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‘I chaperoned six film stars’ – Part 2 of my mother’s memories of working on the 1974 movie ‘Swallows and Amazons’

BySwallows and Amazons

Actress Sophie Neville reveals more behind-the-scenes memories from the set of the 1974 “Swallows and Amazons” film…

Daphne Neville presenting 'Women Only'1

In 1974, my mother, Daphne Neville, was commissioned to write an article about working on the original film of “Swallows and Amazons” for “Woman” magazine, which claimed to be ‘The world’s greatest weekly for women’. Here are some extracts from her typescript:

Simon West, Stephen Grendon, Suzanna Hamilton and Sophie Neville playing the Walker children in ‘Swallows and Amazons’ 1973. Photo: Daphne Neville.

Daphne Neville with Sophie Neville and Simon West on Coniston Water.

Our guests: Jane, Michael, Clare and Lucy Selby and their dog, Minnie on the shore of Coniston Water with my sisters Perry and Tamzin in 1973.

I was amazed to read some of this. ‘….a dearth of birds’? Was that really how my mother spoke in the early ‘Seventies? I had no recollection that ‘Nomansland’ had been displayed on the front of our double-decker bus. I never remembered there only being bathroom at Oaklands Guesthouse or that Mum had to wash out clothes. I do remember Ronald Fraser shouting, ‘P*** off you little monster’.  I have the photo:

Sten Grendon irriating Ronnie Fraser
Sten Grendon sitting on top of Ronald Fraser during a break in the filming of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ on Derwentwater. Photo: Daphne Neville.

More to follow…. If you would like to see photos of Daphne Neville appearing in movies herself, please click here.

If you would like to read about what we did on 10th July 1973 – 45 years ago please click here.

Originally published by Sophie Neville in July 2018.