Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series has left a lasting impression on now 3 generations of my family. My father remembered hearing it as a radio adaptation in the '30s. My sister and I and our cousins read all - or most - of the 12 books in our childhoods. And our children have listened to many of the tales too, however dated the language. One winter, Auntie R recorded Winter Holiday for us and we listened to her reading each chapter as we drove to ski lessons. There's something captivating about the tale of children being allowed the run of a lake on small boats with lots of cake and adventures along the way. Better drowned than duffers. That said, it's the anti-thesis of Lord of the Flies. And then there is the connection to the Norfolk Broads in the later books to boot.
A few years back, we were thrilled to hear that a new film of Swallows and Amazons was underway. We saw the promotional posters in the UK last summer but sadly, it opened after we had left. So you can imagine how happy we were to discover that it had been booked for the TIFF Kids!
Sunday, we traipsed off and were magicked away by the plot (even with some added elements at which the purists amongst us sniffed), acting, scenery and cinematography. Sophie practically squealed at the opening credits. We all cheered "Swallows forever" (not Amazons sadly) at the end and voted for it as the best movie of the festival.
Only wish that more of the family could have been with us. And some day, we will take the children to the Lake District; perhaps they will even sail us around for a bit.
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