This year marks the 50th anniversary of making the Swallows and Amazons film in the Lake District, with the very first day of filming being on 14th May 1973 at the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Steam Railway, also celebrating its 50th, writes Sophie Neville…

Sophie Neville and David Wood

Earlier this year David Wood, the award-winning playwright who adapted Swallows and Amazons for the big screen in the early 1970s, wrote to say, “A fan recently reminded me that Swallows and Amazons, the film, will be celebrating its 50th birthday next year! Hard to believe, but true!”

A signed programme from the premiere of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ held on 4th April 1974

He’s right –  the Royal Gala that launched the film was held at the ABC in Shaftesbury Avenue on 4th April 1974. I still have the dress I wore and found a copy of the programme signed by other children in the cast. You can see photos in post I wrote about it here.

“I couldn’t attend the premiere,” David said, “I was rehearsing in Manchester!”  This was a pity as it would have been amazing to watch the first film he’d written on the big screen with members of the cast present.

The event was followed by the publisher Kaye Webb’s Puffin Show at The Commonwealth Institute in Kensington High Street where the dinghy Swallow was on display from 9th-21st April. I remember going along to meet readers. One of them wrote to me years later, thrilled that she’d won a new copy of the book. You can read her letter and find the Puffin Post article in an earlier post here.

Kaye Webb’s Puffin Club Show – April 1974

David asked: “Do you think anyone will do anything to celebrate the anniversary? Are there any producers or distribution companies that might be approached? I am in touch with Richard Pilbrow, in America. I might drop him an email… Let me know if you think we ought to try to do something… a special screening, perhaps?”

When I suggested a few News presenters who might be interested in becoming involved, he replied saying: “John Sergeant and I were at Oxford together, and performed in revue and cabaret….I directed him in a musical! Libby Purves interviewed me a few years ago at The Story Museum, Oxford. I was on Midweek twice too… Have never met Ben Fogle, but years ago I knew his mother, Julia Foster. Her first husband was Lionel Morton, pop singer and Play School presenter, who played Owl for me in the first London production of The Owl and the Pussycat went to Sea… in 1969! I was delighted that Virginia McKenna got her Damehood! Well deserved.”

John Sergeant on The Secret Life of Books

I explained that I had been invited to give a talk to members of the Royal Thames Yacht Club in Kensington in April, hoping he could join me. David replied “…not sure yet if I will be free to come! But would appreciate you asking if I could attend. Last time I was there I gave a magic show for the members’ children!! About 50 years ago….just like the film! The plans sound exciting. I wonder if the Arthur Ransome Society, to whom I gave a talk not long ago, might be interested in arranging something…”

“The Making of Swallows and Amazons (1974)” by Sophie Neville

They are. The idea is to put on an event at Windermere Jetty Museum in July 2024, under the auspices of Lakeland Arts. The Arthur Ransome Society is hoping to have both Swallow and Amazon there.

David then wrote to say: “The Cinema Museum, a rather wonderful institution in the Kennington area of South London, have pencilled Saturday April 6th 2024 for two screenings of Swallows and Amazons to celebrate fifty years.” We have been invited to give Q&As and sign copies of our books. “Martin Humphries, who runs the Cinema Museum, organised a similar event about If… when I did a Q&A after the screening.”

I have details of my own forthcoming talks and events on another page here.

Any other ideas are invited! Please leave your suggestions in the comments section here.

My book The Making of Swallows and Amazons (1974) is available from the Nancy Blackett Shop.

The original version of this article was published by Sophie Neville in February.