Promising start, thank you, Susan. Looking forward to more.
Welcome to the board and congratulations on your first drabble.
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| The Last New Girl..... http://www.the-cbb.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=8716 |
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| Author: | susanstitches [ Mon Nov 15, 2010 4:22 pm ] |
| Post subject: | The Last New Girl..... |
I've always wanted to do a boarding school story, my school was more of the St Trinian's type... this is what I would have imagined had I been a Chalet Girl in the 70s (I left shool in 1975!) The pranks mentioned are real... and apologies to my family if anyone 'recognises' them... (I'm the eldest of 7, aunt to 21 and great aunt to 11 with two more on the way). CHAPTER 1 - THE LAST NEW GIRL.... Len Maynard put down the letter from Tom Gay and looked out of the window to where the leaves were turning brown. She hesitated for a moment before ringing the bell and gave the maid her orders... five minutes later the last new girl stood nervously in front of her. "Please sit down" Len invited "we have decided where to place you." Susan Quinn sat on the edge of the chair, her hands folded neatly in her lap, looking every inch the responsible senior Chalet School girl. At almost 16 she was a 'latecomer' to boarding school life but had settled in well with the varying members of Tulip dormitory. Her own school in south-west London had closed down and her parents had come into some money and had decided to send Susan to a new school, not wanting her to follow in some of her former classmates extra-curricular activities and become pregnant at 14. "You know we put you in the coaching form because of your lack of languages and were uncertain of your skill level". Her pupil nodded, "Well, we have decided to place you in Upper 5 A. Your languages are better than average and as a result we can also let you do the additional music you need to 'specialise' more easily." "Thank you Ms Maynard... do I still need to learn science?" "No, you drop all science subjects, Miss Wilson states you have neither interest nor aptitude and after the last lesson..." here Len paused, trying to stop a smile come over her face at the memory of the prank - her pupil hid her black eyes too - dipping her penciltip into a small bowl filed with silver substance (mercury from a broken thermometer) "I think you will be better doing additional music lessons in the time your form would be doing science". "Will I be able to have cello lessons instead of violin?" Susan asked, her dislike of the violin had lead to another 'incident' where the bow had been covered with scellotape.... "Yes, as you have a particular aptitute for the instrument you can use the school cello until we can get one ordered." Len Maynard handed her a sheet of paper. "This is your timetable for the rest of the term, please make sure you speak to the form monitoress to get your books by the end of the afternoon." "Will I need to change dormitories?" Susan ventured, taking the paper and scanning it with sparkiling eyes. "No." Len smiled, "You seem to have settled in well with Tulip and I believe Elisa Murray is there, she is in your new form. I hope the two of you can help keep order with the middles in there, at 16 you should start to show some responsibility." Susan smiled to herself, it was just as well that Miss Maynard didn't know about the nightly antics in Tulip, the 'catapaulting pillow' competition had reached its semi-final and the four contestants were anticipating a good session that very evening. To catapault a pillow you needed to be 'heavy', and sit on a plank with the pillow on the end of the plank, how far the pillow went was recorded from the end of the plank and the winners went through to the final, where they received a small homemade pillow as a prize. To add to the weight small members of the dormitory were added as additional 'weight' to the seated contestant. Len dismissed her pupil with a smile and went back to her desk. In the last five years the school numbers had dwindled and Susan Quinn had been the last new girl to arrive who was not connected to the Maynard/Bettany/Russell clan. |
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| Author: | cal562301 [ Mon Nov 15, 2010 4:28 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Promising start, thank you, Susan. Looking forward to more. Welcome to the board and congratulations on your first drabble.
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| Author: | shazwales [ Mon Nov 15, 2010 4:29 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
This looks fun  looking forward to seeing some more please!
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| Author: | PaulineS [ Mon Nov 15, 2010 5:59 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Thank you and welcome to drabbling. |
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| Author: | Minim [ Mon Nov 15, 2010 6:01 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Welcome to the world of drabbling! |
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| Author: | Abi [ Mon Nov 15, 2010 8:54 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Sounds as though Susan's been shaking them up a bit! Congratulations on your first drabble! |
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| Author: | roversgirl [ Tue Nov 16, 2010 10:52 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Intresting start and interesting to hear that, apart from the clan, the school is less popular now. Thanks
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| Author: | susanstitches [ Tue Nov 16, 2010 3:59 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Thanks everyone, I haven't exactly specified a time period for my book yet, (in true EBD style!) but it is slowly evolving... reasons for the decline in the school are in the next bit.... Chapter 1 Part 2 Len Maynard (who didn't end up marrying Reg - more later) was dreading her mother's return from Montreaux, she had always had the 'new girls' for tea and to find that there was only one 'new girl' would be a total shock. During the previous term Joey had had a bad cold and had been summarily sent to Montreaux to recover, away from the heat of the Platz... hence she had not been present for the opening of the new school year. The school had been slowly declining in numbers due to a lot of factors, economic ones being most frequently cited, and the style of teaching (to some it was staid and old fashioned, with a reliance on the girls being 'young ladies' and 'well educated' in an era where free speech was becoming more prevalent). The reliance on the San was diminishing as well as more potent cures were available, in fact Len had been party to some discussions between the San doctors about the future of the institution, some wanting to turn it into a rehabilitiation centre for victims of ski-ing and similar activities, an idea greatly appealing to some, including Mary-Lou Jackson, once Mary-Lou Trelawney - a very popular Head Girl and now married to the replacement for Reg after his untimely death in a plane crash). Mary-Lou had been working in archaeology and had had a fall, aggrivating the old bobsled injury caused when Emerence Hope 'described a beautiful arc' into her and slammed her into a tree. This, combined with arthritis had now confined her to a wheelchair and she was now part time school secretary since Rosalie Dene had retired. Mary-Lou had become heavily involved in rehabilitation as was her 'bent', always trying to make light of her lack of ability to live a more normal lifestyle. She had become Len's 'right hand person' in school affairs, being old enough to offer guidance when needed and wise enough not to tread on other peoples toes. Len went back to her letter from Tom Gay after refilling her coffee cup and read until the bell went for Mitagessen.... Tom Gay was working in a London school, in fact the same school that her newest pupil had previously attended and the news in the letter was shocking and funny at the same time... "The school is in a suburb of south-west London", Ted had written, 'not exactly poverty stricken but an area which is 'up and coming' meaning that there are familes moved out of poorer areas into better council housing to 'give them a chance'. Some people welcome the change and others cling to the old ways. The school has also become known for the big influx of foreign children, anything from Russian through Vietnamese to French, Chinese and Japanese are heard, in some ways the old Chalet Shool lessons would go down well here, at least one third of the class would understand a foreign language more than English! I understand that Susan Quinn is settling in well, I won't 'tell tales' on her out of school but her old classmates have been up to mischief. We had a visit from some other councils this week and the little imps had a field day - in the entrance hall there is a big map of the catchment area of the school and has pins in where the pupils live, the little monkeys took the pins out and placed them in the grounds of two adjoining 'mental' hospitals (~note from author, these were West Park, Horton and Long Grove in nearby Epsom, closed down during the late 80s..) some council types were not amused! Another little 'jape of theirs was to put the words of the hymn for that day in beautiful copperplate writing instead of the usual print on the overhead projector..... Here Len was inteupted by a screech from just outside her window.... |
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| Author: | PaulineS [ Tue Nov 16, 2010 4:38 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Thanks. It sounds as if the School needs to brought into the last quarter of the twentieth century as well as the San. |
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| Author: | susanstitches [ Tue Nov 16, 2010 6:37 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
PaulineS wrote: Thanks. It sounds as if the School needs to brought into the last quarter of the twentieth century as well as the San. That is part of a chapter on its own....had a brainwave about it on the bus coming home tonight...true Chalet style twist as well. |
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| Author: | roversgirl [ Tue Nov 16, 2010 6:37 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Thanks for the update! Definitely sounds like they need modernising! |
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| Author: | ChubbyMonkey [ Tue Nov 16, 2010 8:12 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Thankyou for a new drabble! |
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| Author: | mohini [ Wed Nov 17, 2010 5:35 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Love it. Thanks. |
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| Author: | shazwales [ Wed Nov 17, 2010 6:39 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Really enjoying this,thanks
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| Author: | susanstitches [ Wed Nov 17, 2010 8:04 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Next update will be at the weekend. Len will fina a new assistant who shares her birthday and the plot thickens... |
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| Author: | Elbee [ Fri Nov 19, 2010 5:16 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
This is very intriguing, thank you. Susan's old school is set in my neck of the woods - those old mental hospitals are big housing estates now! |
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| Author: | Abi [ Fri Nov 19, 2010 6:20 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Interesting to hear a bit of the history - thanks! |
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| Author: | NorwichCitygirl [ Fri Nov 19, 2010 6:39 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
This is great! Thanks! |
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| Author: | Fiona Mc [ Sat Nov 20, 2010 10:30 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Thanks am really enjoying this |
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| Author: | JS [ Sun Nov 21, 2010 9:05 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Looking forward to more
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| Author: | susanstitches [ Sun Nov 21, 2010 8:33 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl.....Last part of 1st Chapter... (21/11/201 |
The shriek came from her own sister Marie-Claire, an ornament of Susan's new form. "What is all the noise about?" Len stood by the window which overlooked the lawns, with a view towards the mountains, "Susan has just told us she made the little lace curtains for the castle Tom Gay sent for the sale last term, and that she knows Tom." "That's not much to make a sound like a steam engine having a fit." Len remonstrated, "I thought at least somebody had done something wrong.." The group of girls looked efore sheepish, mumbled their aplogies then Marie-Claire Maynard piped up "Is Susan coming with us on the trip to Interlaken tomorrow" "Yes" Len confimed, "she is a member of your form officially now." Can one of you help her get her books together before afternoon school. Miss Trelawney can direct you to where they can be found in the stockroom. It shouldn't take more than one helper." The girls seemedvery pleased, they had taken to the new girl, who was a few months younger than their form age, and were happily planning spending more free time with her. Only one girl in the shool didn't seem too pleased of Susan's appointmnt to Upper IVA, and that was going to cause some friction..... |
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| Author: | roversgirl [ Sun Nov 21, 2010 8:45 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Thanks for the update. I wonder who is not happy about her arrival. |
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| Author: | ChubbyMonkey [ Mon Nov 22, 2010 6:34 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
I'm wondering too! Thankyou. |
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| Author: | Fiona Mc [ Wed Nov 24, 2010 8:18 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
so am I |
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| Author: | susanstitches [ Wed Dec 01, 2010 8:04 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Update later on today - had to do some background work on the characters and some background reading.... got the rest of the story nailed now with an extremely satisfactory conclusion! |
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| Author: | susanstitches [ Fri Dec 03, 2010 11:54 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... Chapter 2 - 3 Dec 10 |
CHAPTER 2 - A Chapter of Letters (always wanted to write one of these.........) Dearest Mum, Dad and everyone Its starting to get cold here and we are going to have a reading of the school Christmas play as soon as we get back from the half-term trip from Interlaken, at least they won't pick me to play Mary again this year, I am going to be in the orchestra playing cello instead. I've been placed in Upper IVA, so I can 'specialise' in music, it means I don't do any science at all - tell Emmy that she would love the science here when she comes in September, they do a lot of chemistry and biology. I also don't have to do additional French or German, just as well we knew enough in advance that I was coming for me to have conversation practice with Auntie Flossie, Auntie Clara and Auntie Val, the three other girls who arrived with me and two others who weren't ready for the form are still in the 'Middle Shell' form and having extra languages to bring them up to standard. We are off to Interlaken for half term and I am looking forward to the trip, it will be the first one with this school... It's nice to see the little ones learning to write nicely, I miss the family a lot and am looking forward to Christmas when I see you all. At least we have three weeks this Christmas, apparently some years they only had one or two weeks but that was in what Marie-Claire calls "the Dark Ages" she is the youngest sister of the headmistress and in my form. She is the youngest of a large family so we have a lot to compare notes on! Before I forget I will be sending a diary home after the half-term trip, this was suggested as a way of recording what is happening and keeping things 'fresh'. I think it is a great thing to do. We are nearly all keeping diaries and sending them home every half-term. Give my love to everyone - and I can't wait to see you all again. Your loving daughter, Susan From Mrs Quinn to Susan Dear Susan Your father and I were very pleased with the progress report from your headmistress, she sounds just the type we want you to become. Have you heard from any of your old friends from school, the school actually will close at Easter after the last few people have taken their resits. I can't say it will be a loss to the area but we don't yet know what is going to be on the site, from the looks of it the council want to sell the land and build some more flats... Your brothers and sisters are sending notes with this, the postage is high but we don't worry now about finances as we used to... it is easier to tell people that we had a pools win rather than explain that your father had a lot of reward money... his shop is doing quite well and he is getting home in time to see the little ones before they go to bed. Talking of the twins, last night they excelled themselves, they made a tin-can telephone so they could whisper to Emmy in the next room.... trouble is they left the lead visible and Simon tripped over it when he went up to bed... the noise he made woke the whole house! The cats seemed to miss you and kept trying to sleep in your bed but we put a mosquito net over it so they couldn't leave hairs on it. Looking forward to seeing you at Christmas, we have written to Miss Maynard about an escort for you, several girls are coming back into London so you will only have to change trains at Victoria station, but you are used to that. Your mother.... From Susan to one of her old school friends Dear Karen I hope everything is okay with you and the new baby, I am pleased that you managed to get a place from the local council, and that you can carry on at College next year. I was expecting to be moved to Highview but when I found out I was coming here I was pretty relieved, I still remember the chaos we caused when we met up with the Highview tramps at the big exhibition centre in Earls Court.... I particularly enjoyed dropping ice-cream on top of Angela Potter's greasy head from the balcony! We don't do things like that here, but I have heard stories of other mis-doings from the girls and after half-term I am going to be reading the book of 'Legends' which is in the school library. Please try and get a picture of little Wayne, I bet he looks really sweet. Looking forward to seeing everyone over Xmas. Susan |
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| Author: | PaulineS [ Fri Dec 03, 2010 12:37 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Thanks for the update, I like it that Susan is keeping in touch with her old school friends. |
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| Author: | ChubbyMonkey [ Fri Dec 03, 2010 7:26 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
 I love the ice-cream comment! Thankyou for the update.
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| Author: | Abi [ Fri Dec 03, 2010 10:38 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
I bet the CS is a little more sedate....
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| Author: | susanstitches [ Tue Dec 07, 2010 8:59 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... Updated 7 Dec 2010 |
Chapter 3 - Interesting developments During the half-term weekend trip to Interlaken where some of the seniors had seen the sights and done a bit of shopping for chocolate and other important items there had been much talk about the Xmas play and what form it would take. "No doubt Felicity Maynard will be Mary this year, as Head Girl she is serene enough and her fair hair will be an assett." Maria Elliot said, "I also expect the rest of the sixth will hog the main parts of Joseph, shepherds and wise men." "What about the little ones, will they be angels?" Susan asked, she was pleased that she wouldn't be acting in the play, whilst she liked acting and recited reasonably well she preferred to hide in the orchestra. "I expect so," Maria looked at her closely, "You will be in the orchestra won't you?" "Hopefully" Susan confirmed, "What is the proper cello teacher like? I've only had basic practice sessions with Miss Rutherford. "Don't know..." Marie-Claire said, "I don't do music so I can't comment but I do know that he is round about Len's age - sorry, I mean Miss Maynard's age... it is such a bother having sisters as Teachers and Head Girl. "Apparently he trained at some Academy before the war and when it closed he travelled around for a bit and teaches when needed." "What made you choose the cello?" Maria asked her, "I don't learn music" Her voice sounded wistful to Susan "It chose me...." Susan stated simply "My father has a shop and sells all sorts of things, he had a cello and eveery time I went into the shop after school the cello kept falling onto me, we used it to play orchestras one day when our cousins came over and I found I could make it sound nice." "How many of you are there?" Marie-Claire asked, her own family took some explaining. "Seven, I'm the eldest, then three brothers, then another sister then the twins." Susan had shown the girls who shared her dormitory a group picture of the familly, taken just before she had left for school." "Instead of gossiping I think you three ought to be getting your things ready, we are leaving to go back to the Platz in five minutes" The voice of Nina Rutherford sounded amused, "I thought you had done enough talking the last three days!" The three girls looked sheepish and hastily gathered their small cases, coats, hat and bags together They didn't have gloves or scarves as it was still quite mild. This weekend had seemed to deepen the tiese between them which had started on the journey from Paris some six weeks earlier. Back at school Len Maynard was indulging in a few days of peace and quiet, not electing to go home as it was in a state of redecoration, ready for its mistresses return later that week. Len was anxious when the pupils were away on various outings, remembering various escapades which had happened, including a thrilling walk ending in wading through a flooded stream. Her face took on a more sombre look when she remembered her loss, although three years had passed she still found it difficult to come to terms with herself and her feelings when Reg had died unexpectedly. "That's enough wool-gathering..." she told herself sternly and turned resoutely to the more pressing task of working out when to fit in the reading of the much talked about Xmas play into the already busy timetable, finally deciding the play reading could be fitted in between morning and afternoon school on the Wednesday. |
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| Author: | roversgirl [ Tue Dec 07, 2010 9:17 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
So wondering what Nina is doing at the school (she's supposed to be a concert pianist!) and what happened to Len and Reg? Thanks for the update
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| Author: | ChubbyMonkey [ Wed Dec 08, 2010 8:24 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
I like such ordinary chatter, it's really nice. Thankyou! |
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| Author: | Elbee [ Thu Dec 09, 2010 5:10 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Susan seems to be settling down well and making friends. Thank you susanstitches. |
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| Author: | shazwales [ Thu Dec 09, 2010 5:37 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Not surprised that Len is anxious,she's experienced the mishaps herself and grown up with the old stories.Thank you.
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| Author: | susanstitches [ Mon Jan 17, 2011 12:12 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
An update will be posted later this week, I've had the dreaded lurgey and started the New Year with a funeral in the first week, and being made redundant in the next few days... but good news is I am going on a cruise with a friend. Finished the story and looking forward to having some time to write another one - this time have the whole story rather than just the first three chapters and 'see how it goes....'. |
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| Author: | PaulineS [ Mon Jan 17, 2011 4:07 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Looking forward to update when you can. Sorry about the job, enjoy the cruise. |
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| Author: | lindsabeth [ Tue Jan 18, 2011 12:28 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
I just found this! Interesting to see Len as headmistress. I also enjoyed the various pranks I look forward to reading the rest whenever you get a chance to post it. Hope you have fun on the cruise
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| Author: | chris84 [ Tue Jan 18, 2011 9:04 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
I'm really enjoying this, looking forward to more when you have time. Enjoy your cruise .
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| Author: | Fiona Mc [ Sun Jan 23, 2011 2:19 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Just caught up with the last couple of updates, thanks |
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| Author: | susanstitches [ Sat Apr 23, 2011 11:24 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
An update will be posted on Tuesday, had a lot going on but now have got time to post remaining chapters..... |
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| Author: | shesings [ Sat Apr 23, 2011 12:33 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Great to hear, susanstitches, looking forward to it!
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| Author: | Minim [ Sat Apr 23, 2011 12:41 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Ooh, I'd almost forgotten about this... *Looking forward to next instalment* |
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| Author: | chris84 [ Sun Apr 24, 2011 11:52 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Pleased to hear you'll be updating soon can't wait, am looking forward to it.
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| Author: | Chair [ Fri May 20, 2011 4:33 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The Last New Girl..... |
Thanks, Susanstitches. I have just caught up with this and I'm really enjoying it. I hope you're able to update soon. |
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