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.

I think it's because they're so dated that they're even more readable. I've done exactly nothing tonight!!

I still have a sneaking fondness for the original Middles, like Margia, Corney and Evadne. The future generations tried to emulate but never quite beat Corney's band. That was one of my favourites.

I'm currently on The Chalet School Does It Again - about halfway through - and the earlier books (particularly the ones when they flee the Nazis) are better written I think, but the later ones are still fun. The less interesting plots have dated worse I think.

Loving this thread.

Would anyone else have loved to see Robin sent to Mallory Towers for a term or two? Blyton's brutal treatment of girls who dare to dislike sports, be unable to swim, get homesick or be pretty would be hilariously at odds with E.B.D's endless descriptions of everyone falling all over themselves to tell the robin how wonderful she is....

Oh, that is an evil yet genius plan! And it would have to be MT not St C's, they'd be much nicer to her.

Re the slang - I seem to remember a time when the middles boned up on 18th century slang to circumvent the dreadful modern stuff, and got away with it?

Also didn't Joey have a disaster with hair dye when the triplets were born and refuse visitors until the green colour had worn off?

And in MT was it Darrell who, in one of the later books, noticed that her legs were becoming less those of a child and more 'ladylike'?!

Please tell me I'm not imagining all the above.....

I read these back in the early 50's and CS certainly influenced my own desires to strike out for the Tyrol and Switzerland at the earliest opportunity

Yup Joey dyed her hair and self bright green at one point.

I remember the first one too...

Forsooth sweeting! Verily Alice the middles did spend much time copying out the words of ye olde William Shakespeare to use instead of tophole and topping.

And Darrell had such sensible parents on account of the fact that they loved Darrell but merrily felt that the occasional visit on half term day was more than enough. Unlike Gwendolin Mary Lacy's hysterical mother who actually cried when she left in her swanky car, much to Darrell and Alicia's disgust. What a pair of bitches!

And Sally Hope was such a fine, steady girl.

And Claudine thought her heart was in her stomach, but Enid Blyton explained this worrying lack of anatomical knowledge with the explanation that Claudine was French. Ah.

Maybe I won't let dd read these books!

Joeys son stephen was called Stephen green as he was born just after she dyed herself green. Jolly japes.

The slang plot was reiterated twice I think once by Joey but again by Sybil's/blossoms gang.

Anyone who didn't like Joey came to a bad end. miss Bubb got sacked and later had TB, matron Besley was sacked too and one prefect who quarrelled with her, Anne Seymore nearly drowned but was saved by Joey herself so that was all good. And the Prussian girl Thekla Von drift was expelled.

Those ear phones were deadly weapons my lambs.

Peggy Bettany,the head girl, made them live like girls from the regency for a weekend as a punishment after the slang incident.

Yep it was the regency slang episode I remembered, not the other one; I have a lot to catch up on.

mind yes they are bitches.

there's also a very disturbing scene when Alicia forced Gwendoline and another girl to sing a song from the play to everyone, basically to humiliate them. Pure bullying. I think they are vile books and much prefer the chalet daftness.

Yep Joeys gang also shouted a lot to get the old matron in trouble. The one who locked St Robin into her room.

The Green episode was just before Stephen was born, Jack pretended for ages he was going to be called Stephen Green. Joey was dying a yellow frock green, and put the bowl of dye on a top shelf that had (I think) a mouse trap on, which promptly popped and knocked the bowl of dye on top of her, sticking the bowl firmly to her head too.

The Shakespeare thing they do twice. Joey does it, I think to Gisela or it might be Bette, in either Jo of or Princess, I think. She's caught by Madge, because the prefects are not English, so they're not sure what to make of it. She complains later to Madge that they spent ages researching it.
It's then done again in Peggy, who responds by treating the middles as though they were living at regency times. They have boring food-I think plain bread and butter, and someone (Blossom?) is told off for being greedy when she asks for jam, and have to take walks with their umbrellas (which middles inevidably hate) in crocodile formation. I think they do a whole weekend of it.

The body it was Moira, wasn't it? that forced Gwen (and I think Maureen) to sind, not Alicia, and at least one of the others told her she was going too far.

And after the shouting incident they have to copy out:

Her voice was ever gentle, sweet and low
an excellent thing in a woman

100 times. This is still the only Shakespeare quotation I know off by heart, despite three years at drama school...

Do you realise we're at 668 posts my lambs?

we're all weirdos

Ah yes of course DeWeeMoira went bat shit crazy as the producer you are right.

Quite nasty episode, wouldn't have been tolerated at the chalet school, there would have been hissing!!!

Wilson my lamb we will be heading for spot supper at this rate.

I mused yesterday how my teen dds would hack the CS.

They love long hot bubble baths, big hair, makeup like bloody pandas have regular fake tan disasters and arse skimming skirts. Also boys.

Can't see the kenwigses, cold baths paper games and endless prayers floating their boats really.

Joey would be shocked at my bad parenting my lambs. I also inky achieved 4 children and my dh doesn't regularly drug me!!! so I would be pitied as well.

Hels - you are the ONLY person I have 'met' to know that book!

Darnok you need to google 'Shirley Goes to Charterton'. There is only one book but it is a corker.

I realised that my grandma and her sisters pretty much did live the CS dream - they all went to boarding school (sadly in south Wales, not Tirol), the eldest sister was head girl, left for university and then came back to the same school to teach, before marrying a nice doctor and never working again. Not sure if any milk-drugging was involved.

Grandma herself was a bit of a rebel - she got her prefect badge taken away after being caught eating ice cream in public on a Sunday gasp

I was rereading Bride Leads the Chalet School last night. Joey writes from Canada that her twins are teething and have been no trouble at all.

Just thought you'd all like to know that

sock loving the sound of your grandma!

Sorry have to share this;

In A future Chalet school girl Joey tells Irma about Simone's new baby and adds i refused to have another baby named after me ffs who would say that?

The woman has an ego the size of a planet.

Thanks summer teething usually produced fits!

Think EBD had heard of febrile convulsions and associated it with teething. Also strangely bronchitis!!

i must get some work done