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#1: Girls who should have been head girl Author: jennifer, Location: Taiwan

Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 4:27 am
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As a spin-off of the best headgirl thread, what girl wasn't head girl who you really think should have gotten the job?

#2: Author: bethany, Location: Liverpool (mostly)

Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 5:30 am
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I have wondered about this a few times, and I would definitively say Jo Scott - she would not only have been a great head girl, but also better (IMHO) than Mauve who I think is head girl at the time Jo could have been.

I also think that Vi Lucy and Clem Barras would have made great head girls, but whether they would have been better than Mary-Lou and Julie Lucy is another matter. Some years it must have been hard to decide which girl got the job...

#3: Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia

Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 5:34 am
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bethany wrote:

I have wondered about this a few times, and I would definitively say Jo Scott - she would not only have been a great head girl, but also better (IMHO) than Mauve who I think is head girl at the time Jo could have been.

*lol* Er, do you mean Maeve?

*now trying to picture what colours the other HGs are*

#4: Author: bethany, Location: Liverpool (mostly)

Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 5:39 am
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KB wrote:

bethany wrote:

*lol* Er, do you mean Maeve?

Errr yes

I hadn't realised that her name wasn't spelt in the same way as the colour until now! So, is it pronounced the same as the colour? Embarassed

When I was at school they had a theory that if you read a lot, you would by default be good at spelling. I think I disprove that by reading what I think I see, not what is actually there (and by being very bad at spelling)...

#5: Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia

Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 5:49 am
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*lol* Sorry, I wasn't meaning to be unkind!

I don't know about other people, but I say it to rhyme with wave or brave. Unfortunately it's not one of the names described in the newsletters.

#6: Author: Fiona Mc, Location: Bendigo, Australia

Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 5:56 am
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What about Marie Von Eschenau or Frieda Mensche instead of Joey. They were far more tactful and caring than Joey and Joey makes it clear more than once she didn't particularly want to help people. I think she is sucessful more because she's popular than because she's really good.
I also think Margia Stevens or Elsie Carr should have been Head Girl over Louise. Both are natural leaders whereas Louise is rarely in the forground.
I must admit I wasn't too impressed with Loveday as Head Girl though would have been hard picked to choose between Bride or Tom. And Elinor is in the same boat. I did like Betsy but could have also seen Hilary Wilson being Head Girl and someone who does tend to think.
Future Head Girls I would have chosen Jane Carew or Janice Chester instead of Jack Lambert in New Beginnings. Both of them are leaders and far kinder than Jack ever was. Its probably my only complaint about the book was who she chose as Head Girl.
I didn't have any problems with Maeve being Head Girl but always got the impression she was simply because EBD wanted three girls from the one family as Head Girls and they fitted.

#7: Author: LizzieC, Location: Canterbury, UK

Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 5:57 am
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KB wrote:

I don't know about other people, but I say it to rhyme with wave or brave. Unfortunately it's not one of the names described in the newsletters.

Just looked it up (yes, I'm that sad Wink

)

Maeve means intoxicating, is of Celtic origin and is pronounced mayv. Think it's easier if you can imagine saying it with some sort of celtic origin accent!

#8: Author: LizzieC, Location: Canterbury, UK

Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 6:00 am
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Fiona Mc wrote:

What about Marie Von Eschenau or Frieda Mensche instead of Joey. They were far more tactful and caring than Joey and Joey makes it clear more than once she didn't particularly want to help people. I think she is sucessful more because she's popular than because she's really good.

I was just going to comment with the same thing! I very much doubt either of them would have needed to have been coaxed to take up HG responsibilities. If asked I suspect they would have seen it as their duty and I can imagine either one of those approaching their job the same way that Gisela did. I also very much doubt either of those would have left baby voodoo on top of a piano!

#9: Author: Maeve, Location: Romania

Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 6:15 am
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KB said:

Quote:

I say it to rhyme with wave or brave

Yes, that's right! Close enough, at any rate. Cool

#10: Author: bethany, Location: Liverpool (mostly)

Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 6:30 am
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KB wrote:

*lol* Sorry, I wasn't meaning to be unkind!

Thats ok, I like to be educated Smile

LizzieC wrote:

Just looked it up (yes, I'm that sad Wink)

Maeve means intoxicating, is of Celtic origin and is pronounced mayv. Think it's easier if you can imagine saying it with some sort of celtic origin accent!

Thank you very much , I will try and "say" it properly now when I read her name.
Sorry to have distracted this thread from its original purpose and turning it into an educating-bethany thread Smile

#11: Author: lizarfau, Location: Melbourne

Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 9:40 am
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Margia! She definitely should have been head girl. She was very much a leader in the Chalet School - more than Joey was, tbh.

And Vi would have been head girl for sure if Mary-Lou hadn't come along.

#12: Author: JayB, Location: SE England

Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 1:36 pm
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Jo Scott, of course.

I think Dickie Christie would have been an excellent Head Girl, if only she'd been at the school longer. I've always liked her.

I'm not sure whether Frieda would have been assertive enough to be a success as Head Girl, although of course she might have grown into the job with encouragement from Gisela and others.

I've always rather liked Elinor Pennell - quiet, but effective. She keeps Mary Lou in order, anyway - or as much as anyone ever does.

#13: Author: Kate, Location: Ireland

Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 8:43 pm
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LizzieC wrote:

KB wrote:

I don't know about other people, but I say it to rhyme with wave or brave. Unfortunately it's not one of the names described in the newsletters.

Just looked it up (yes, I'm that sad Wink

)

Maeve means intoxicating, is of Celtic origin and is pronounced mayv. Think it's easier if you can imagine saying it with some sort of celtic origin accent!

It's reasonably common in Ireland. And often spelled Medbh. Try pronouncing that! Very Happy

(It's also pronounced Mayv!)

#14: Author: LizzieC, Location: Canterbury, UK

Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 8:49 pm
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Kate wrote:

It's reasonably common in Ireland. And often spelled Medbh. Try pronouncing that! Very Happy

(It's also pronounced Mayv!)

I had a Tadgh (said Tai) when I was on teaching practice during my PGCE. He thought my attempts to prounounce it were hilarious. On the upside, I'll now never forget how to say that particular Irish name Very Happy

#15: Author: Róisín, Location: Ireland

Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 8:55 pm
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LizzieC wrote:

Kate wrote:

It's reasonably common in Ireland. And often spelled Medbh. Try pronouncing that! Very Happy

(It's also pronounced Mayv!)

Tadhg is a very popular name here. It's the Irish for Timothy. Pronounced kind of like tie-ig. Three of my friends are called Tadhg and we call one 'Tiger' as a nickname Laughing

#16: Author: LizzieC, Location: Canterbury, UK

Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 9:49 pm
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Róisín wrote:

Tadhg is a very popular name here. It's the Irish for Timothy. Pronounced kind of like tie-ig. Three of my friends are called Tadhg and we call one 'Tiger' as a nickname Laughing

I have to admit that I think it's a lovely name, but not one you come across much in Kent

I was glad when I finally mastered it so he could stop laughing at me, but I think he must have had the same fun with new teachers every year!

Thankfully, it was the most unusual name I came across during my PGCE year - it could have been much worse Smile

Back to the topic in hand - I agree with JayB about Dickie Christy. The problem was she was part of a group of friends where there was a natural choice for the school authorities to choose instead.

In general I think there was a real favouritism by EBD when she was choosing Head Girls towards certain families and girls which was really very unfair to other characters that we had learned to love. Sometimes it even involved making a girl like Maeve Bettany HG when we knew comparitively little of her. A pity Sad

#17: Author: jennifer, Location: Taiwan

Posted: Mon May 07, 2007 2:13 am
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I'd've like to have seen Dickie as headgirl instead of Peggy - she's more decisive and has a balance of good nature and authority. Unfortunately, she had only been at the school for one term before she was a prefect.

I would also like to have seen Clem Barras in charge, for many of the same reasons. She's a practical, level headed, good natured girl who is good at solving problems, and is well liked by everyone without being bossy. Same with Jo Scott, too.

Margia, I think, would have been too busy at her music to take on head girl responsibilities.

It's an interesting idea about what would have happened if Frieda or Marie had been head instead of Joey. I think Frieda would have done really well at the job, in a quiet, calm fashion quite unlike Joey's approach. Vi Lucy would have made an interesting head, too, if ML hadn't taken over as lead of the form.

#18: Author: macyrose, Location: Great White North (Canada)

Posted: Mon May 07, 2007 2:32 am
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It's mentioned in Peggy that if Jo hadn't accepted the position of Head Girl either Frieda or Marie might have been chosen:

Quote:

“Jo was terribly upset,” Miss Annersley continued. “She told us quite frankly that she’d planned to have a gorgeous summer term, and now here she was, landed with Head Girl! She hated the idea. She spent the whole of the Easter holidays in a state of rebellion, and your Aunt Madge was at her wits’ end to know what to do with her. She told me later that she had even thought the idea must be given up, and either Frieda Mensch or Marie von Eschenau appointed in her place. And then one evening Jo went to see Natalie, who was a baby of a few weeks old, and came back more or less resigned. She never looked back after that.”

But since Jo is the major heroine of the series, neither of them realistically had a chance against her, just as no one would have had a chance against Mary-Lou or Len.

#19: Author: Squirrel, Location: St-Andrews or Dunfermline

Posted: Mon May 07, 2007 6:35 am
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On top of that - that visit to Natalie was the night before school started again. It was leaving it rather late for Jo to become reconciled to the idea without the authorities doing something about it!

#20: Author: Caroline, Location: Manchester

Posted: Mon May 07, 2007 1:52 pm
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I think it's pretty much common knowledge around these parts that I think Jo Scott should have been chosen ahead of Maeve (which I've been saying wrong too - I've always said it Meeve - with a long 'e'. Oops).

I'd vote for Clem Barrass instead of Julie Lucy - although I think Julie did a good job, she wound't have been there if she hadn't had appendicitis and whatnots. Clem didn't even get Games until Annis left. Rolling Eyes

And I'd have gone for Margia instead of Gill Linton (I think both are a year younger than Louise, so she gets to keep her place!). Margia always seemed set up to be HG eventually, and it's a shame we dodn't get to see the Quartette as full prefects, given that the whole school knows their reputation. Might have been interesting to see if she could gain the respect of the school. (OK, I know Corney got there in the end, but it wasn't quite the same. I wanted Margia for HG, Elsie for Games and Evvy for 2nd Pree...).

I'm not sure Frieda could quite have cut it as HG - she never seems to have quite the charisma or personality to be head IMO. Perfect 2nd prefect material, though (just like her sister). Vi, on the other hand, could I think have done just as good a job as M-L, but never stood a chance of getting it.

In the future, I think Audrey Everett might have done well following on from Len (with Ruey for Games), and then in the Janice / Ailie / Judy / Jane / Jose year, you're spoit for choice. I'd be happy with any from Janice, Jane and Jose, but would probably plump for Jose, just to see Veta's daughter as HG.

#21: Author: Bee, Location: Canberra, Australia

Posted: Tue May 08, 2007 12:14 am
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I know this is completely unrealistic, but I would have liked to see Simone as Head Girl. She ends up being the only one of the Quartette to ever leave home properly, when she goes to the Sorbonne on her own! And she made an excellent teacher. I think had she been Head Girl she might have been able to get out of Joey's shadow, and she was far more tactful and caring than Jo. I love Simone as an adult - and think if she had those same characteristics, she would have made an excellent Head Girl.

It would have been interesting to see Stacie Benson as Head Girl, particularly if she reverted back to parts of Eustacia! Twisted Evil

And it was a shame Margia never made Head Girl... she was the obvious leader of her year. Elsie and Ilonka could have been Sports Captain and Second Pree, and then Corney and Evvy to follow.

I would have also liked to see Jo Scott, Clem Barrass or Vi Lucy as Head Girl, and later on either Samaris or Samantha might be a good choice. I'd also love to see Jose as Head Girl, simply because she's Elisaveta's daughter. Smile

#22: Author: Carys, Location: London

Posted: Tue May 08, 2007 10:00 am
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I'd have liked to have seen Gay as Head Girl, she could have taken over from Gill instead of Jacynth and Jacynth could have had an extra year at school seeing as she is over a year younger than Gay.

In future years I'd have picked Janice, and Erica as Head Girl material. I think it would have been quite fitting for the eldest and youngest Chester to be Head Girl, and I really like Erica as a character.

#23: Author: Loryat,

Posted: Tue May 08, 2007 1:45 pm
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I like Maeve as HG - though Jo would have been good too, especially if she was anything like the Jo in your drabble! Was Jo actually even still at the school when Maeve took the job on, though?

Vi would have made a lovely HG, though she mentions at one point she'd rather be Games Pree - which, unfortunately, Hilary Bennet gets. At the same time, although Mary-Lou can be intensely annoying, I do think she made a good HG.

Frieda and Marie - Frieda was, IMO, too shy to make a really charismatic HG, and I don't think she'd have liked it. Marie wasn't clever enough - and it would have been really difficult for her to put up with Thekla and be HG. I always felt bad for Simone because she was never in the running - I think, if put on the spot, she'd have pulled her socks up and got on with it. Just noticed that Bee already said this! Well, I agree with you! Very Happy

Clem - I was surprised she didn't make HG given she was a very developed character, but on the other hand I haven't read a lot of the books that feature Julie and of course, she came from a favoured family which makes her a shoe in. I think Clem would have done a good job, though.

Margia - did she not leave school early, to concentrate on her music? And even if she didn't, I don't think she could have been HG and done all that practise. (Twas a bit unrealistic that Jacynth did it). But I don't know why Elsie never got to do it.

#24: Author: Caroline, Location: Manchester

Posted: Tue May 08, 2007 2:16 pm
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Loryat wrote:

I like Maeve as HG - though Jo would have been good too, especially if she was anything like the Jo in your drabble! Was Jo actually even still at the school when Maeve took the job on, though?

No she wasn't - she vanishes after Wins the Trick never to be seen or heard from again. And I don't think we're told why, either. In that book, Jo and Len and Rosamund are all in form Va - where Jo is Form Prefect. Over the summer, Len is anticipating promotion to VIb and telling Joey she doesn't feel ready to be a prefect yet (Future) aged 16.

At the very least, Jo should have been promoted at this point, too - she's what, more than a year older than Len, and a steady if not brilliant student. But by rights and by age, Jo should already be in the lower sixth at this point anyway, not in the upper fifth with Len. She's only six months younger than Josette, who is HG.

Interestingly, there's a whole passage in Wins the Trick where EBD talks about Joan Baker leaving at the end of the term, and Jo thinking about this, and how she can help Joan as she moves forward away from the CS. Seems strange that EBD then has Jo leave too - there's no mention of this at the time.

#25: Author: Clare, Location: Liverpool

Posted: Tue May 08, 2007 5:58 pm
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I think Margia had too much on with her music to have ever been in the running for Headgirl.

I would really have liked to see Vi Lucy as headgirl. I think she was heading for it until OOAOML turned up at the school Mad

#26: Author: Tamzin, Location: Edinburgh

Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 11:28 pm
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Caroline wrote:

Loryat wrote:

I like Maeve as HG - though Jo would have been good too, especially if she was anything like the Jo in your drabble! Was Jo actually even still at the school when Maeve took the job on, though?

And lo and behold she is a prefect the next term if I remember rightly. And does she bemoan her fate or berate her mother for not having a quiet word with Miss A about their discussion? No - it isn't mentioned and Len shows no resentment at all. You see I loved that little conversation between Len and Jo in "Future". It made Len far more sympathetic to see that she had doubts and that she was admitting to herself and her mother that she didn't want the responsibilty of prefectship just yet. It was so brave of her to open up like that and it should have made Jo stop short and wonder about the pressure always placed on Len to be dependable, serious and responsible. But no - Len's reward for her confession is to be made a prefect anyway.

To get back to the point I too remember being very disappointed that we never got to see the Quintette as prefects. I would really really have enjoyed seeing that group of mischief makers take on the role of HG and prefects. Nothing like a poacher turned gamekeeper as they say! If only EBD had written that book. In fact if I had to vote for the most coveted CS book that EBD never wrote it would be The Quintette of the Chalet School. Does anyone have any ideas for a better title?????

#27: Author: Ray, Location: Bristol, England

Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 7:49 am
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Tamzin wrote:

While that's certainly fairly boggling, you can always imagine that there was, in fact, some kind of further discussion that EBD didn't bother to include. It's also worth noting that Len's not a full prefect in Feud/Triplets, she's only a sub - so maybe that was the compromise. And you have to admit, it would have looked excessively odd to the rest of the girls in that group if Len *HADN'T* been a prefect - like she was somehow favoured because of who she was/what her family was...

Anyway, to get back to my point of posting (!), the thing that's *REALLY* boggled me is the elevation of Francie Wilford to prefect! The year before, she (like Margot) is only in Vb. Unlike Margot, though, there's no mention of her skipping a form or otherwise getting promoted during the Ruey/Leader/Wins the Trick year and yet, there she is, in Feud and Triplets as not only a member of the sixth but a prefect!

In one sense, it's the ultimate proof that she's turned herself around from the awful creature she is in New Mistress and Ruey, but good *GRIEF* you'd think her sudden elevation would have caused some resentment from girls like Rikki Fry who'd been lawabiding (more or less) from the first, and reliable and hadn't slacked and got to be at least two years behind herself...

Ray *suposes she shouldn't complain since she did get a drabble out of it!*

#28: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 8:44 am
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Actually I liked your take on it, Ray - that seems canon to me. Laughing

I expect that what happened is that EBD forgot about Francie - until she was making out the list of Prefects and realised that she would be about the right age. As for Len being Prefect - probably the same - but it does give one food for thought as to whether Joey did have a conversation with Hilda - and if it made any difference....(Hmmm, another bunny)

#29: Author: JayB, Location: SE England

Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 11:42 am
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[quote="Ray"]

Tamzin wrote:

And you have to admit, it would have looked excessively odd to the rest of the girls in that group if Len *HADN'T* been a prefect - like she was somehow favoured because of who she was/what her family was...

But Len was still younger than all the others in the form at that point, wasn't she? Not yet sixteen at the start of term. That was very young to be a prefect when there were plenty of other girls to choose from. She could quite well have had another year free of responsibility.

#30: Author: Mel, Location: UP NORTH

Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 12:24 pm
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IIRC Joey became a sub-prefect as soon as she hit sixth form as did Mary-Lou and Peggy became Head Girl.

#31: Author: Ray, Location: Bristol, England

Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 2:24 pm
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JayB wrote:

From the point of view of her age, she certainly could have done. She (and Con and Margot) are very, VERY young to be in the sixthform, after all!

My point is, though, that for Len *NOT* to be a prefect (sub prefect in fact) would have looked very, very odd to the school at large - in fact, it would have looked like exactly what it would have been: She can get out of it because she's a Maynard. There are bound to have been other girls who had responsibilities thrust on them that they didn't want - or didn't think they were ready for - so how fair would it have been to them if Len had been seen to dodge prefectship?

Ray *can't quite see anyone letting Len be a spineless jellyfish*

#32: Author: Caroline, Location: Manchester

Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 4:55 pm
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Mel wrote:

IIRC Joey became a sub-prefect as soon as she hit sixth form as did Mary-Lou and Peggy became Head Girl.

Very true, although in Joey's case the whole sixth form was only about eight girls, and everyone was a prefect. That was pretty much also true for Peggy, and anyway there were special circumstances there.

Len's position is a bit different, as she is made a sub-prefect when in the Lower Sixth (or VIb, whatever you want to call it - which didn't exist for Peggy or Jo), when the form sizes have become huge. There are only a relatively small number of other girls in VIb who become subs (ummm, Francie, Ricki, Rosamund and Alicia spring to mind, although I might have missed some...) and most of the prefects are VIa, so I reckon Len, being much younger than the others, could have been left to be just a normal sixth former, like Con and Margot, for another year, without EBD being accused of leaving her out.

#33: Author: Caroline, Location: Manchester

Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 5:01 pm
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Ray wrote:

My point is, though, that for Len *NOT* to be a prefect (sub prefect in fact) would have looked very, very odd to the school at large - in fact, it would have looked like exactly what it would have been: She can get out of it because she's a Maynard. There are bound to have been other girls who had responsibilities thrust on them that they didn't want - or didn't think they were ready for - so how fair would it have been to them if Len had been seen to dodge prefectship?

Ray *can't quite see anyone letting Len be a spineless jellyfish*

Sorry for spreeing - I posted before reading Ray's post.

You know, I'm not sure I agree with your first point. Would a school like the CS think prefectship was a good thing to have "got out of"? I actually don't think so - surely, being a prefect is the thing all Chalet girls aspire to? I'd more expect them to feel bad for Len - that it was unfair on her that she was left out. I really don't think anyone would think she was getting special treatment for being left out.

However, I do agree that no-one was about to let Len be a spineless jellyfish and duck out of something just because she didn't feel ready. If you think about it, it's exactly what Joey tried to do back in the day, and she was told very firmly that she had to put the school in front of her own feelings.

It's a shame really. With someone with such an overdeveloped sense of duty as Len, another year of anonymity as a non-prefect sixth former might have been good for her.

#34: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 6:43 pm
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Joey wasn't told that though, was she? Madge had made a contingency plan and was prepared to make Frieda Head Girl if Joey couldn't be persuaded to accept it. It was only after visiting Gisela and baby Natalie that Joey became halfway resigned to being Head Girl.

#35: Author: jennifer, Location: Taiwan

Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 4:21 am
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The difference I see is that Joey actively dislike being saddled with *any* extra responsibilty and was upset about the whole growing up thing as well.

Len, if anything, is overly conscientious. She's been saddled with responsibilities from a very young age - at home she's the eldest and keeps the other 10 siblings and four younger wards in line, as well as helping out generally. At school she's always looked out for her triplets and kept them out of trouble and covered for them when necessary. She's been a form prefect and a dormitory prefect (of Jack no less), and has always been in form with girls a few years older than she is, and held to the behaviour standard of older girls.

I think this conversation is the first time Len has ever expressed a wish to be absolved of a responsiblity, and she's not allowed to do so, although she's repeatedly chastised for being too conscientious and told to back off.

I think a good compromise would have been to give her an extra term and wait until she was sixteen before making her a prefect.

#36: Author: Caroline, Location: Manchester

Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 10:08 am
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Lesley wrote:

Joey wasn't told that though, was she? Madge had made a contingency plan and was prepared to make Frieda Head Girl if Joey couldn't be persuaded to accept it. It was only after visiting Gisela and baby Natalie that Joey became halfway resigned to being Head Girl.

Well, it depends which book you read. And Jo reads as you say, but Eustacia has Madge being much firmer about things, and that was what I was thinking of:

Quote:

So you are to be head-girl, my Jo, and we all know you will do your best for us.’ [said Madge]

Joey sat down. ‘How—how simply sickening!’ she said fervently.

‘Joey!’ Madge sounded properly shocked.

‘Well, it is! I’ll have to behave like an angel without wings, and there isn’t much fun in that! Oh, Madge, need I? Can’t you choose someone else?’

Madge shook her head. ‘No, Joey. It is all settled, and you are to be head-girl. After all, it isn’t much to ask in return for all the fun you’ve had. You are growing up now—yes, you are, whether you like it or not—and it is only right that you should take some of the responsibilities of the School on your shoulders. It won’t interfere with legitimate fun, as I’m sure Mary and Juliet and all the other head-girls would tell you. It simply means that you must give up mad pranks—such as sprinkling corn-flour on the hair of other girls, for instance!’

Query: apart from this, when does anyone other than Simone or Mademoiselle use "my Jo"? It sounds quite wrong here coming from Madge....!

Edited because I clicked Submit instead of Preview and then spotted a bunch of mistakes...

#37: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 10:23 am
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The way that read it seems that at the beginning of And Jo Madge had despaired of getting Jo to accept it - whatever she had said in Eustacia. And both Hilda and Joey herself seemed to confirm that later in Peggy when speaking to her just after Peggy had been told she was to be Head Girl.

#38: Author: Caroline, Location: Manchester

Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 10:39 am
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That sounds about right - I imagine that Jo didn't say too much about it during the Eustacia term (maybe she was trying not to think about it too much and hoping the whole thing would go away! Been there, done that Rolling Eyes

), and thus Madge didn't quite realise the depth of her objections. Probably Madge thought it was a knee jerk I don't want to reaction from Joey, and that her (Madge's) prompt and firm response would cause Jo to come round, once she had been given time to get used to the idea.

Then, during the Easter holidays, when the whole thing is so much nearer and Madge probably thought it was a done deal, and Jo began to realise that nothing was going to happen to prevent it - Mary and Deira really have left; Madge is not about to let her off - Jo begins to object again, more consistently and persistently this time, to the point at which Madge had to begin to take her seriously....

Or something like that, anyway Laughing

#39: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 10:45 am
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Sounds about right, Caroline! Laughing

Wonder what would have happened had Joey not become reconciled after her visit to see Gisela and Natalie? Have we ever had a drabble about if Frieda or Simone had been made Head Girl rather than Joey?

#40: Author: Fiona Mc, Location: Bendigo, Australia

Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 11:39 am
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Caroline wrote:

Ray wrote:

The stupid thing is her age would have been the perfect excuse and the fact she would be at school for another three years. She was happy to be prefect just not at 15. I wonder what a lot of girls who missed out and wanted prefectship would have felt about Len getting it so easily. Did any of them feel at resentful about it.

The other thing about Jo Scott diappearing was she was 18 and of the age to leave. She tended to be in a form with younger girls and even if she stayed she would have been in VIb not VIa if she was promoted as she had been-one form at a time

#41: Author: Smile :), Location: Location? What's a location?

Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 3:41 pm
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I think it would be interesting to see someone else headgirl instead of Joey!

#42: Author: Loryat,

Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 4:12 pm
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Caroline wrote:

Query: apart from this, when does anyone other than Simone or Mademoiselle use "my Jo"? It sounds quite wrong here coming from Madge....!

Gisela says it at least once...but it does sound funny coming from a non-European.

While I can understand where people are coming from re responsibilites, I think Len was made a prefect (and probably had this explained to her) because she was going to be a really good one and her fears seem to stem from insecurity.

#43: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 4:16 pm
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I think the problem is though - why did EBD bring the matter up at all? Why show Len as not wanting to be a Prefect and asking Joey to intercede on her behalf - then, in the next book, ignore totally that she had done so. I think the answer has to be that EBD forgot she had had Len asking this and, by the time she realised, it was too late.

#44: Author: Changnoi, Location: Milwaukee, USA

Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 12:38 am
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I would really have liked to see Natalie Mensch as Head-Girl instead of Peggy. I know that EBD has Natalie focus on music, but the reason seems to be solely to get Natalie into Special Sixth so that Peggy can be head. I despise and loathe Peggy as head, and I think giving Natalie the position would have been appropriate.

Chang

#45: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 5:28 am
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It would have been nice - the daughter of the first Head Girl - but she had to fight against the Bettany-Maynard-Russell clan - And the fact that she aged by about 2-3 years - wasn't she born after David? Makes her a lot younger than Peggy or even Bride.

#46: Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester

Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 6:39 am
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Peggy was 3 years older than David and David was a year older than Natalie, so Natalie must've been a genius to've been in Special Sixth when Peggy was Head Girl! I wish Natalie'd been Head too. There were so few Head Girls who weren't either British or American, apart from anything else.

#47: Author: Caroline, Location: Manchester

Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 7:44 am
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Regardless of Natalie being Head Girl (or what age she is!), I would have just liked to actually see her at the school (and her sisters, and Marie and Wanda's daughters etc.) as a regular fully developed character, rather than the odd fleeting appearance and reference by a third party.

EBD had a whole bunch of second generation characters there that she almost completely ignored.

#48: Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester

Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 8:00 am
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It was such a shame the way they were ignored. Marie's Josefa looked set to become one of Mary-Lou and Vi's crowd when they were younger but then for no reason she just disappeared, and Tessa de Bersac was quite friendly with Ailie & Co briefly but then also got overlooked when they became more central characters. It would've been much easier to care about people we "know" than about some of the obscure people who turn up in the later books without any background info.

#49: Author: Laura V, Location: Czech Republic

Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 1:06 pm
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Going back to the *disappearance* of Jo Scott - has anyone written a drabble as to the circumstances of her departure?
(bunny ahoy!)
But for me Margia is the obvious character who should have been head girl!

#50: Author: Caroline, Location: Manchester

Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 1:16 pm
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Alison H wrote:

It was such a shame the way they were ignored. Marie's Josefa looked set to become one of Mary-Lou and Vi's crowd when they were younger but then for no reason she just disappeared, and Tessa de Bersac was quite friendly with Ailie & Co briefly but then also got overlooked when they became more central characters. It would've been much easier to care about people we "know" than about some of the obscure people who turn up in the later books without any background info.

Picture me nodding in agreement. Josefa von Wertheim and Gretchen Mensch seem a shoe-in to be in M-L's gang; Maria von Gluck is a couple of years older, and would fit in quite nicely in, say, Sybil's year. Gisel Mensch gets the odd mention as a demon bowler in the cricket team (or some such) and should maybe be in Bride's year - if we accept the wacky adjustment that makes Natalie a contemporary of Peggy.

Others not featured at all: Emilia Joanna von Gluck is about Josette's age and Josephine Mensch (Gisela's youngest daugher) is the same age as Ailie and Co (blimey - another J name for that crowd!). I'm discounting Bernhilda's kids as they move to the US, right?

The only non-Bettany / Maynard / Russell second generation CS girls to feature much at all, other than Tessa, are Gretchen von Ahlen - who is only famous for being ill - Jack's chum Wanda von Eschenau - and we're never really sure who she even is! - and Jose Helston - who has the rare distinction of being in more books than her mother, rather than the other way round.

Rolling Eyes

#51: Author: Fiona Mc, Location: Bendigo, Australia

Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 11:44 pm
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Caroline wrote:

Others not featured at all: Emilia Joanna von Gluck is about Josette's age and Josephine Mensch (Gisela's youngest daugher) is the same age as Ailie and Co (blimey - another J name for that crowd!). I'm discounting Bernhilda's kids as they move to the US, right?

Emilia Joanna would actually be closer to the triplets age as she was born after they were in England and I've always added 9 months to when Friedel finally shows up with Bruno at the end of Exile and Bernhilda did return to Innsbruck in Problem. My assumption has always been that they stayed on at Carnbach maybe. It's the only really logical explaination I could think of. Plus Gottfried and Gisela did stay at the Welsh San maybe they kept their girls close by? I do have a very persistent plot bunny that is hanging around that does discuss Wanda Von Gluck's life and one about Bernie's oldest girl Louise. When my exam is over in a couple of weeks I'll start posting until then I don't really have the time. Very Happy

I was always disappointed that these children of old girls were ignored too. By the way I know I've read somewhere on the board that Gisela and Gottfried went to America. Does any one know when that was?

#52: Author: Caroline, Location: Manchester

Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 7:32 am
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Fiona Mc wrote:

Caroline wrote:

D'oh - and I even had Emmie Joanna being born in Robin.... So, yes, she is the Triplets age (ish), rather than Josette's age.

Bernie and Kurt - well, they were in Italy at the start of Exile, and then go to New York towards the end of Exile. And don't return to Innsbruck (as you said) until Problem. I'd assumed they were in America until then...

The CBB -> Anything Else

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