Th think that Miss Climpson should have been in The Nine Tailors

[Jemima232]

Miss Climpson did not appear in this book.

The purpose of this thread is to examine why this oversight occurred.

The Chalet School books may be mentioned if people wish.

@missclimpson

Is there a chapter on you?
Were you asked to contribute?

Miss Climpson is in the Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club. By that time the Cattery is well established and she sends one of her minions, Miss Murchison, to do some spying.

@MoaningMinniee

Don't you mean Strong Poison, where Miss Murchison was sent to do some spying on Norman Urquhart?

I have been turning up at my own college's gaudies for years, in the hope that someone will buy me a set of ivory chessmen (recycled antique ivory only obviously), but no luck so far

But were you wearing a severe and well-cut black dress with a square neck, chosen to sit well with academic robes? If not, you are clearly the Wrong Type. Maybe you even wear your hair in earphones.

(There's a weird woman wearing her hair in earphones at Harriet's gaudy, and I always associate her with Joey from the CS, though she was busy having triplets with her Solid Lump of Comfort during what might have been her university years, if she ever actually worked at her lessons at the CS.)

It was not black! Wasn't it a 'rich petunia'? 'Excellently cut on restrained lines' is rather different from severe, too. Or did she get changed?

I love the idea of DLS having a snark at Brent-Dyer with the earphones.

Ah, but EBD didn't go to an Oxford College.

If she had she would have been horrified to see the students at Shrewsbury College sunbathing in brassieres and a pair of drawers

@Phineyj

I also keep banknotes in my brassiere. Fortunately, thanks to the production of many children, there is also room for car keys, handkerchiefs, a small wallet, the occasional scented candle, a couple of oranges, and a pet llama.

This is like a game of granny's shopping basket. "I went to the pub, and in my bra I kept..."

@LadyofMisrule

I bet Miss Climpson didn't keep anything in her brassiere.

Although, as we know, she did stuff objects within her voluminous knickers in order to find Cremorna Garden's will.

Yabvvvu
The Nine Tailors is a perfect book.
And while I like Miss Climpson, and Harriet Bane for that matter, and Charles Parker, they have absolutely no place in this book.

I have loved all Sayers' books, but this one is the perfect detective novel.

Stop trying to mess with it

@Jemima232

I don't think it would be wise to start a game of things stuffed in knickers.

I was a bit surprised to find when I looked at that 'which actor embodies the book character' or whatever it was thread (can't find it now) how many people had already mentioned the one that had sprung instantly to mind - Harriet Walter/Vane. Despite the length of time since that series...

I think I've just discovered why. and that I'm seriously overdue a re-read.

Dear God, Vane not Bane

@hazell42

Miss Lydgate got Miss Vane/Bane to read her proofs for the book she wrote about English Prosody.

Charles Parker appeared in The Nine Tailors.

I used to try to remember the names of the bells before I went to sleep.

I always forgot Sabaoth.

@ErrolTheDragon

Do you think Ian Carmichael or Edward Petherbridge was a better LPW?

I'm in the Pehterbridge camp FWIW.

Miss Climpson & the Cattery best used in Strong Poison, imo. Miss Murchison being taught how to pick locks and Miss C and "Pongo".

Have a soft spot for The Nine Tailors. Not only a classic detective story but I first read it stuck in the middle of nowhere with my dad 30 years ago for a family wedding. In the days before we had nothing left to read - it rained constantly but we'd walk 3 miles to the tiny post office to buy newspapers, do all the crosswords, then we found TNT. Fairly decided to read one chapter then swap, eyeing each other to see when it was the other's turn.

At the wedding itself we both burst out laughing as you do at inappropriate moments when the bells started ringing.

Bloody hell.

Petherbridge, Jemima.

It was not black! Wasn't it a 'rich petunia'? 'Excellently cut on restrained lines' is rather different from severe, too. Or did she get changed?

I think the rich petunia number is an evening dress, or worn at some later stage? I meant what she changes into as soon as she arrives at the Gaudy, which has always struck me as a bit of an odd choice for a June garden party:

The black frock fitted her like a glove. It was made with a small square yoke and long, close sleeves, softened by a wristfrill falling nearly to the knuckles. It outlined her figure to the waist and fell full-skirted to the ground, with a suggestion of the medieval robe. Its dull surface effaced itself, not outshining the dull gleam of the academic poplin.

Apart from anything else, she must have been roasting in a floor-length, long-sleeved black dress with a gown and cap on top on a warm day! Do you suppose that some of her fellow old members, the ones she's deriding for their patchy complexions and lemon frocks with muslin frills, are also muttering 'Why is Miss Vane dressed with a Tudor widow???'

Do you think Ian Carmichael or Edward Petherbridge was a better LPW?

Definitely Petherbridge . Carmichael iirc played LPW as a bit of a silly ass (rather Wooster-ish) not the much deeper character suffering from PTSD which Petherbridge subtly conveyed. However, as this recollection is from seeing IC in my early teens, I may be being unfair!

Ah, right, she did change.

Is she perhaps wearing black as a nod to sub-fusc? She does make reference to it elsewhere.

But YY, does sound a bit Tudor widow.

I just think that if I'd been avoiding my college because I had not long ago been notoriously tried for poisoning my lover and narrowly escaped the gallows, that I might rethink looking like I was wearing widows' weeds!

Yes, as Harriet is always absolutely correctly dressed without appearing to fuss unduly over her appearance, I think we are to assume she chose the dress as a sort of nod to sub fusc -- dignified, adult, not fussy and elaborate. Mind you, when everyone took off their gowns and chucked them in the common room after the ceremonial bit was over, she would have been surrounded by women in summer day dresses, while she looked like a Goth.

@Jemima232 eek I think you may be right! I tend to binge read DLS from time to time and do sometimes get stories mixed up!

Petherbridge is definitely the definitive LPW... He looks right, he sounds right - he's perfect..!

And Harriet Walter was perfect as Harriet. I was totally star struck when I met HW because it was the next best thing to meeting HV

Oh, I agree. Harriet Walter was the definitive Harriet Vane. Ian Carmichael didn't come across as intellectual.

Edward Petherbridge was a perfect Wimsey and Glyn Houston was a terrible Bunter.

@XXstatic

When did you meet Harriet Walter?