Posted by Peter Ceresole on November 26, 2013 at 08:36:55 user PeterC.
In Reply to: Re: The REAL location of Swallowdale posted by Roger Wardale on November 26, 2013 at 04:00:45:
Wild Cat is unlike Peel Island, Ramp Holme or Blake Holme.
I agree with you in general, especially that the closest you can get is to sources of inspiration for places- except for the exceptions you mention, like the Dog's Home.
But a real problem does crop up with Peel Island. The harbour on the southern end of the island, photographed a million times and clearly visible on Google Maps, is so astonishingly similar (identical?) to AR's depiction and description of it- and so is the general description of the rest of the island, the landing place and the camp site, even though the dimensions might be a bit off, that right from the off (well, the first book) there seems to be a crucially real place in the book, closely following the scene on the very first page, in which Roger tacks up the field which anybody can see any day just by going to http://www.bankground.com/webcam.html and having a look. There's even the gate at the top where Mother waited for him, carrying Vicky. So AR sets the scene with two vividly real places. Since then, Swallowdale does seem to to be the most entirely made-up of the places. I agree with you that I've never seen a convincing match put forward- and you've actually been to look. But recently the inspiration (a painting) for the Beckfoot promontory, complete with flag staff, has been found by a brilliant piece of detective work here, and I remain convinced that the spirit and feeling of warmth of Beckfoot was directly linked to Lanehead, although it certainly wasn't the prototype of Beckfoot itself.
You're right; AR was a novelist, and the essence of novels is that they take place in the universe of the author's head.
But then, of course, towards the end he can throw in a googly like the Dog's Home, stone accurate, so everybody can start looking again.