Posted by Rob Boden on April 01, 2009 at 17:29:05 user humyar.
First to explain that Private Eye is a satirical magazine with a keen sense of topical humour. The latest issue includes a cartoon labelled "First Drafts", and captionned 'Arthur Ransome', with AR sitting at his desk puffing on his pipe, reading what is presumably the first draft of SA.
He is reading a single page which says: "Worried something beastly might happen, Mrs Walker never let the children out of her sight for the duration of the holiday" i.e. a comment on the over-protective society we live in today.
A nice detail - in the background of the cartoon is a window with a view of a lake, with a boat sailing on it. It is raining.
Rob