This is my favorite. Or at least, it has been on every previous read. Either way, a top five for sure. It would be impossible to put my finger on exactly why, although I think the fact that there is only one book remaining that takes place on the lake, and that one without the Swallows, and in it the Amazons are virtually prisoners has a lot to do with it. The Picts and the Martyrs, being largely focused on Dick and Dorothea, I find to be very low-key... or at least that's how I recall it. They even live in a sort of a house! It's been a long time though, we'll see how it tickles me this time around. (From the future: I liked it more than I remembered - there was a lot of good Nancy and Peggy stuff in it).

Pigeon Post is something of a farewell to grand adventure around the lake for me, and the lake books are the ones I enjoyed the most, or at least the ones that are the most emotionally evocative. In retrospect it's somewhat surprising how little time Swallow and Amazon spend sailing around on the lake together, but as I have noted, there are gaps left in the narration where they would have done so, e.g. after moving from Swallowdale to Wild Cat Island, or in fact after the activities documented in Pigeon Post.

I like the mystery of Squashy Hat, I like the idea of Titty in triumph over her internal fears dowsing to find the well and thus she saves the expedition. I personally loved 'mining' when I was a kid (and a couple of years ago took my kids to a few well known 'occurrences' where minerals can be found on or close to the surface here in Ontario; we returned with many crystals and interesting minerals), and having old workings to scratch around in makes the mining aspect both plausible and interesting. I loved Dick's contributions in terms of the wiring of the pigeon door (and it awakened in me a similar interest in simple circuits back when I read it the first time) and the geological processing both. This really was Dick's book to shine.

I also feel that Pigeon Post gives all characters real impact. Well, Peggy and Susan and to an extent Dorothea are minor players, but Titty, Roger and Dick all have major roles in this one. Which is nice for a change, as naturally the older kids do tend to have more impact.

Benign misunderstandings have always been a narrative tool that I appreciate; they add some uncertainty without real stress or danger, and the way Timothy's identity is misconstrued, and he is turned into the 'villain', and the subplot of the animal, are compelling and funny.

In addition to the mining, we do get some sailing, and we see bicycles used, and the cast performs a real service for the community in the fire fighting. The Swallows and Ds, visitors to the lake, are becoming well-known friends of the community, and the locals are (hopefully) seeing in the Blackett girls some development of responsibility. The explored map of the area around the lake expands significantly.

AR thanking Miss Nancy Blackett for the improved artwork is nice. The dedication to Oscar Gnosspelius is a hint that Squashy Hat is modeled on a real person, Oscar having been a civil engineer who advised Ransome on mining for the book. 'Strickland Junction', where Titty and Roger loose the first pigeon, is reportedly based on real-life Oxenholme Lake District station, about 20 miles from Bowness-on-Windermere aka Rio.

We learn that the lake is closer to John and Susan's schools than it is to Titty and Roger's. "It had been a long day's journey from the south" (p7) for Titty and Roger. I believe the train deposits them at a station near the North Pole, for Rattletrap turns left and then shortly arrives at Rio for a sail across the lake. We do see a station there in other books' maps, I believe.

This is one year after Swallowdale. As normal, unless we know otherwise we will increment all ages at the beginning of summer holidays (Susan incremented at New Year's). Jackson's farm (Holly Howe) has different guests, so for the first two weeks the Swallows are staying at Beckfoot (as are the Ds) and Swallow herself is unavailable, being presumably for the use of guests staying at the farm.

• John: 14
• Nancy: 14
• Susan: 13
• Peggy: 13
• Dorothea: 12
• Titty: 11
• Dick: 11
• Roger: 9

Day	Major events	Night spent at
1	Titty and Roger arrive Ds arrived previous day	Beckfoot
2	Consulting Slater Bob Negotiation with Mrs Blackett	Beckfoot
3	Pioneers go scouting Dick builds a bell Shopping in Rio Finishing Timothy's hutch	Beckfoot
4	Shifting camp to Tyson's	Tyson's
5	Prospecting	Tyson's
6	Prospecting Dowsing trials	Tyson's
7	Prospecting Titty finds water	Tyson's
8	Digging the well	Tyson's
9	Shifting camp	High Topps camp (New Camp?)
10	Squashy's paint Prospecting	New Camp
11	Roger finds gold	New Camp
12	Mining	New Camp / The Gultch
13	Mining ABs through Ling Scar	New Camp / The Gultch
14	Shopping in Rio Cutting wood	New Camp
15	Making charcoal	New Camp
16	Smelting	New Camp (smelting)
17	Failure! More mining Napping Dick to Beckfoot Fire!	New Camp

On the first night, as they lay in their tents, Titty said to Roger, "This time last night we were still at school." I often find myself thinking the same thing at the end of a full day away from home, whether it be in international travel or simply a camping trip. At the beginning of adventures, it can be amazing how much can change so quickly.

I had always wondered why the 'gold', when melted, burned and decomposed. Here is the answer: All Things Ransome.

Closing thoughts.

I so much enjoy Nancy's interactions with her mother.

I always requested my mother to buy me squashed fly biscuits, like the kids ate; I learn now, thanks to wikipedia, that they are known as Garibaldi biscuits. I should buy some.

As is often the case the story ends in the middle. We know that there is no more reason for everyone to stay at High Topps, and it has been more than two weeks since we were told Holly Howe had other visitors for two weeks, so presumably Mrs Walker is at Holly Howe soon, and in fact on the last day Nancy says "We'll have two boats again when Mrs. Walker comes..." (p428), so we know she is still not there yet, but when she arrives and Swallow is once more available the encampment would move to Wild Cat Island for up to another four weeks of adventure on the high seas, in which we can imagine that the Ds will crew on Amazon. Another story left untold...

And now we are away for four books of adventure elsewhere before we return to the lake for the last time, although we do have what there is of Coots in the North should we choose to count it. Next up, We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea, which as I recall was my father's favorite because it was the most realistic, he felt, although he also liked Great Northern? a lot. I am more the romantic, and prefer the fantasy and imagination of Pigeon Post and Secret Water.