To wonder whether you'd prefer to go to Malory Towers or the Chalet School

[Vintagejazz]

I just heard to girls about 11 years of age having an earnest discussion about this on the bus. I didn't think kids even read Chalet School books any more.
I think I'd opt for Malory Towers. They seemed to have more fun. I'd probably be expelled from the Chalet School for cursing, wearing lipstick and forgetting to speak German every Wednesday or whatever it was.

[Spottybra]

Barbie doll. Had to correct the autocorrect from barbie to Barbour, then it turns into Barrie? Wtf? I don't know a Barry!

[ChocolateWombat]

Malory Towers. I wouldn't be friends with Gwen though. And I think I would be Head Girl instead of Darrell.

[petrova]

Chalet School - ski -ing, cream cakes, colourful glasses at the table , swimming in the lake, hot summers ......and travelling abroad . Wins hands down. Not sure if I would have been caught up in Joey's spell ,with her inability to grow up and smug, interfering nature , but I would have liked to have been friends with Len. Margot too naughty and Con was a bit of a drip. I'm an identical twin - would that have made iot easier to fit in?

[DorisAllTheDay]

Chalet School when it was in the Tirol and they spent Sundays listening to the Tzigane in local cafes. Before Joey grew up and became all bossy and interfering, and before they had to march everywhere in silence. I'm a bit worried about the risk factor, but I suppose I wouldn't be either the reckless, heedless type who went out in snowstorms or the brave type who did the rescuing, so maybe I'd have been alright.

I'm also surprised, OP, at the conversation you overheard. The books were old-fashioned by the time I was reading them in the 70s. What on earth do today's generations make of them?

[Bettercallsaul1]

Hogwarts! (Non-magical schools are so passe)

[EmpressOfJurisfiction]

Chalet School, definitely. I'm not nearly sporty enough for Malory Towers.

[meditrina]

Chalet School.

Though I suspect that their uniform would look rather like that of Hill House (orange/brown knickerbockers).

[EmilyAlice]

Chalet School for me as long as I don't have to go to Oberammagau and come over all funny.
Mind you my school had brown and flame (well more apricot) uniform and we had to wear brown flannel knickers with pockets in.
Why do you need pockets in your knickers? My sister used to put things she didn't like from school lunch in hers. That must have got her into trouble with the prefects.

[Spottybra]

Joey grew up in the chalet school books? When? Clearly I didn't read all of them.

[WilsonFrickett]

Chalet school. They give kids coffee! Imagine the carnage.

Although I'd have to buck the trend and not marry a doctor when I was 17. I think the only other option that leaves me is being a nun?

[slev]

Wasnt the tidal causeway run to the island thing Trebizon? Chalet School for me too, I was always must upset that my parents didn't want to pack me of to boarding school. Although Malory Towers wouldn't have been a bad second - but I worry that I'm actually Darrell Rivers in disguise and wouldn't want to have it proved!

[Spottybra]

EmilyAlice - pockets in knickers are for things you don't want people (the grown ups to find) such as money, poker chips and condoms.

[slev]

spottybra she never left! You've barely scratched the surface of you've only read the ones with Joey as a schoolgirl. I think by the end she had about 12 children, and even did of those are nearly grown up by the final books!

[Tenrec]

Chalet School, although it seems kind of dangerous

[joanofarchitrave]

Malory Towers, on the principle that I know far too much about the Chalet School. Cold baths, people. Cold baths. Every morning.

Don't tell me MT also requires them?

Anyway, in reality, Kingscote.

[Spottybra]

I'm off to ruin my chalet school memories and figure out which ones i need to read. That will keep me busy until DH is home on Friday.

[starfishmummy]

I wanted to be a Swallow as in Swallows and Amazons....they never seemed to go to school!!

[Darmok]

Kingscote is so sporty too...

Chalet School for me, no one checks you'd actually had a cold bath do they?
Except they're always eating veal.
Hmm.
But Darrell and co - such bullies!

[meditrina]

11 children: Len, Con, Margot, Stephen, Charles, Michael, Felix, Felicity, Cecil, Geoffrey, Philippa.

[hels71]

The chalet school without a doubt. one of my favorite day dreams as a child involved going to the Chalet School!!
I reckon the mountains, cream cakes and fabulous sounding trips outweigh the cold baths!!

Mind you.....Kingscote sounds good too as long as I can be friends with Nicola and Miranda!

The run ti the island was in one of the Trebizon books. And they were followed by Holly, a first former, who got them all in trouble and made Sue's boyfriend dump her. (I am such a sad person!!)

I also quite like the idea of Tremaynes and being friends with Merry!
(Do I read too many of these books??)

[Rabbitcar]

DD1 seemed to enjoy the first eleven in the series, then decided that they were all the same and slightly odd. I LOVED them! Tho the girls did seem to faint at any over exertion which was strange.

[EmpressOfJurisfiction]

A lot of them did have connections with the San though - maybe that explains the fainting.

[Delphiniumsblue]

Chalet school- loved it! (I must read as an adult and see if it is as remembered).

[lessonsintightropes]

Definitely Chalet School for me, but only in the Tyrol days as PP had commented. I wouldn't mind a hunky doctor from the san