...in which we descend upon Coniston Water to talk all things Ransome with lifelong Swallows and Amazons devotees Paul Flint and Geraint Lewis. Embarking from Bank Ground – a familiar location to the young Arthur – we journey past springtime Brantwood before crossing to Coniston on Gondola – one of the inspirations for Captain Flint's houseboat. As we travel, we learn about formative Nibthwaite holidays in which Ransome fell in love with Lakeland; we talk about the Great Freeze of 1895, which an unhappy schoolboy was to return to with nostalgia in Winter Holiday; we discuss Russian adventures and the lure of Bohemia; and we discover why lifelong wanderer Ransome – who suffered ill health for much of his adult life – never quite found home. We close, besides Titty's grave, hearing a favourite Ransome excerpt from each of our guests.
Paul and Geraint are trustees of the Arthur Ransome Trust. You can find out more about their work at arthur-ransome-trust.org.uk
The exhibition 'Swallows and Amazons as Seen from Abroad' will run at Brantwood Saturday 18 June – Tuesday 9 August.
An App featuring locations from the novels will soon available via arthur-ransome-trust.org.uk
