Amazon, the traditional sailing dinghy that features alongside Swallow in the classic film Swallows and Amazons, will be on display outside the Riverside Cinema, Woodbridge, Suffolk, this Saturday, 13th July, when the film, celebrating its 50th anniversary, is being screened at 2pm. As well as celebrating the anniversary, the event – organised by TARS East – is aiming to raise funds for the restoration of the two boats.

Based on Arthur Ransome’s book of the same name, Swallows and Amazons is a tale of juvenile rivalry between the crews of the Swallow and the Amazon, on and around an island in the Lake District, and the boats have become stars in their own right – Swallow was recently valued at around £25,000 when she turned up on Antiques Roadshow.

Both of the boats were recently acquired by the Arthur Ransome Society, and are in need of some renovation. The work is being carried out by Hunter’s Yard on the Norfolk Broads, where Amazon is already available to hire (details at https://arthur-ransome.org/sail or call 01692 678263).

It’s not the first time one of the boats has attended a screening of the film – in 2015 Swallow came and the cinema sold out two showings.

Sophie Neville, who played Titty, kept a diary and later used it as the basis for a book, The Making of Swallows and Amazons, which will be available to buy at the screening.