Antonia Forest fans: your favourite parts or lines?

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

Inspired by posting near MirandaWest....

I often think of Nick's pondering in End of Term that 'it was queer and difficult being friends with someone who disliked one so much; at least, she supposed they were friends, and she supposed it was dislike, though neither seemed quite the right word.'

And for some reason, the description of Edwin Dodd in The Ready Made Family as 'an old, old man with three tiny, tiny tots'.

Yours?

I like the line about Lawrie not really believing that anyone except her actually had feelings. But I can't remember the exact words.

And the description about people going hunting- some being aware of a nervous system and some being in a blue funk.

I think - from memory - that Lawrie was remembering someone (Rowan?) saying (in FL) 'Ann has feelings, same as you' and just completely discounting it. But then she ponders it again in End of Term when her leg gets hurt before the Very Important netball match and wonders if not being in the team really had mattered to Nick.....I think.

I love the bit in TAT when most of the girls drift away because Nick and Miranda would still be there to tell it in an hour but Star Trek, once gone, would be Lost Forever.

I love all the Gondaling. And I must admit, I adore the Colebridge Festival mainly because it sort of matches elements of my own childhood and, now, continuing life - the music competitions anyway. I still know all the words of 'Fear no more'.

Linked to Seeker's one - Peter having a blue funk with the diving, and then realising that even if he does do dead man's drop it won't make it any easier the next time. That resonates quite strongly with me, too.....

Hurrah!

Nicola is not used to discussing other people's feelings, Lawrie remains unconvinced that anyone but herself really has any - genius.

I first read Peter's Room at about 14, and I'm afraid I skipped all the gondalling until a lot later. But I did like it when Peter said 'how much' on being told of the name 'Malise'. I love the Bronte chat in that book: 'everyone went around calling her 'dear gentle Anne' in rather a despising sort of way'.

Least convincing, I always found, was Tim and Miranda composing the song in TAT, and realising that the line 'to celebrate your birth' would scan and rhyme exactly with
Blessed child of holy mother
Israel's come newly born to earth
Hear us sing, oh infant like none other...

('what it wants is 'happy birthday to you, only put rather differently'; 'put very differently, with Me Auntie sat there doing her devotional bit')

Actually, that completely convinces me, but that's probably cos I do music.

The whole Malise thing is very sad. Poor Peter - it's Lt Foley all over again.

Something else that always makes me sad - Marie Dodd. That poor poor girl. :(

Have you read the GGB publishing authorised continuation novel (the name of which escapes me right now)? I enjoyed it.

Spring Term? But natch!

And yes, Marie - 'not enough of a person to die'.

And I can believe Tim and Miranda could invent a very creditable tune and lyrics, but the way the creative process is described, with the very fortuitous line at the end, never quite convinces.

I've name changed, not because of this thread, but I've swapped authorial horses for a while. ;) I found Tim to be a very annoying character. Serious Issues, that one, I think.

Oh, Tim! She is pretty ghastly- but so real! Do you remember when Rowan was speculating about what it would be like when she was Head Girl? After they didn't have enough money to buy Miss Cromwell a bunch of flowers, so got her a buttonhole instead?

I have only read Autumn term, as the books are impossible to get hold of for a reasonable price, loved it and would love to read more, but how to access them!?

Sorry for the tangent there!

Tim would never be head girl though. It would obviously be Nick. Or, if Keith had removed the broom from her arse, Miranda. Keith wouldn't have made her niece head girl it would have looked dreadful.

There are aspects of Tim that I like but I don't like the way she is with Lawrie. And the fact that Miranda (and Esther too) doesn't like her speaks volumes.

Wombling - girls gone by has reprinted several of them in the past and they have a list of dealers who might still carry their reprints - google girls gone by publishing (I'm on a phone and I'm not the best at manipulating it so can't give a link, sorry)

I bet it would be Esther - character building and all that!

Rowan's line "my grief will be controllable" that has been my catch phrase now for 30 years.

Thanks sugar, will try that, anyone have a recommendation for the best one to get next?

I need to rethink this new name! I didn't consider the obvious short form.

Back in a mo.

Oh, just checked them out - they are all out of print again, such a shame. Will have to save up for the expensive ones. Just tried the library too, no luck there either!

Nick would never be head girl. The head very clearly didn't like her at all. She probably would be sports' captain though.

I think Miranda would be head girl and make a very good one.

I'd have liked to see Ann as head girl, would have been nice to see her being really good at it too.

I liked the meal Nick has with Miranda's dad when Miranda is performing in the Tempest. It's just a glimpse of Miranda's home life which is great to see.

Tim and Lawrie are both irritating in different ways. I think Tim is deliberately irritating, whereas Lawrie is just spoilt. Very telling in Ready Made Family when she expects that going to bed in tears will mean that what she wants will happen (over the horse). They both think they're a bit above the rest for various reasons, and expect everyone to do what they want.

Ah. That's better.

Wombling - there is a section on their website for dealers who hold old stock. peacock books, from memory, is one such. Try them. In the past I have bought GGB type books (not Marlow ones, I had all of them from my youth, but several Lorna Hills) from the various dealers they list. They tend to be run by enthusiasts, like us, rather than, you now, profiteers. But there is a market and there is a fairly inelastic supply so that does influence the price.

When I was a kid and a young adult some of my happiest times were ranging round the countryside scouring 2nd hand bookshops for this sort of thing. It's a shame that the Internet has transformed 'booking', really. But on the other hand it does often make it a lot easier. If less entertaining.

My big hope is that GGB will release e copies of their back catalogue, especially the ones they have no intention of ever reprinting.

I have a horrible feeling that Kingscote would never have a Jewish Head-girl. I think Miss Keith would have made a spectacularly badly judged choice- can't think who for the moment.....

Keith doesn't like Nick but the other staff do. And Keith might not be around by the time Nick gets to 6th form (although Keith not being around would mean that Miranda would qualify which would be Better. In every way. Because I think she'd like to be head girl. And she deserves to be. And it would really piss off the nasty girls).

I love Janice Scott, and the way she holds herself aloof and wouldn't volunteer to weed the drive. I don't like Patrick though - think he is a bit of a dumper. First he dumps Peter for Nicola and then Nicola for Ginty.

Seeker - as things stand, no. There's clearly more than a little anti semitism going on. But It seems to stem mainly from Keith. If she popped off the twig.....also, let's face it, it might make financial sense to make Miranda head given the whole thing about the pool. And the fact that she has no sibs so Keith would need to maximize returns before she left....

Who would be a terrible terrible choice? Meg.

Or Lawrie, shed be even worse.

The way time moves in the books it might have been acceptable to have a Jewish head girl by the end...

Esther - to build confidence. Rowan said they liked to do things like that.

I don't think Patrick dumped Peter. Not for Nick, not for Gin. Things were a bit dodgy for a little while but they resolved them at the diving competition. Patrick had his head turned by Evil!Gin but it was turned back again by RUn Away Home. Which was nice.