A MILNTHORPE business will be ensuring thirsts are quenched at a marathon read this summer.

Clocktower, a kitchen appliance firm, will be at the Swallows and Amazons read at Coniston, providing a supply of tea and coffee for the team of readers and visitors to the event.

But fans of the story might be disappointed to learn that there will not be a billy-can kettle over an open camp fire.

“That’s the way I’d love to do it,” said Tom Harvey, owner of the business. “But we wouldn’t be able to keep up with demand. There will be more than 30 readers and a great many visitors, so we will have to use modern electric kettles.”

His Milnthorpe-based company will also provide an endless supply of teabags.

The event, to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of the author, Arthur Ransome, will take place at Coniston on September 3.

A number of celebrity readers have already signed up to take part including actors from two film versions, the screenplay writer, and a descendant of the poet William Wordsworth.

It is expected that the book’s 31 chapters will take around nine hours to read.