Quote of the Day

In the gloom of the van's interior, Ricky's blue eyes were round and scared.

"Now, where are we going?" she whispered.

"Straight into the lion's den, I should think," said Julie cheerfully.

From CROOKS LIMITED, the 1962 short story featuring Ricky, Julie and Fay from Crooks Tour.

Crooks Limited

The last illustration in Crooks Limited, when Ricky and Fay tumble out of the wardrobe. Throughout the story, the artist mixed up Ricky and Fay, making Ricky a brunette and Fay a blond. Other than that, the story is very good.

Quote of the Day

However, it was a nice, mild June evening, the girls were in no particular hurry to reach home as they would immediately be forced by their mothers to do a lot of boring home-work when they got there, so they strolled on to the next bus-stop. Fay, of course, was right; they were mid-way between stops when the bus sailed past, and the argument started again at the next stop.

From Crooks Limited, the 1962 short story featuring Ricky, Julie and Fay, of Crooks Tour fame. 

Quote of the Day

Miss Perry, glancing round the form, saw Ricky's studiously bent head, which was enough in itself to make her suspicious. She paused in what she was telling the form to say in her sarcastic way, "Erica has, I suppose, such a thorough knowledge of the causes of the French Revolution that she doesn't need to listen?"

Ricky, absorbed in her cutting, paid no attention.

From CROOKS LIMITED.

Quote of the Day

Ricky and Julie were now hopping about on the pavement like a couple of demented fleas. "We must do something! We must stop them! Caught in the act! What shall we do? How can we stop them?" Ricky was muttering, dithering as usual.

From CROOKS LIMITED.

Buried Treasures 2

From left to right, Fay, Julie and Ricky of Crooks Tour fame. This is the colour illustration from their short story Crooks Limited.

Quote of the Day

"Are you daft?" said Ricky. "How can I sit there doing nothing but history? It's so jolly dull. Besides, there are other things to think about, such as catching those crooks."

Her friends laughed jeeringly. "Catch those crooks!" said Julie. "You've been trying for years to catch a crook, and so far you haven't even managed to see one, far less catch one!"

"Yes, well, I haven't been very lucky so far," Ricky admitted.

From the short story CROOKS LIMITED.

Ricky, Julie and Fay

Rare black and white scan of Ricky, Julie and Fay, the heroines from Crooks Tour, in the short sequel Crooks Limited, 1962.

Crooks Limited (2)

Here's another scan from the 1962 short story Crooks Limited, the follow-up to Crooks Tour. Ricky and Julie are discovered after stowing away in the back of a removal van. After a bumpy ride around Glasgow, they are glad to be caught!

Quote of the Day

Ricky slipped the newspaper cutting out of her desk and read it again. She had cut it out of the morning paper - much to her father's annoyance because he had not yet had a chance to read the paper - and she had been studying it at every suitable moment since. Not that this was a suitable moment, really, because it was in the middle of a history lesson, and she should have been listening to Miss Perry expounding the causes of the French Revolution instead of poring over a rather sensational newspaper cutting. However, it was to the cutting that she was gving all her attention:

FURNITURE VAN GANG -

DARING ROBBERIES

it was headed, and it went on to say: Members of the public are warned of a gang operating in Glasgow and surrounding country districts. The gang drives up openly in a removal van to a house from which the owners are absent and empties the contents from the house into the van. This was the method thought to have been used when the house of Sir John McLintock in Whittington Gardens was burgled, as a removal van, which has since not been traced, was seen standing outside the house for two hours. Sir John McLintock, a former Lord Provost of the city - Ricky skipped that bit and hurried on to - the house of Mr. William Lambie, the well-known Glasgow surgeon, at Killearn, was also thought to have been robbed in this way. It is significant that both Sir John and Mr. Lambie are well-known collectors of art and antiques -

Miss Perry, glancing round the form, saw Ricky's studiously bent head, which was enough in itself to make her suspicious. She paused in what she was telling the form to say in her sarcastic way, "Erica has, I suppose, such a thorough knowledge of the causes of the French Revolution that she doesn't need to listen?"
Ricky, absorbed in her cutting, paid no attention. Anyone, the cutting finished, who can give any information about this furniture van should telephone the police immediately. Oh, goodness, she thought, if only I could see this van! I'd telephone the police all right! I'd-
"Erica!"
Ricky jumped and looked up. "Yes, Miss Perry?"
"Have you a thorough knowledge of the causes of the French Revolution, Erica?"
Ricky gaped at Miss Perry. What a daft question! She didn't know the first thing about the French Revolution! Except, of course, what you could learn about it from The Scarlet Pimpernel. "Och, no, Miss Perry," she said.
"Then I suggest that as you apparently don't choose to listen in class, you can stay in this afternoon and make good the deficiency," said Miss Perry.
"Yes, Miss Perry," said Ricky, subdued.

From the short story CROOKS LIMITED.  

Crooks Limited

Here are two illustrations from the short story Crooks Limited, starring the Glaswegian trio Ricky, Julie and Fay. As I've mentioned before, the problem with this story is that the artist got Ricky and Fay mixed up. That spoiled it a bit for me...