Some Fretwork and the Interminable Christmas Play at the Chalet School

Nothing obvious has happened in response to the @username thing. What's supposed to happen?

I wish my hair grew to below my waist. The longest it's ever got is about bra strap length and it was so straggly and crap. One of my friends used to have very long thick ginger hair - she didn't cut it very often and it would get about hip-length and then she would have it hacked off to waist level and leave it for another few months. I often wondered how long it would get if she just left it. I seem to recall Laura Ingalls having knee-length hair.

I also need to post you some books back. Sorry @TooExtraImmatureCheddar (what's this about a new hashtag thing?) - I will post them this weekend.

Don't worry about it! Were they the Abbey ones - did I send you School By The River or not? Will PM my address but there's no rush.

Loan out copies 😮😮😮. Oh my goodness I COMPLETELY FORGOT I borrowed several books from Cheddar which must be in one of the unpacked boxes. I am clearly as heedless as a schoolgirl. I am so sorry - can you please PM me your address to return them? @TooImmatureCheddar
(trying out the new hashtag thing)

Yes, and we could have a boring paper game where you have to list every CS Old Girl with hair past her waist/knees - why are there so many of them?!

Re: the encyclopaedias. I have 3.5 of them (the last one is hopefully in the post on its way to me!) - I'm not sure I would really recommend them, in spite of this thoroughness.

The actual encyclopaedia bit (as in the alphabetical entries) are all the characters ever ever ever - basically compiling every semi-significant mention they ever get, in chronological order. I do find this useful for fic purposes in particular, and it's also good for when you can't remember what book something happens in, and it's amusing to note how many references there are to the Abbess' eyes which have never needed glasses etc, but I think a lot of this could also be answered through these threads and/or google.
The character entries are broken up with short articles which are probably very interesting but I confess I've hardly ever read any of them. I think there are probably 3-4 such articles per volume.

There are lots of lovely pictures included (illustrations from the books - all B&W) but they're not labelled and it's not always obvious from the surrounding text which book they're from, which can be frustrating!

Happy to loan out my copies by post if you want to see before you buy...

In my Headmistress theme, Madge will teach you what "heiliges wasser" means, and how to get your hair shampooed under stress. Mademoiselle Lepattre will...um...shriek at the sight of your severed plait?

Roll up, roll up! Have your hair done by a headmistress! The Abbess will give you a nifty new do; whereas Bill will show you how to arrange your tresses a la poudre.

Mornington, I haven't bought the Encyclopaedia because I strongly suspect that between the lot of us on this thread we know just about every fact that might be in it. Although maybe it has background to random things mentioned by EBD. I don't know!

Thanks for all the recommendations / reviews. I think I'll go for one of the Bettany ones next as they seem to be available on Amazon.

Now - items for the hair themed sale. Is hats stretching a point too far? I thought I'd knit lots of bobble hats in lime green? What do you think?

I'm tempted by your offer of Marsala dorm, EmilyAlice, but I hear Mary-Lou's going to be your dormy pre, and you know how awfully on the spot she is. Meanwhile I'm working on my latest game, pin the pony-tail on Len. It's going to be masses of fun and I'm sure it won't bring back any traumatic memories of the catastrophe late unpleasantness.

I keep meaning to ask, has anyone bought the Chalet School Encyclopedia? I keep seeing it on the GGBP website and momentarily being tempted but then I wonder a) what would I actually use it for, and b) might I end up using it a bit too much and getting truly fixated? Has anyone seen/bought it, and if so, what do you think? I see it runs to four volumes!!

Oh, yeah - I also agree re: Hilda Annersley: Headmistress. Very well worth a read, but would have benefited enormously from a more robust edit.

I appear to share an office with Matron Webb. I am remembering what Shakespeare said about a woman's voice...

I agree about the prequels - I loved both of them. I also enjoyed Guides and Peace and I liked Hilda Annersley - Headmistress but it's published by someone else (not Girls Gone By) with much poorer editing so you have to switch off the part of your brain that screams in agony when a comma should have been a full stop cares about punctuation.

For some odd reason the owners of the ApartHotel resort next door vacated as soon as they knew we were coming, and their little place is perfect for la Bella Villa Maynardi. There's bags of space for radio parties and some excellent floors for slidey mats. I've bagged a bed in the new annex, Cosa Nostra - is that where the Olive clan are setting up their dormy? We can hump the kapok by day and enjoy the fruits of the distillery by night...

Some wizard ideas for the Sale already, keep them coming.

I really really liked both the prequels too (and noticed that Home Front is still available from GGBP, when I went on their website last night to, um, order the new fill-in anyway).

I also loved A Chalet School Headmistress which is set in the term that Nell Wilson is head while Miss Annersley is injured. That's definitely out of print and tends to go for ridiculously high prices - I had to sadly sell my own copy a while back and I wish I still had it. Really hoping they'll publish it again.
Likewise I really enjoyed Peace Comes to the Chalet School but it's also out of print and expensive.

I was pleasantly surprised by CGGU if I remember correctly - was prepared for it to be dreadful, but it didn't ruin 'my' CS view at all, it's got a lot of similar ideas to those we've discussed on these threads before or which come up in fanfics etc and some of those really resonate. I won't read it again I don't think, because it's more unrelenting misery than I'd personally choose in any book, and I can see how rubbish it would be to pick it up expecting an EBD-style gentle continuation of the series, but if you know what you're getting yourself in for I don't think it's necessarily One To Avoid At All Costs.

Ah, yes, Humping the Kapok fair brings a tear to the eye. As I'm sure you've noticed. Is everyone from Mushy Pea going to be in Olive dormy this term by the way? Only I need to find my trunk, I hope it's got here safely...

Guides was good, actually, I found the history of Guiding in it interesting (and accurate) - although the only other fill-in I've read is Grow Up, which I thought deserved burning as it totally didn't fit the ethos of the CS - although reading it with a slightly more adult, cynical eye, it's pretty spot on.

Deira is up next, but I've been sidetracked by The Ballet Family which I also got for Christmas and am enjoying immensely :o

Primrose...My favourite fill ins are The Bettany's on the Home Front and the Bettany's of Taverton High, both by Helen Barber. Not sure if they are still available...they are prequels to School.

Yes, they need to hump their mattress and throw their plumeaux over the balcony to air!

Anyone remember Humping the Kapok from an earlier thread?

May I be the first to say that something about these new School/San buildings smells a bit fishy?

Any news from the cave? I keep having visions of Jo emerging followed by a line of sweetly pretty quins, all with different coloured curls and eyes, pearly teeth and trained to absolute obedience despite being 3 days old.

Do you think these people need to be spoken to by Matey to clear up the bed airing arrangements?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2817714--to-let-the-bed-air?trending=1

Can I be in Olive dorm this time please?

I have a wizard ideas for a competition. We can all do our hair in the same style then have our picture taken from behind and everyone will have to guess who's who. We'll all be falling about and clutching our sides with mirth .

Bella villa Maynardi had better be close by I'm afraid. Remember what happens in Island - she gets herself shipwrecked and has to stay at the actual school.

Glad I didn't buy Juniors on the basis of the reviews so far. Difficult Term is OK so far though I've not read much yet. Any other really good fill-ins that I should buy with Xmas money? I've got Champion, Librarian, Visitors.

How are the baby angels? All recovered?

Hmm. Very tempted to save my money, then.

Trying to picture Dr Jack moving into cosmetic surgery following the advent of (?? antibiotics? is that what would have put TB hospitals like the Swiss San out of business?). Not sure how that would sit with the family ethics of good looks being gifts from God etc, but I suppose he would be able to offer such delights as "eyes like pansies" and a chin that communicates character.

Dd2 got Juniors for Christmas and I agree with the comments above.
Enjoyed it but not one I'd read again.
They seemed to resolve from gilt only, which made me suspect if the person had agreed as they wanted that they'd have had similar groans the next term about it.