Charles and Margaret Renold were friends of Arthur Ransome. They discussed with him the plot of Coot Club; but he rejected as "too much like the Swan" Margaret’s idea that the children hunting the Loch Ness monster in the Broads on a homemade raft should find a sunken poacher’s bundle on the riverbed. The Swan and Her Crew was an 1876 book by George Christopher Davies; three boys Frank, Jimmy and Dick spend three weeks cruising the Broads on their distinctive boat the Swan that they have built themselves (CFT p134).
She suggested the idea of a detective story for The Big Six. He dedicated the book to Margaret and Charles Renold, and in letters to Margaret refers to The Big Six as "her book".
He wrote to her in February 1941 that Missee Lee was "growing like a snowball" and has "a Lovely head .... Elegant tail .... but nothing in the middle" (CFT pp 122,123,136,144,145).
The Renolds had a pug William who wrote from Turnfield, Cheadle to Mr Ransum, thanking him for a photo and for his forthcoming appearance in Coot Club. Ransome drew an apologetic Christmas card for them showing William rampant over a copy of Coot Club with the caption "Nobody’s private life is sacred these days" (CFT pp 127,128).
See also[]
- Reynolds family for Vicky and Susan Reynolds