To ask what happened to Ramona and Beezus, Elizabeth Allen, Jill from the gymkhana et al?

[HomeSliceKnowsBest]

Been really wondering how these and various other characters fared in later life,having reread various box sets to soothe my nerves over the lockdown...

I think of Ramona whenever I get a zit...pizza face!!

The one I remember with Ramona is when Beezus saves up to pay for a hairdo, and gets one that the hairdresser thinks is terribly trendy, but she doesn't want.
The hairdresser then asked Ramona if she wants one and she says very carefully: "I can't because we have to inch and pinch to make ends meet".
Her mum promptly feels so embarrassed that she pays for Ramona's haircut and of course everyone tells her how lovely it looks.

Anyone remember Mr Best Fiend?

I think it's Ramona who marries Henry Huggins. Beezus marries Oliver Melendy from Elizabeth Enright's series. Howie Kemp marries boingy Susan!

George becomes a supermodel to finance a Chihuahua rescue.

Anne becomes a mercenary soldier.

Dick is serving life for killing Julian.

Timmy, alas, caught rabies from an illegally imported squirrel.

Uncle Quentin defected to - somewhere.

I loved the Ramona books, but sympathised with Beezus.

I spent a while wondering what on earth 'pantyhose' was while reading Ramona as a child. Fascinating!

@alltoomuchrightnow

Forget them, what about Katherine in Forever? (Judy Blume). Did she get over her first love, Ralph the penis? Did she name subsequent penises (penii?) she encountered? eg Roger, Malcolm, Stephen, Geoffrey, etc etc..

Penes. Latin third declension plural.

I spent a while wondering what on earth 'pantyhose' was while reading Ramona as a child

Was it Judy Blume who wrote about unfathomable sanitary products and equipment? I seem to remember puzzling over elaborate arrangements of suspenders (maybe not that word actually) and sanitary belts.

I loved the Jinny and Shantih stories

All these names from the Jill books are a joyful blast from the past! But let's leave her as a kid, along with her friend Ann Derry - they must never get old!

There was a SVU series which followed the twins and their friends at university. Can't remember much about it except it was a bit shit

Ahhh, the letter Q, done up to look like a cat.

I’d assumed Ramona books were late ‘70s vintage due to a mention of hippyish sandals/bare feet and a guitar. (It’s entirely possible I’ve made this up.)

DD (10) loves Ramona. I remember her finding them very funny and cackling away the first time she binge-read the complete set.

Golly - still have all my Jill books in pride of place on one of our bookcases. Tried to read one once to my DD but she didn't get it.

The title of Pony Jobs for Jill still makes me titter.

I've got no idea who Ramona is.

I always thought there could be some hidden/repressed depths of flamboyancy to Howie Kemp - but not Ramona's type.

Was it Judy Blume who wrote about unfathomable sanitary products and equipment? I seem to remember puzzling over elaborate arrangements of suspenders (maybe not that word actually) and sanitary belts

Yep. When I was a teen Dr Whites belts and pads were normal (for your mum) and press on pads were new.

Elizabeth Allen clearly took her eloquent drive and caring streak to the bar. She is now a silver fox and a Human Rights QC, having taken silk at a tender age due to skilful wielding of her infectious laugh and great charm. Julian, who is a surgeon and simultaneously chemist working on world-changing anti cancer drugs, has been her lover for many years. She brushes his lock of hair out of his eyes before he ravishes her

@IntermittentParps

Jinny and Shantih were my favourites! Took me years to replace them all after my mother gave them away without asking me.

Jinny is still riding Shantih over the moors, and up by Loch Varrich and the Standing Stones. She's made her peace with Clare, though they're not exactly friends.

They'll never grow old, Nell Storr came back, I liked her, she moved back permanently.

Can you tell I'm a huge Jinny fan?

There is something on the internet somewhere about Julian from the famous five meeting Sally from Malory towers at university.

I remember My Best Fiend! Loved those books! So many old friends on here, though I clearly missed some of Ramona’s back catalogue.

I think it's Ramona who marries Henry Huggins. Beezus marries Oliver Melendy from Elizabeth Enright's series. Howie Kemp marries boingy Susan!

Howie and Susan have the old camel saddle in a corner of the sitting room. Ramona still has her old doll Bendix (singed from being in the oven), on a shelf next to a photo of Henry’s dog Ribsy.

The other day I said to my cat ‘you’re so greedy, I bet you’d even eat Puss-Puddy’.

Mr Galliano's circus came to St Clare's town once. Carlotta must have been Lottie. All fits, she had a circus background. She never said she used to belong to that circus though.

zukiecat, hello I think we've talked about Jinny and Shantih before (I've namechanged, possibly a few times, since then).

I loved Nell. I loved how the author made it clear she was black but without saying so, challenging the reader's assumptions (well mine, anyway; I was a child in a pretty monocultural white world).

I hope Jinny is still painting and drawing, whatever else happened.

In my late teens I attempted to write what we’d now call fanfiction, all about Jimmy breeding a foal from Shantih.

Jinny! DYAC.

@GeordieGreigsButtButtZoom

Mr Galliano's circus came to St Clare's town once. Carlotta must have been Lottie. All fits, she had a circus background. She never said she used to belong to that circus though.

I'm fairly sure Galliano's Circus came to St Clare's before Carlotta joined the school. She first appeared in 'Summer Term at St Clares' and I think the circus was in the first St Clare's book.

The twins, Janet and Kathleen sneak out to see the circus when the class is banned from going due to someone breaking a window and not owning up. It's later found that the culplrit wasn't in their form so the rest of the class goes and has a special tea afterwards but the girls who sneaked out caught nasty colds (and feel too guilty to go twice anyway).