the normal attractions of the museum, including Ransome’s own boat Coch-y-Bonddhu and Ransome memorabilia, adding to the experience.
### A Glimpse into the Past
Sophie Neville, who played Titty Walker in the 1973 film, shared her memories of the filming process. She tried to capture the style of the 1920s and portray Titty as the nine-year-old girl depicted in Arthur Ransome’s illustrations. Although she shared the Scots/Irish/English ancestry of Titty Altounyan, the real girl the character was based on, she lacked her Armenian heritage and dark, bobbed hair. However, Mrs. Ransome insisted that Titty be played by “an English Rose,” which Sophie embodied.
Sophie reminisced about the costumes designed by Emma Porteous, who later became well-known for her work on James Bond movies, Aliens, and Judge Dread. The costumes included a variety of outfits, from a silk dress worn for the arrival at Holly Howe to a red wooly swimming costume. Despite the challenges of filming, such as disguising her height and dealing with the cold, Sophie fondly remembers the experience.
### The Boats and the Filming Process
The film was made on four different lakes: Coniston Water, Windermere, Elterwater, and Derwentwater, as well as a smelly lily pond. The cast and crew used Bank Ground Farm as Holly Howe and Brown Howe as Beckfoot, home to the Amazon pirates. The children had only a couple of days to get used to handling Swallow and Amazon before filming began. Despite the director Claude Whatham’s limited knowledge of boats, the cast received instruction from a sailing director, David Blagden, who had recently raced across the Atlantic.
The filming process involved various challenges, such as dealing with blustery Lakeland winds and ensuring the dialogue was recorded clearly. The crew used a cross-shaped pontoon as a mobile camera mount, which had two outboards but wasn’t easy to handle. Despite these challenges, the film was successfully made, and the audience can hear the dialogue clearly thanks to post-syncing at Elstree Studios.
### The Legacy of Swallow and Amazon
The first Amazon, originally called Mavis, was purchased by the Altounyan family in 1928 and later renamed Amazon in line with Ransome’s books. Although she remains too leaky to take out, she now resides in the John Ruskin Museum at Coniston. The Amazon used in the 1974 film was also featured in the 1963 BBC adaptation of “Swallows and Amazons.”
In 2003, the Amazon was brought to Cumbria to feature in “Countryfile” and an episode of “Big Screen Britain.” The White family, who owned Amazon at the time, generously passed the boat on to The Arthur Ransome Society. Amazon is currently kept at Hunter’s Yard near Ludham, where she can be sailed on the Norfolk Broads.
The plan is for both Swallow and Amazon to be on display at Windermere Jetty in Cumbria for the weekend of June 29 and 30, 2024. The event will also feature steamboats used in the Rio scenes set at Bowness-on-Windermere, such as Osprey and George Pattinson’s launch Lady Elizabeth. Windermere Jetty is currently restoring the steam launch Esperance, used by Ransome as his model for Captain Flint’s houseboat.
### A Celebration of Friendship and Adventure
The true worth of both Swallow and Amazon lies in the precious memories of friendship and adventure they represent. Just as Arthur Ransome’s books provide solace, the hope is that many will be able to experience the joy of sailing these little boats and relive the stories immortalized on film so long ago.
Sophie Neville’s memories and experiences are detailed in her book “The Making of Swallows and Amazons,” published by the Lutterworth Press and now available as an audiobook narrated by the author. The event at Windermere Jetty Museum promises to be a heartwarming celebration of a beloved film and the enduring legacy of Arthur Ransome’s stories.
Source: Arthur Ransome Society, Windermere Jetty Museum, Sophie Neville
