Here are some additional photos from the “Swallows and Amazons” Marathon Reading that took place on the shore of Coniston Water on 3rd September, kindly provided by Sophie Neville, President of the Arthur Ransome Society, who also starred as “Titty Walker” in the 1974″Swallows and Amazons” film, and who read the final chapter of the book…

Sophie Neville on the shores of Coniston Water with Bank Ground Farm where she once ran down the field as Titty Walker in the 1974 film ‘Swallows and Amazons. ‘Sadly the Peak of Darien does not exist on Coniston. You can’t see Wild Cat Island from the farm. One of the secrets of making ‘Swallows and Amazons’ (1974) was that the opening scene, when the Swallows first spot the island, was shot under an oak tree near Epsom in Surrey. Otherwise the whole movie was made on location in the Lake District. It is still being shown on television and was recently broadcast in Australia.’ Photo by Chris Routledge. (3rd Sep 2017)

Chris and Caitlin Routledge organising the Marathon reading of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ on the shores of Coniston Water, 3rd Sep 2017. Photo by Sophie Neville.

The campfire at the Marathon Reading, which we all wish could have been lit, 3rd Sep 2017. Photo by Sophie Neville.

Helen and Geraint Lewis of the Arthur Ransome Trust at the Marathon Reading, 3rd Sep 2017. Photo by Sophie Neville.

Alison Tordoff, award winning interior designer from Windermere, with her certificate for taking part in the all-day Marathon Reading of Swallows and Amazons, 3rd Sep 2017. Photo by Sophie Neville.

Eileen Jones at the Marathon Reading of Swallows and Amazons, 3rd Sep 2017. Photo by Sophie Neville.

Hannah Jayne Thorp, Geraint and Helen Lewis at the Marathon reading, 3rd Sep 2017. Photo: Jayne Thorp.

Author Sophie Neville, with the original dinghy Amazon at the John Ruskin Museum in Coniston. Amazon, originally named Mavis, was chosen by Arthur Ransome for the Altounyan children in 1928. They learnt to sail her on Coniston Water, later teaching their own children and grandchildren to sail and fish from her. There is no trace of the original boat Swallow, although Ransome loved sailing her on Windermere. These rather heavy dinghies were undoubtedly the inspiration for his series of twelve ‘Swallows and Amazons’ books, which became popular worldwide. First published in 1930, ‘Swallows and Amazons’ is still a bestseller today, with the two film adaptations now on DVD and Blu-ray. Sophie Neville’s book on ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons’, published by the Lutterworth Press, is available from your library and all good bookshops. (3rd Sep 2017) Photo by Sophie Neville.

Matt Addis, who is appearing at Theatre by the Lake with Eileen Jones from Cumbria PR listening to the story of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ being read on the shores of Coniston Water, 3rd Sep 2017. Photo by Sophie Neville.

Sophie Neville with the Rushton children at the Marathon Reading of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ at Coniston Water, 3rd Sep 2017. Photo by Sophie Neville.

Geraint and Helen Lewis of the Arthur Ransome Trust at the Marathon Reading of Swallows and Amazons, 3rd Sep 2017. Photo by Sophie Neville.

Matt Addis, who is currently appearing at Theatre by the Lake in Keswick, at the Marathon Reading of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ at Coniston, 3rd Sep 2017. Photo by Sophie Neville.

Sophie Neville, president of The Arthur Ransome Society with Radio 4’s Caz Graham, taking part in the all day Marathon Reading of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ on the lake shire at Coniston on 3rd September organised by University of Liverpool and Cumbria PR with the support of the Arthur Ransome Trust and Lake District National Park, 3rd Sep 2017. Photo by Sophie Neville.

Sophie Neville, author of ‘The Making of Swallows and Amazons (1974)’, visiting Peel Island on Coniston Water, which was used as the location for Wild Cat Island when she played Titty in the original movie of Arthur Ransome’s ‘Swallows and Amazons’ (1974)., 4th Sep 2017. Photo by Sophie Neville.

The boatsheds of Bank Ground Farm, the original “Holly Howe” in the book, and where Sophie once ran down the field as Titty Walker in the film, were visible across the lake from the site of the Marathon Reading.

She said: “Sadly the Peak of Darien does not exist on Coniston. You can’t see Wild Cat Island from the farm. One of the secrets of making “Swallows and Amazons” (1974) was that the opening scene, when the Swallows first spot the island, was shot under an oak tree near Epsom in Surrey. Otherwise the whole movie was made on location in the Lake District. It is still being shown on television and was recently broadcast in Australia.”

Sophie also visited the original dinghy Amazon at the John Ruskin Museum in Coniston. Amazon, originally named Mavis, was chosen by Arthur Ransome for the Altounyan children in 1928. They learnt to sail her on Coniston Water, later teaching their own children and grandchildren to sail and fish from her. There is no trace of the original boat Swallow, although Ransome loved sailing her on Windermere.

These rather heavy dinghies were undoubtedly the inspiration for his series of twelve “Swallows and Amazons” books, which became popular worldwide. First published in 1930, “Swallows and Amazons” is still a bestseller today, with the two film adaptations now on DVD and Blu-ray. Sophie Neville’s book on “The Making of Swallows and Amazons (1974)”, published by the Lutterworth Press, is available from your library and the Nancy Blackett Shop.

The Marathon Reading of “Swallows and Amazons” was organised by the University of Liverpool and Cumbria PR, with the support of the Arthur Ransome Trust and Lake District National Park.

The Nancy Blackett Trust is organising its own marathon reading of “We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea“ at Pin Mill on 21st October. You can sign up for a chance to read a chapter here, in the company of Griff Rhys Jones, Libby Purves, Julia Jones (with Francis Wheen), Christina Hardyment and Sophie Neville.