To start a new term at the Chalet School?

[Vintagejazz]

Happy for this to be moved to Chat if posters agree but thought I'd start it here as this is where we've all been loitering without permission when we should be doing our housework homework.

So welcome to a new term everyone. Cases upstairs to the dormitories, form lists on the notice board. And you'll all be pleased to hear that even though we've moved to a different location, Joey has tracked us - -down moved in next door, so we'll still be seeing too much-- plenty of her

Thank you, Toni! Have messaged you.

I have 30-odd. I'll do a list in a bit.

Ilonka I would pronounce as ill-on-ka, emphasis on second syllable. But nobody should listen to me as when I was a child I didn't realise the t on Margot was silent.

"Ilonka I would pronounce as ill-on-ka, emphasis on second syllable" - yep, that's what I did, when I was feeling brave. But then I used to worry that it couldn't possibly be that simple when it looked so... not simple.

"...nobody should listen to me as when I was a child I didn't realise the t on Margot was silent". When you were a child, you say? Think I found out some time in my 30s - there just aren't any that many Margots round our way...

I officially love you Pontefractal . Have a large slug of matrons special milk in return

Now, who was it had unabridged Exile?

Margot has a silent T??? Ffs.. No idea.

I always think of Margot from The Good Life. I want to say Jackinth not Jasinth and Marini not Marani.

Is Giovanna, Geeovanna.?

Lillamani? Lillarrrrmarney?

I need my milk. Fetch a doctor or matey. I need a dose. (clean version) I feel like I have fallen into a box while packing!!

Viola the name is Vye-o-la, so would be shortened to Vi.

Viola the instrument is a Vee-o-la.

my grandfather's second wife (who was also his SIL ) was called Viola shortened to Vi (pronounced v/eye), so I assume V/eye-oh-la.

Vi Lucy is said Vye (extra Grammar classes needed by me, obviously)

Margot is Margo

Have messaged a couple of Chaletians for some transcripts if at all possible. Thankee kindly girls.

Off for a morning ramble round the lake.

Gwladys anyone? (I'm sure she was a maid in the Welsh books)

Where did the name Grizel come from? It's horrendous and I've never ever heard of it anywhere else.

I can't see Grizel getting a good reception over on Baby Names :o I looked it up, apparently it's either German or Scottish and means grey battle or Christian battle (German) or grey haired (Scottish). Not the most attractive, certainly!

Gwladys goo-lad-iss

Grizel comes from Griselda. Ackscherly, there was a Grizel Cochrane who saved her father's life in 1685 by holding up (with pistols) the messenger carrying his death warrant. Thus delaying the execution so a pardon could be granted. Iamageekandjoeywouldbeproud.

Thanks Joey.

I was reading New Chalet School last night. Poor Nancy Wilmot. Imagine repeatedly being told how fat you were by your schoolmates and being expected to cheerfully take it in good part. I'm amazed she didn't end up with an eating disorder. And Jem thrashing a naughty child he'd just met .
Different world back then. They'd all be arrested nowadays for child neglect and bullying.

Glad several other people remembered that Bill's rant about women being born domestic servants really is from 'Camp' not 'Guides'. Because I mention this on every CS thread the author of 'Guides' is a pal of mine and woudn't write anything like that ever.

I have to say, having gone back and read some of the earlier books in the series I can really see how much weaker and more formulaic the later ones set in Switzerland are. The earlier ones are really as much about the Bettany family, the surroundings and the various upheavals of the times as about the school. The later ones are really just school stories with a bit of extra curricular detail thrown in.

I would pronounce Ilonka as i-lon-kar, she was known as "Lonny" I think at some point, so it makes sense for "lon" to be there in her name.

See if we had our own topic we could have a names thread and a sharing transcripts thread and everything.

Go to it MNHQ!

(I have decided channelling Maisy's random underlinings is actually quite fun old things!)

Griselda is also the name of the main character in 'The Cuckoo Clock' by Mrs Molesworth. As that's a late Victorian/Edwardian book, EBD was probably familiar with it. (Lovely book, BTW)

Thebody, Giovanna is pronounced Jovanna. 'Gio' is 'jo' (with a short 'o' - more 'juh' i guess than 'joe') in Italian. But EBD would probably, like football commentators, province it as written!

That would be great Wilson. Do you think MNHQ would consider making it a subsection of the Fiction Topic?

The name Griselda, with Grissel or Grizel as a shortened version, comes in Boccacio's Decameron, Petrarch and the Canterbury Tales. It's a story if a woman who embodies the womanly qualities of patience and obedience, to the point of willingly giving her children to be slaughtered by her husband . I wonder if EBD chose the name ironically, as Grizel was far from a patient character.

I would tell you that I did my uni dissertation on Patient Grizel, but this would clearly be nonsense as I left school at 15 to take my place as heir to the throne, only to be deposed during the war and end up married to someone or other must get some copies of the Armishire years books and have my DDs go to the Chalet school as minor characters.

Ahem. I like to wander into groups occasionally.

I cant work out whether you are all taking the mick and/or you do have kids at private school or have been there yourselves?