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.

Last night I started to read new girl with Melanie Lucas, who turns out to be a niece of Jeanne Le Cadoulet, Irma sees the resemblance as does Joey. Exactly the same plot as Robin and Adrienne.

Love the fact that's it's the throwing up the hands in a French gesture that uncovers the secrets.

Incidentally Irma tells Joey she's been married 7 years and has 4 children and hints at a pregnancy.

What the Tyrol really needed was a bloody good Sexual health clinic where doctors from the San were banned.

You're right, DeWee - it's in Shocks. It begins with having the staff dress up as book titles, goes on to dumping everyone's shoes on the floor and making them find their own, then matching paper and envelopes (?), then Find Your Colleagues' Pants, then Identify Prefects as Babies, then Eat a Crab Apple Without Making a Face, then Follow My Leader (with handsprings). Sheesh.

Ah right shocks it is. Joey arrives at the end with her brand new twins.

What those mistresses needed was wine!!!

Exactly thebody, cooped up in a school all week and can't even go to the pub on a Saturday night and get off their faces have a little time away from the pupils.

I bloody luffs the Chalet School books. I've got about 30 of them and if my mum has binned them from the loft I shall kill her.

Maybe in the Swiss books, some of the racier staff ran off to the Auberge to do something other than sing at that bloody echo everyone's always showing off about? Or maybe 'Let's go and test out the echo' was code for 'Let's lose the girls and get rat-arsed on huge steins of beer with some hunky peasants'?

Can I pretty please have the transcripts too? Who do I pm?

I have a question. If the girls are all so wonderful and understanding patronising of the situation the locals are in they why do they think it acceptable to march 40 girls up a mountain to a remote hamlet in winter, drink every cow in the place dry and eat up every loaf of bread and wheel of cheese in the place? I know they chuck a few coins at them but where do they think they will get the grain to bake more bread? Do they not understand that those stocks need to last an entire village until at least spring?

Ooh, what did I mistype?

Bernstein for Bechstein in what you were saying about Cousin Guy's incomprehension about Nina's high-grade piano, Tilly - I was loving the idea of Nina being Leonard Bernstein and writing 'Gee, Officer Krupke' and 'I Feel Pretty'.

And did it make you sit up and take notice?!

I thought the sisters - by marriage thing was more because the word "step sisters" still makes you think of Cinderella - and I could imagine girls asking "Who's the ugly one then" or something.

Oh yes, the identifying prefects from the photos.

Ds' form (year 2) was asked to bring in baby photos and they're going to play that game today. I even told him that the ear doesn't change shape, so to look at the ears, just as Mlle de Lasomethingorother says to Bride.

I shall suggest tomorrow he pinches one of everyone's shoe and asks them to match it and then watch for "AIBU a boy pinched my pfb's shoe and called it a game tomorrow"

PM me Indith, and I'll send them today / tomorrow.

I just think step-sisters wasn't that common a term then, so they talked about sisters by marriage - I have other books which say sisters by marriage so wonder if it was common?

Empress, may I pm you too?

thebody old thing, enough hilarity. Some of those imps of middles are getting quite wild. Hot milk all round and prayers I think!

You're welcome to, Wilson.

I think, though, that on more than one occasion, Mary-Lou specifically says 'as we're not stepsisters, we call it sisters-by-marriage' - I think EBD thought the two were different in some mysterious way.

EBD herself had a half-brother in strange circumstances - I think her father deserted her and her mother and started another family close by, though they never seem to have met, and I think her mother passed as a widow - so she may have had various issues with half- or step-siblings herself.

I always think it's a pity Verity - from being a stroppy little thing who refuses to speak or sing in German in her first term - turns into someone who is dozy to the point of being practically comatose after her father marries Mary-Lou's drippy mother. It would have been nice to see her go on to become a famous opera singer, rather than get married off to the brother of someone she meets after about five minutes of music training.

Love the thought of a code re the echo.

I sing of Margaret so fair is she, it is your birthing day, sweeting come away

You would need to get rat arsed to sit through that.

indith the sale my dear the sale will provide.

Oh yes of course the sale. How could I forget the sale! God the sale.

I'm reading Challenge. New girl Evelyn Ross has just horrified Len by using 'smashing' and 'fab'.

I'm reporting myself to you prefects for forgetting it is French day and starting my last two posts with the word 'well' which I am clearly addicted to.

I thought it was German day not that I've more than a few woreds in either language so makes no diference

Horrified by 'fab'? Was slang verboten?

I really need to brush up on my CS history!

Yes, Squoosh, using words like golly and smashing was worse than being caught smoking behind the bike shed.