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Books About the Chalet School: Behind the Chalet School
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Author:  JB [ Wed Dec 16, 2009 11:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Books About the Chalet School: Behind the Chalet School
Behind the Chalet School, a Biography of EBD by Helen McClelland, was first published by New Horizon in 1981, reprinted in a revised edition by Anchor in 1986, and reprinted with further revisions by Bettany Press in 1996 .McClelland began work on the book in 1974 and says the common reaction she met was “but what on earth makes you want to write about her?”

It was an uphill struggle to find details of EBD’s early life, although McClelland was fortunate to be able to talk with Phyllis Matthewman and to have access to EBD’s own papers which were still in the house she had shared with the Matthewmans. Indeed, even Mrs Matthewman was unaware that EBD’s parents had legally separated after a marriage of only 4 years and that she had a half-brother from her father’s first marriage. It’s fair to say that McClelland’s researches weren’t helped by the inaccuracies in the limited existing biographical information on EBD; inaccuracies which were often perpetrated by EBD herself eg her birth date and schooling.

Born Gladys Eleanor May Dyer in South Shields in 1894, EBD attended a small private day school known as “the Misses Stewart’s School” before going to the City of Leeds Training College (where she briefly adopted the name Patricia Maraquita). Her brother, Henzell Dyer, died suddenly at the age of 17 of cerebrospinal meningitis.

After teacher training, EBD taught at the Boys High School in South Shields, St Helen’s School in Northwood, Middlesex (a well-known school) and then at the less prestigious Weston House School in Fareham, Hants. Brought up an Anglican, she converted to Catholicism in 1930. In the early 1930s EBD, with her mother and step-father, moved to Hereford. After working as a governess, she started the Margaret Roper School in 1938 and this continued for 10 years. After her mother’s death in 1957, EBD remained in the large house in Hereford until she moved to join the Matthewmans in Surrey in 1963.

She was, by her friends’ accounts, an unconventional and flamboyant personality whose many enthusiasms included the theatre, music and dogs. She could be good company but was felt by others to be somewhat overpowering. A colleague described her as “acting in front of a class” rather than teaching.

It’s thought unlikely that she and her brother Henzell saw her father again after he left home, even though he continued to live in South Shields (with another woman with whom he also had a son) but there’s no way of being sure about this. However, in 1922, she did add the name “Brent” to her surname – this being one of her father’s names.

Her first book, Gerry Goes to School, was published in 1922 and The School at the Chalet was published in 1925. In total, she published more than a hundred books.

Have you read this book? Did you enjoy it?
Did you know about EBD's life before you read it?
Were you surprised by any aspects of her life? Which?
Do you think any elements of her life come across particularly strongly in her writing?

Please do raise any other points about EBD’s life or this biography as I could only give the briefest summary here. If you haven’t read the book and you have any questions, please do ask and I’ll do my best to answer.
Author:  Clare [ Thu Dec 17, 2009 12:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Books About the Chalet School: Behind the Chalet School
JB wrote:
A colleague described her as “acting in front of a class” rather than teaching.


I haven't read the book, but I find that quote rather interesting, especially as ITT courses do encourage you "to act in front of a class!" I think they refer to it in more of a behaviour management/conveying confidence manner, but still. I wonder how her colleague meant it.
Author:  Sunglass [ Thu Dec 17, 2009 9:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Books About the Chalet School: Behind the Chalet School
I only skimmed this book once years ago in a library, don't remember any detail, and don't have access to a text now, but reading the synopsis reminded me of a couple of things I found interesting.

One, that given her own problematic 'split' family - the father gone but not really gone, the dead brother and the (presumably unknown?) half-brother - it's interesting that she writes about huge, idealised, united families like the Maynards, whose numbers and happy family life other characters envy. Or she writes about fathers (and sometimes also mothers) who are 'respectably' absent, either definitely dead/ brave explorers/at war/working abroad/in space etc.

Might her obsession with coincidental rediscoveries of long-lost relatives also have some connection with her 'shadow' family (her father, his new partner/wife - did he and EBD's mother actually divorce? - her half-brother)? If she knew they existed, possibly not far away, the idea of encountering them by chance some time must have crossed her mind. Her family background also, to my mind, throws some light on the very effective and nasty way she writes about a gossipy, claustrophobic small town environment in Jean of Storms - if her father's departure and new relationship was generally known, it must have caused talk.

Interesting too to read she was considered somewhat 'overpowering', given that I always find some of her favourite CS characters - notably adult Joey and Mary-Lou - distinctly overpowering and somewhat attention-hogging. It makes more sense to me that she would see that as attractive if her own personality tended towards the fortissimo end of the spectrum. The 'acting in front of the class' description of her teaching also makes a lot of sense in relation to the way she approvingly describes Biddy and Joey's history lessons. I know we're told about free discussions, but usually what we get verbatim is the 'flow of picturesque language' which does sound more like acting a monologue!

Can I ask what exactly was her relationship with the Matthewsons that she ended up living with them in later life?
Author:  abbeybufo [ Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Books About the Chalet School: Behind the Chalet School
Sidney Matthewman was Elinor's agent from 1949 [when he set up an agency for authors] onwards - she was one of his first clients and this may have helped his initial success. They had known each other before this - Phyllis and Elinor had been 'childhood friends' - and Sidney and Phyllis spent much of the war with Elinor and her mother in Hereford.
Author:  Alison H [ Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Books About the Chalet School: Behind the Chalet School
I enjoyed this: it's always interesting to know more about favourite authors. I thought Helen McClelland did a good job considering that it clearly wasn't easy to find the info.

I found some of it quite sad - the loss of her brother at an early age (although obviously many people of her generation suffered similar experiences), the family break-up at a time when parental separation was fairly uncommon, the fact that she found the need to reinvent herself by using different names and being a little liberal with the truth about herself and her sadness that she never met Mr (Dr?) Right. She sounds like a very interesting and rather unconventional person, though: I'd love to've known her.

I'm trying to think which of the CS characters most resembles her, but I'm struggling! Maybe she wanted to be Joey, but she doesn't sound much like her.
Author:  JB [ Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:59 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Books About the Chalet School: Behind the Chalet School
EBD knew of the existence of her older half brother, Charles Dyer, but it isn’t known when she found out. After the publicity around the publication of BTCS and McClelland’s appearance on Radio 4, Charles Dyer contacted McClelland (this led to the updates in the Bettany Press edition and it’s described in The CS Revisited). He and EBD had corresponded and they planned to meet at one point (during the war I think) but it had to be put off and they didn’t rearrange it. It isn’t mentioned if she knew of her younger half brother, born after her parents’ marriage broke up.

Interestingly, her father’s departure doesn’t seem to have been well known which is difficult to believe given that they lived in a smallish town where Dyer continued to live for some of the time. Nellie Dyer “spread the impression around” that her husband was dead and McClelland says:

Quote:
Relatives and friends must have known the facts. Neighbours may have guessed. Btu apparently there were blind eyes turned and deaf ears, and only the most hushed comments were whispered behind the lace curtains.


The Dyers didn’t divorce but were legally separated. This took place 14 years before his death. This would have been made much easier because Nelly Dyer was the owner of the house where they family lived. It had been her family home and her father left it to her. Charles Dyer left his estate (such as it was) to his new partner and specifically excluded his wife and “her two children” from benefiting from the will.

I do think though that EBD couldn’t have been unaffected by growing up with so many secrets. Her mother dealt with problems by burying them (she did the same with the death of Henzell) and this need to hide things does seem at odds with EBD’s much more open personality. McClelland says that Nelly Dyer seems to have been a quietly dominant person who “had Elinor under her thumb”, although she was also much-liked by EBD’s friends.

EBD and Phyllis Matthewman knew each other as children as both grew up in South Shields. They then lost contact for around 30 years and met again when Phyllis, now married to Sidney, moved to Hereford during the war. After the war, Sidney became EBD’s agent and eventually they shared a house in Surrey.

There is a very interesting article by Helen McClelland in an FOCS or New Chalet Club journal, where she’s much more open about Phyllis than she felt she could be in the books. McClelland felt, from the start that Phyllis hadn’t liked EBD very much and expands on this, believing that there was some professional jealousy as well as resentment that she had so little time on her own with her husband during the last years of his life (he died quite soon after EBD).
Author:  Kathy_S [ Thu Dec 17, 2009 5:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Books About the Chalet School: Behind the Chalet School
I found the biographical information, including the reminiscences and anecdotes, extremely interesting, and am certainly glad that McClelland tackled the subject. However, I was rather irritated by the mix of biography with literary criticism, etc. For example, to read that EBD was known or thought by her friend Q to have regarded X or Y as "twee" or "cloying" would be perfectly legitimate biography, but the author's own opinions kept interjecting themselves. :?
Author:  sealpuppy [ Thu Dec 17, 2009 8:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Books About the Chalet School: Behind the Chalet School
I bought the book when it came out and was really interested in the biographical details plus the fact that there really was a 'Tiernsee'. What irritated me was that the book was so badly produced - it was a Book Guild one, I think, can't remember the detail, so it was technically a Vanity Publisher, though it must have done pretty well, with all the EBD fans out there. Needs a really good editor to sort it out, but interesting anyway.

One thing that interested me particularly was mention of EBD's friend from Guernsey, Miss LePoidevin. I contacted GGB a year or so ago to find out more about her, because I was taught French by a Miss Helena LePoidevin, who came from Guernsey and would have been born approx 1900.

OT a bit: Turned out to be a diffferent Miss LePoidevin and GGB possibly didn't appreciate my comment that Helena LeP always smelt of rabbits (she lived with a non-teaching friend and kept bunnies; she also had the most intriguing teeth and we all thought she had a double row of gnashers!) GGB not amused. :oops:
Author:  JB [ Thu Dec 17, 2009 9:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Books About the Chalet School: Behind the Chalet School
I think the Bettany Press version is better produced, Sealpuppy. The Anchor hardback has the worst index ever - funnily enough there were a lot of entries under Brent Dyer, Elinor. :lol:

* Giggling at the thought of your teacher *
Author:  Elle [ Thu Dec 17, 2009 9:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Books About the Chalet School: Behind the Chalet School
Clare wrote:
JB wrote:
A colleague described her as “acting in front of a class” rather than teaching.


I haven't read the book, but I find that quote rather interesting, especially as ITT courses do encourage you "to act in front of a class!" I think they refer to it in more of a behaviour management/conveying confidence manner, but still. I wonder how her colleague meant it.


That interested me too, as I would describe what I do as definitely acting as well as teaching.

I really enjoyed I book.
Author:  Mel [ Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Books About the Chalet School: Behind the Chalet School
I enjoyed this very much - so many revelations! As a child I thought EBD was a cross between Madge and Hilda. Her maternal grandfather was very canny with money, invested wisely, so that she and her mother were comfortably off. Perhaps that's why she was so scornful of people who had to exist 'with nothing but their income.' Best of all were the snippets about her private life, such as using safety pins on her underwear and the fact that her school was almost closed because of poor hygiene in the kitchen! In her forties (!) she played Our Lady in a parish Nativity play - and it was said she over-acted. No Jane Carew then... She would have been interesting to know, as she was, as she would have put it 'no plaster saint.'
Author:  MaryR [ Fri Dec 18, 2009 5:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Books About the Chalet School: Behind the Chalet School
Elle wrote:
Clare wrote:
JB wrote:
A colleague described her as “acting in front of a class” rather than teaching.


I haven't read the book, but I find that quote rather interesting, especially as ITT courses do encourage you "to act in front of a class!" I think they refer to it in more of a behaviour management/conveying confidence manner, but still. I wonder how her colleague meant it.


That interested me too, as I would describe what I do as definitely acting as well as teaching.

I really enjoyed I book.

I haven't read the book, but teaching is definitely acting, and is done for all sorts of reasons. I always had far more self-confidence in front of the children than I ever had in RL, and hated when I had another adult in the room as I felt I couldn't be this other me. :roll:
Author:  Tor [ Fri Dec 18, 2009 5:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Books About the Chalet School: Behind the Chalet School
I really want to read this book! all the little snippets I hear from it about EBD (mostly from JB, I must say!) really make me smile. That, plus her voice in the books, give me a very strong impression of her character. I too would love to have met her. I bet she was hilarious (and a real pain in the bum at times too)!

I find her relationships with the Matthewman's very interesting. Wasn't there a fabulously bitchy quote by Phyllis M, mentioned on the Joey Goes on Television thread, about her being much better than expected, or words to that extent? And I am sure someone else mentioned that EBD and Phyllis Matthewman went to the library together an kept tabs on who had the most readers. All a bit weird really! But by the sounds of things EBD might have been best sampled in small doses. Like adult Joey.

I wonder if by creating the overwhelming adult Joey, EBD might have created a caricature in herself. not putting this very well, but I can see that by writing a character, you might start to take on some of their mannerisms and phrasings nd thus creating a mad EBD-JMB positive feedback loop.... scary.... :lol:

ETA: if EBD was acting in front of a class, and later evidence suggests she wasn't a great actor, perhaps this might explain her not being a great success as a teacher either :lol: :lol:
Author:  JS [ Thu Dec 24, 2009 10:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Books About the Chalet School: Behind the Chalet School
I read this when I was a student - waited for months for the one copy available (hardback) to be brought to Edinburgh's central library (did anyone here take it out?? Would have been 1987-ish :lol: )

I remember finding it interesting but I was disappointed that Elinor didn't seem to be the lovely, perfect, Madge/Joey character I'd imagined - how naive was I?

Having bought the paperback a few years ago and re-read it, my adult self was much more forgiving of a somewhat flawed character who was undoubtedly pretty annoying (and bumptious) but who gave me so much pleasure from her books.

I for one am pleased that Helen McLelland wrote it - it must have been a lot of work and quite frustrating too.
Author:  SMG [ Thu Dec 24, 2009 9:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Books About the Chalet School: Behind the Chalet School
Tor wrote:
ETA: if EBD was acting in front of a class, and later evidence suggests she wasn't a great actor, perhaps this might explain her not being a great success as a teacher either :lol: :lol:


From the book and other EMBD it would appear that EMBD was a reasonably successful teacher but NOT a successful administrator.

Just as well for the world of Chalet Fans.

Remember finding the orig book both really interesting and frustrating at the same time. The Bettany Press edition was far better written(or edited) and seemed to hang together better.
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