Marathon readers hoping that the lake will freeze

Fans of the Swallows and Amazons writer Arthur Ransome will gather at the Windermere Jetty Museum in the new year to celebrate another of his children’s classic stories.

A group of around 30 people will take part in the marathon reading of Winter Holiday, an adventure tale in which the children skate and sledge on the frozen lake and plan an expedition to the “North Pole”.

The event has been organised by the team that previously held marathon readings of Swallows and Amazons on the shore of Coniston, and Pigeon Post at the YHA Coppermines hostel.

During lockdown last year they created an online marathon reading of another Ransome story, The Picts and the Martyrs.

Reading Swallows and Amazons

The Jetty Museum holds a number of exhibits relating to Ransome’s work, including the steamship Esperance, currently under renovation, which was the author’s inspiration for Captain Flint’s houseboat in the stories.

“It’s an ideal location for the reading of this story,” said organiser Chris Routledge. “We couldn’t get any closer to the shore of the lake where the story is set and we are really grateful to Lakeland Arts for hosting us here. Though it’s probably unlikely that Windermere will freeze over to provide the perfect setting.”

Windermere Jetty Museum

He added: “This is a wonderful tale of frozen wastes, icebound ships, seals and explorers. The Swallows, the Amazons, and the D’s plan to set out for the North Pole, in the footsteps of Nansen and Peary. Of course nothing goes quite as planned, but as always turns out better than expected.”

Previous marathons have attracted readers who included actors from both film versions of Swallows and Amazons, writers, broadcasters, and Ransome fans of all ages. There’s still a few chapters to be allocated so if you’d like to take part, fill in the form at https://ifnotduffers.org/winter-holiday/  The event, supported by the Arthur Ransome Society,  takes place on Sunday January 30.

Adventure time in the garden of Eden

A family-friendly weekend festival of music, activities and adventure returns to the banks of the River Eden next summer.

The Eden Escape Festival will be held at Mains Farm, Kirkoswald, in the northern Lake District at the end of May.

Staged at a farm camp site which already has pods, tipis and bunk rooms for hire, the festival promises a real escape from the ordinary, a time to get away from it all, spend time together outdoors, getting active and enjoying great company and great food.

There’s lots of activities on offer including fitness classes for all levels and abilities, yoga workshops, massage therapies, adventure films, music, campfires, swimming in the river, street food and a market-place.

There’s a big barn for music, and films to be shown by Kendal Mountain Festival as well as inspirational speakers, a host of skills workshops such as night navigation  and map reading , Nordic walking, and a lots of activities for children.

Accommodation can be booked in the pods, tipis and bunk-rooms, but visitors can also bring their own tents and campervans and there are plenty of hot showers. Onsite catering is provided by local food outlets, and there’s a bar.

As well as a weekend full of outdoor activities the organisers, Fox Red events, also promise a chance to get your dancing shoes on with a 80’s theme party on Saturday night.

“We want to show that you can have an adventure without doing something extreme, like going off to climb Kilimanjaro,” said co-organiser Wiz Lees, who is a personal trainer and fitness instructor. ‘’We want to give you a taster of some of the awesome things that are available to you, right on your doorstep’’.  She and Leigh-Ann Newburn staged the festival initially in 2019, but had to cancel last summer because of the pandemic. 

“Making an adventure can be something you can do without having to travel far. This is beautiful countryside, with the chance to have mini-adventures, learn something new – or just chill out for the whole weekend.”

The dates are May 27-29 and bookings can be made now at https://www.edenescapefest.co.uk/