English school holidays issued with a penalty notice whenever they take their children on holiday during term time without getting authorisation from the school. Penalty notices can be issued by local councils, headteachers (including deputy and assistant heads authorised by them) and the police. Generally, schools will agree to no more than 10 school days of absence in any school year. The Swallows and Amazons series of children’s novels by Arthur Ransome are all set in the school holidays, generally the long (August) summer holidays although some are set in Easter or winter. For example, in "Pigeon Post", he wrote: "Term time was
Swallows and Amazons Forever! (father of Tom) and Frank Farland (father of the twins) plus in "Coot Club" five obnoxious adults in a motor cruiser, the "Margoletta" who are called the Hullabaloos by the children. Despite the title, Ramsome's other groups of children the Swallows and the Amazons do not appear. A Puffin paperback with the same title was published in 1983; it is a condensation of Coot Club (omitting the postscript) and The Big Six.(omittiing 7 chapters). It was reissued as a Red Fox paperback in 1993 with the title "Swallows and Amazons for Ever!" Swallows and Amazons Forever! Swallows and Amazons Forever!