Eighty-four years after Arthur Ransome’s children’s novel, Swallows & Amazons was published, a DVD of the story has been released.
 
The adaptation written by children’s playwright David Wood, depicts the adventures of four children and their sailing boat Swallow.
 
Set in the Lake District in the 1920’s, the story takes place during the children’s school summer holidays with their mother, played by actress Virginia McKenna, who gives them permission to sail Swallow to nearby Wild Cat island to set up camp. However what they don’t know is that two rival girls and their boat the Amazon have already claimed the island as their own.
 
A BBC adaptation, starring Dan Stevens of Downton Abbey fame, starts filming later this year.
 
The tale evokes a perception of England from a bygone era where children let their imaginations create their own innocent fun.

The film is by Claude Whatham and is out on special edition DVD, Blu-Ray this month.