Some Fretwork and the Interminable Christmas Play at the Chalet School

The thing I always wonder about is whether Janie Steps In was actually written years before it was published... I think it was published around about 1953 which is obviously long after she'd integrated it with the Chalet School. I think Nan Blakeney's wedding happens around at the time of Gay from China - but Nan doesn't seem relevant to anything at all until you read Janie Steps In. Am I mistaken somewhere?
I didn't read any of the LR titles at all until I'd read the entire CS series much of it several times over and I think I was expecting it to be more neatly tied together as a single series than it really is. That's not a complaint btw... it just wasn't quite what I expected.

Ooh - hadn't realised that the Heather one was a La Rochelle...will download that next. Ruey is one of my favourites (I think because it's one I had as a child). There's a lot about Francie Wilford who's a bit more interesting than many characters, and the whole space flight thing. And - another Armada edit I've just come across - Francie narrowly escapes being dosed with special milk (matron doesn't hear her awake as she's fallen down the stairs earlier, but if she was there she'd have 'given her a dose'). Made me smile!

I found the CS / La Rochelle crossover aspect interesting. There's a bit where baby Vi is described as having a red nose, and I found myself thinking 'well she won't thank you for telling everyone about that' struggling to remember it isn't real

What else even happens in Ruey, apart from a lacrosse match and a whole chapter devoted to pondering the design of the new school uniform? And details of wide shelves for Sunday hats, obv.

My favourite LR is Maids, but I think that's missing from the onedrive. I really liked Janie of, too. I haven't read Janeways but now v much want to!

I just popped in to share my amusement at an autocorrect my phone just tried to help with: I was typing 'sins'. Phone thought we'd do much better with 'sonsy'.

A Thrilling Term at Janeways - yes, I've read it. It is, um, peculiar. I love it for the names - twins Melody and Harmony, and a family of Phils - dad Philip, mum Phyllis, daughters Philippa, Phyllida, Philomena, Philomela and Philadelphia. Utterly bonkers! I can't remember much about the actual plot, though. I think someone finds treasure near the end. It is preferable to Caroline the Second, the sequel, which has even less in the way of a coherent plot.

Did you read Heather Leaves School, Primrose? If you haven't, do! It's my favourite La Rochelle.

The shared drive is amazing! Enjoyed the two La Rochelle ones on there (though not a lot actually seems to happen beyond weddings and babies). However, anyway else read 'A Thrilling Term at Janeways'? Does it get better? What I've read so far seems totally bonkers (and I am v. tolerant of plots that others deem bonkers normally).

Now started on Ruey as that's where I'm up to in my re-read of the whole series. I hadn't realised the cuts were quite so frequent. I feel my knowledge of the dorms is complete now I know there's a wide shelf for their Sunday hats (only read first couple of chapters so far - so may find even more dramatic cuts later on).

Disappointed to hear that Joey is still being dosed with special milk. Are we sure she's not busy?

My father and evil stepmother have dragged me to Mongolia on a top-secret diplomatic mission and now tell me I have to come to your poxy school I'm sure I'll hate it as I've been expelled from every school I've attended for disobedience and attempts to corrupt younger girls with my Lady Chatterley's Lover reading group.

Who is this Joey woman everyone keeps talking about, I'm sure she's ghastly.

I've PM'd you lola.

I'd love the shared drive details as well please. The only file I have is Three Go, which I will contribute if you don't have it but I imagine it's already on there

Out of my way, everyone, I'm sheepdogging all the new girls just to make sure of my invitation to Freudesyurt next weekend. Mind you, won't dear Jo have to stay in bed for at least a month after she gets here? She's had all the fuss and worry of bringing the children across two continents with only the faithful Anna and five former Chaletians now in their 20s to help her. I know the children were all semi-comatose on special milk most of the way, but it's still a lot to cope with and you know how highly-strung Jo is, bless the girl. Looks like none of us will get to see Freudesyurt for a while, worse luck.

I'm off to catch and tame a horse so that I can play polocrosse with the trips. Tally-ho!

Freudesyurt.

Oh good. So glad Joey's found out where we are. Do you think all us new girls will be invited to her Freudesyurt to drink real English tea and bath the babies? Please say she'll sing too.

Of course Witchend.
Naturally they and Joey will be there as the SAN is moving to Mongolia because of Brexit.
That means there will soon be lots of handsome doctors to pick up people who fall of horses.Also Joey will be speaking the local language fluently two days after she arrives.

The usual rules apply so no under 14s will be allowed to play. Except the trips, who naturally will be able to because they've entered the seniors aged 6years and 2 months except Margot who is terribly behind because she's only 2 years above where she should be. But she'd be upset at being left out so she can play too.

Shared drive details for me too please.
I know how to play polocrosse, which is like lacrosse on horseback. Lessons start next week so please avail yourself of a horse each.
The usual rules apply so no under 14s will be allowed to play.

Ooh, could I please have the shared drive details, that sounds simpler than the emails back in the day! I'm not sure I have anything especially hard to find, but will happily contribute if I do

I shall go and collect me ants.

The sixth have organised such a fun evening for us. Can't wait to get threading 100s of needles or picking up peas with chopsticks. I'm sure we will all end up in such a fit of giggles we'll fall off the chairs. Or maybe that's the effect of Matey's special milk?

Well, I seem to be in courgette with Clem as dormyurt prefect. A bit wooried though, as the yurt doesn't seem to have a balcony so I don't know what I should do with the plummeaux (sp?) thingy? I haven't seen matey yet either - anyone know whether we've got the proper one or one that needs to be suppressed?

Also, thanks to Princess for the shared drive details and to anyone who's contributed to it. Nearly finished Janie of La Rochelle and enjoying it (though a bit puzzled to be nearly at the end with no avalanches or special milk).

Ah, as I suspected then Emily

I'm rather good at knitting. I thought I'd make some bits in a nice lime green to brighten up the dormtent. There appears to be room in samphire so I'll nab a cubey in there (as matey seems to be awol). Has someone already got the window?

Don't cry, Witchend, your ants are nice and safe on the hard drive, EmilyAlice said so. The hard drive, however, is looking a bit munched.

Welcome, JasperDamerel, you remind me of someone. It must be that quaint way you have of shrugging your shoulders and saying 'Mon dieu' at the start of every sentence despite never having learned a word of French. It's weirdly familiar though I can't quite place it at the moment. I'm sure it'll come to me.

Girls, such a strange thing happened. I had to go back to Mushy Pea this morning to fetch a clean hanky because terrible things happen to girls who don't have a clean hanky and half the staff was there using our juniper-fermenting machine. They were singing a song with words I didn't recognise, but it wasn't The Red Sarafan or Parry's England or even the beautiful old Adeste Fideles, so I don't know what it was. It seemed to have something to do with the visit of JasperDamerel's brother but of course it would have been dishonourable to listen so I legged it.

Also, I have never understood what the interest is in a scrapbook. Made by someone else. It's been bothering me for years and I would love to find out what I'm missing!

So glad I found this thread! I was on one years ago before I went to work succumbed to a terrible chill from standing in an open door and became incredibly delicate. I'm now about to be very busy again, so have some time to indulge - hurrah!
However, I suffered two huge CS traumas this year. Firstly, we had a bastard moth infestation, and they have nibbled the corners of Two Sams, which it turns out is practically impossible to replace for under £60, I could cry! The other ones they got was stuff like Eustacia, so that was fairly easy to sort out. Thankfully the three 1st Eds I have are stored somewhere else, otherwise I could have fallen into a dead faint and had to be sung back to life! Secondly, I had all the unabridged pdfs on my Kindle, transferred and deleted off my laptop, and my bastard Kindle gave up the ghost!! They were emailed to me by a lovely MNer in the days before pleurisy and pneumonia struck. This is incredibly cheeky, but does anyone still have the great PDF email please?

I think I'm in Broccoli too.
I've bought a Didgeridoo to play. It makes a sound like a cow lowing in pain. Can't wait to try it on the echoes.

You can join me in spinach if you like...but I suspect all the cool girls are in mushy pea... I am learning saxophone for the band...