Some Fretwork and the Interminable Christmas Play at the Chalet School

New girl signing in here. Sorry I'm late, the smalls all had scarlet pox and we've been in isolation for weeks. Then the Doctor said I looked peaky so they packed me off here with Dr's young colleague as an escort. We had a bit of trouble finding you and were having such adventures we may have delayed for a couple of days.

Before I retire quietly into the corner as befits a new girl could someone pm me the shared drive details please.

Just wanted to add, loving the thread hanes, made me laugh and cheered me up.

I like Harriet Walter but I'm not sure about either of the Bunters. I think the first one is too daft & the second one is too young & dashing.

At last! Someone who agrees with me!!! Petherbridge is sooo much better!!

Definitely Edward Petherbridge! He's much more as I imagine Wimsey, Ian Carmichael just comes across as a comedian with nothing more to him IMO.

Do you prefer Ian Carmichael or Edward Petherbridge? DH and I are divided on that one!

Who was it who dressed up as that book for one of the Staff/Sixths' parties?

Peggy Burnett. (I really shouldn't know that without having to check, but apparently I do...)
Thank you all for answers - definitely Whose Body first, then!

In the meantime I am re-reading Regiment in preparation for discussing it in earnest.

Has somebody already PM'd Rosalie the onedrive details?

[goes to download Whose Body?] Who was it who dressed up as that book for one of the Staff/Sixths' parties?

I'm working my way through DLS having started with the later ones so will need to re-read at some point. Figuring out what must have happened previously is half the fun of a series - I have fond memories of trawling all local fetes in my childhood hoping to find a Chalet book I didn't already have, often having to sellotape pages in. And later stalking WHSmith and finding later ones in Armada (and finally being a teenager too embarrassed to buy them, so just furtively reading the last half-dozen in the shop).

Whose Body is only 99p on kindle...it's now next on my list to read (if I ever finish Ruey which is about three times as long in the non Armada version).

By the way - the expedition has now been rescued. Apparently I was carried down the mountain, undressed, bathed, dressed and given special milk all without waking up nothing sinister at all about that then.

Definitely start with Whose Body. I always read mine in order. My favourite is The Nine Tailors which was the first one I read thanks to Nicola Marlow!!!!

Nell Murder Must Advertise is my favourite, and not a bad start. But I would start with Whose Body and have Harriet to look forward to.

Not to worry Primrose I think you'll find that bright and early tomorrow a handsome young doctor will come striding and yodelling along the path, will express his surprise at finding you, and his admiration for you plucky girls having spent the night in such appalling conditions, and before you know it you'll all be laughing about what perfect frights you must all have looked with straw in your hair! Like scarecrows no doubt.

Have either you or Northernlurker remembered to sprain your ankle so that you can bravely attempt to walk on it, before fainting clean away, so that the doctor can carry you in his strong arms? This is a 2 for 1, either he'll fall in love with the fainter, or he'll go for the junior mistress who so effectively manages the tired and weary girls on their long climb down after their trying ordeal. Either way ladies, one night in the hay and the jobs a good'un

Ooh Nell I love a bit of Dorothy Sayers!! Both are strong contenders. I would start with Whose Body just to give you an idea of classic LPW (very Bertie Wooster as a character, but better written IMO), knowing that Harriet Vane is waiting for you I haven't read one for ages! Must dust one off when I'm back from hols (or just get a kindle one tomorrow..)

May I also have the drive details please?

Help! On expedition with Northerlurker and the seniors and an avalanche has triggered a glacier to slip and collapse on top of the hut we managed to shelter in. We are currently surviving on melted chocolate, snow and the pounds of dried fruit we'd all forgotten we had until a moment ago. Please send handsome doctors asap and prepare the special milk.

Not strictly school story related, but somehow I think there's enough overlap for people on this thread to be able to answer it.
I want to try Dorothy Sayers: Do I want to start with Whose Body (ie. the first Lord Peter Wimsey one) or do I want to skip straight to Strong Poison (ie. the first Harriet Vane one)?

(Or should I just not bother at all, given there are still Gladys Mitchells and Josephine Teys I've not read yet?)

Ah, you'll be fine Northern, as long as you've got your trusty Guide cord!

I'm fine and perky thanks. Adjusting my well cut skirt and looking trig in my jumper-blouse.
Did have a disturbed night as one of the Middles was frightened by some smoked bacon and sleep walked in on a burglar who then climbed out on to the roof to save the school cat and was revealed to be the henchman of the princess's uncle. Still it all got sorted in twenty minutes and some special milk sent me straight off.
Bit concerned am not engaged yet but I'll take the Seniors out for an expedition to the EDGE OF A GLACIER this afternoon. What could possibly go wrong?

(Everything)

The Bluebell Railway also does a WWII day, which I did with ds when he was in his WWII obsessed phase. He looked very cute with his braces and jumper and gas mask case. He was filthy by the end of it, but he would be filthy if he'd spent the day sitting still in a bad of roses. Dd1 otoh used to come out of playing in mud in a white dress with a slight mark at the top of one sock... I obviously haven't trained ds right.

Glory hole was a common term in my childhood (1950s/60s), just meaning a messy storage space.

Gosh. I am still rather about it all. I mean, all the marvelling at erections and stuff - I can see the pun, but plenty of times I've just skimmed straight over it, knowing the intended meaning, not even noticing the puerile interpretation until someone else has mentioned it. Glory-hole is a step too far for me though! I genuinely can't quite fathom exactly what it means in this context - it's a place filled with excellent stuff, like the cupboard? Or it's a place where you have fun, like the school-room?

In theory I am willing to accept the abundant evidence (on this thread) that it had a different meaning. In my heart, it is still as jarring as Michael Gove's hilarious application of "slut-shaming" and I can't help thinking of it as a weird and wonderful misuse of a very wrong word!

My Nana had a glory hole AKA cupboard crammed with stuff! She was distinctly non-chalet school type so it must have been a fairly common term.

Ooh, Visions, you've reminded me that my university had a genuine smelly yurt for a while. (V in keeping with the earnest lefty hippy ethos of the place. Quite possibly there would have been a department of Mongoliology or similar.) I am not quite sure what it was there for as I wasn't yet a student at the time - I was still at my previous uni next door, from where we spotted it and crept in one evening in a state of merriment. It was empty, and smelly. No pretty cretonnes bespattered with mushy peas or broccoli. Nor even any wide shelves to keep Sunday hats on.