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.

How weird, Select. That was my first one too! Bought at a church fete. I went on to collect all of them in paperback over the next decade, which, pre-Internet, took determination!

Hi, transcribing Sis! Your post is now on the last page so I can't check username I'm afraid. There are some turkeys on that list but you definitely need Highland Twins and Problem - both complete classics. If you can find a hardback of HT, it's another heavily chopped one. GGB did Problem pretty recently.

The first I read was Carola Storms the Chalet School. Sick to death of travelling to glamorous locations with her Aunt she cobbles together a uniform and flees to the welcoming arms of the solid and sensible Chalet School.

My first book was Eustacia, which coincidentally I am currently reading to my dd. I used to buy the Armada ones when they were 95p each, I remember one Christmas getting £5 (I felt very rich) and bought five CS books, including Camp, I was always a bit disappointed in this one because the back promised they found a body. I was still collecting them into my late teens as they published various ones, I did manage to get them all before they stopped publishing them, I'm now replacing some of them with Girls Gone By editions when the Armada ones have had major cuts.

Camp was one of my least favourite books. I paid 75p for my Armada copy and felt cheated.

The first I read was Rivals. Then the first three in order.

Funnily enough, the first two I read were Carola and then Eustacia. And then, sometime in my late teens, I sneakily picked up Shocks and realised quite how much of a series there was, and gradually got all the rest (all Armada, most of them brutally cut).
Then about five years ago I discovered GGBP and started buying them all over again, Though now I tend to check how heavily abridged my own copies are and only shelling out for the ones that are worth it.

Camp is a bit anaemic - there are the few madcap events, like the fake dead body and the mysterious pit, and the naughty Middles deciding to do the laundry, but there are also endless, endless descriptions of campsite chores, prayers, inspections and people blowing trumpets. Plus they virtually never seem to leave the campsite, apart from to fall down a hole or get chased by wasps/hornets...?

Though of course there's the immortal bit where Jack and Jem show up on a visit and pervy old Jem tells Joey to say 'something pretty' to Jack, and the hornet attack where the men try to outrun them in their car, and one of them shouts 'Fling the women in!' and Bill jumps nimbly into the car throwing her skirt over her head. I like to imagine Jack and Jem confronted with an eyeful of sensible navy bloomer. Or something silky in the way of camiknicker...?

squoosh me too! She got into the Chalet School on the strength of someone's writing being unclear and wearing a brown cardigan, IIRC.

And then I read Exploits of the Chalet Girls, in which Baddun Thekla arrives and Evvy blows up the lab.

And then I hopped straight to Mary Lou of CS. No wonder I was confused.

Isn't "Joey and Co. in Tirol" the shittest name of a book ever? Has anyone read it?

Jack and Jem show up on a visit and pervy old Jem tells Joey to say 'something pretty' to Jack [eek] I've only read about 8 of the books - I always wondered how Jack and Joey got together - this stinks!

But the Chalet School because better the devil you know. I never read Malory Towers but I do like Kaffee und Kuchen and ice-skating and general mountain scenery.

Yes! Yes! I thought that about Jack and Joey! That bit and then he looks at her with "a funny expression" when telling her about his sister trotting off without saying goodbye and I thought it was setting up the future relationship. I said so further down the thread but nobody else agreed . I have now found some kindred spirits .

My parents bought me the first two as a birthday present but after that I read them in any order I could get my hands on!

Joey and co in the Tirol is quite fun in a barmy kind of way. Joey and Jack adopt a family who's dad leaves them to try and go to the moon. One of the adoptees nearly dies of a cut knee and they and the triplets think some innocent men are violent bank robbers and throw soapy water on them and attack them with brooms

Was she on acid?

I always assumed that the "funny expression" Jack wore to indicate affection for Joey was an EBD euphemism for a stiffy.

Ohhhh yes - EBD's ignorance of human biology! Do,you remember when Joey had to go back to England for an operation to sort out an organ that had got 'slightly displaced' - the only thing I think that could be is a hernia of some sort. Generally speaking, people's organs don't go wandering round their bodies!

I like Joey and Co, mainly because it is back at the Tiernsee which I really missed once they had to leave (yes, I know it's not real but I always felt so sad it left there!!!)

As I got older, I liked to think that was Jo's inevitable prolapse, STDG. I can't think of a more likely candidate.

You lot are making me laugh a lot.

Joey & Co in Tirol does at least explain who the feck Ruey, Roderick and the other one Richardson are, which solved a long running mystery for me. (Their names have to be said Pontius Pilate Life of Brian style obviously.)

It is better than the one with the very, very dull Phoebe and her stringed instrument, which I seem to remember has only the excitement of Joey tipping over some water in otherwise. I can't even remember the name of that book.

Confession: it was reading the Chalet School stories that got me interested in learning languages. After the last thread I tried to find some CS books - I don't Kindle - but couldn't find any. I don't think I'd read the whole series again but I would like one or two. I di read Malory towers too - just can't remember any of them.

I don't think human biology was taught to girls in the late 19th / early 20th century, it was considered disgusting. Biology was plants - botany, in CS terms. My late grandmother (born 1914, 1918 or 1920, depending on when you asked her) had a similar belief that everything inside the skin from neck to knees was just one big squashy sausage in which organs could travel at will.

:o

Welease Wuey! Welease Woderick Wichardson!

Roger! Roger Richardson. How could I forget? I think she lines him up for Con towards the end. Or is that in Chalet Girls Grow Up?

Perhaps she still believed the old explanation for hysteria...............

Though clearly they didn't treat Joey for that!

I think he marries or at least gets engaged to Con in New beginnings which was a follow on by Heather Paisley.

New Beginnings was the first continuation novel, wasn't it? I seem to remember some truly dreadful cover art.

www.amazon.co.uk/New-Beginnings-at-Chalet-School/dp/0953626903

I first read Princess, which my dsis brought home from the school library. I think I then read the first two. They didn't have many post-Tyrol at the school library.

Roger is lined up for Con in New beginnings, which is quite good if you want a round everything up type continuation. She does apologise for the cover art, apparently it was done before she completed the book, so it doesn't match her descriptions.