Penny in St Brieuc

In Chapter 4 of Twopence Coloured, Penny goes into a daydream and is separated from her family. She has to find the mysterious michelin to try and catch up with them. However, her French is not quite up to scratch and she has a little communication breakdown. She manages in the end though.

Notes on Twopence Coloured

This week, I started rereading Twopence Coloured, the second book in the Penny series. Some notes:

1. This is Jane Shaw's third book set in Binic. As in the other stories set in the Breton seaside resort, the town is not given its proper name. In Twopence Coloured, it is called Kerdic. The name is explained as meaning the House on the Ic. However, the real name is given in the dedication, "For KATHERINE, remembering Binic". The name Binic means Head of the Ic.

2. In the other three books, the protagonists stay in a chateau. In this book, Penny and her family are guests at the Hôtel de la Plage.

3. It is in this story that Penny and Jill become friends with Laura and John Mallory, who will feature in all the subsequent books (Threepenny Bit, Fourpenny Fair, Fivepenny Mystery and Crooked Sixpence).

4. The book is available in three editions: the original Nelson edition with colour frontispiece; the Brittanic Series with colour frontispiece; and the Triumph, with the same frontispiece but in black and white.

5. All three editions are lavishly illustrated. In addition to the frontis, there are seven illustrations.

Quote of the Day

The bus took them very quickly and dangerously to the middle of Dinard. Then a taxi unnecessarily took them the hundred yards to a rather sordid café where, they were assured, the bus which was to take them the next stage of their journey would certainly start. Nobody could believe it, as anything less like a bus terminus could hardly be imagined.

From TWOPENCE COLOURED, Chapter 4, They Part.

Twopence Coloured Colour Frontispiece

The colour frontis of Twopence Coloured from the Britannic Series. My Triumph edition has the same illustration, but in black and white. The entire Penny series was illustrated by Scottish artist Gilbert Dunlop. I would like to thank Naomi for sending me this scan.

Twopence Coloured B&W Frontispiece

A nice clean scan of the frontispiece of the Triumph edition of Twopence Coloured. The Triumph Series all had black and white frontispieces.

Quote of the Day

In a little while Penny, sitting on her wall as if nothing had happened, gazing urgently out to sea, led the procession back into the square, amid the tumultuous cheers of the crowd. This time, her family were thankful to note, she had removed the sun-hat....

"But," said Penny, when she could make herself heard, "why bagpipes?"

"Oh, we have bagpipes in Brittany," answered Miss Foster, "just as in Scotland, only they are slightly different."

From TWOPENCE COLOURED, Chapter 9, Penny Leads the Procession.

Île de Bréhat

An aerial view of the Île de Bréhat. This island is the scene of almost a whole chapter in Twopence Coloured. But in Susan's Kind Heart the visit the young people make to the island is only briefly described, and apart from their picnic and very quick shopping for souvenirs and gifts and dinner, the whole visit is over in less than two pages. The Île de Bréhat is famous for its pink granite rocks. 

Escape from the Manoir de la Falaise

An illustration from Rescue, Chapter 14 of Twopence Coloured. Louise makes her dramatic escape from the Manoir de la Falaise and the evil Black Maria.

Twopence Coloured

Quote of the Day

"Carried away?" cried John. "You'd think I was making it all up! I heard them, I tell you, and I'm sure they're going to rob the hotel."

Jill, who had slid under the blankets again, said, "You were sure that Louise was in the pigeon-loft."

John treated this unkind answer with the contempt it deserved. He threw one of Penny's pillows at Jill.

From TWOPENCE COLOURED, Chapter 8, Looking for Louise.

Twopence Coloured frontispiece

Here is a "cleaned up" high-resolution scan of the Twopence Coloured frontispiece.

Twopence Coloured illustration

An illustration from Chapter 8, Looking for Louise.

Twopence Coloured illustration

A scene from Chapter 11 of Twopence Coloured, Market Day. Penny discovers Louise at the  Manoir de la Falaise.

Quote of the Day

"Penny!" said the ogre, chuckling in his goblin way. "C'est drôle, ça! That means two sous, n'est-ce pas?"

Jill couldn't be bothered explaining about Penelope, so she said yes.

"Ah, bien," said the ogre, fishing in his waistcoat pocket, "then I have a message for her. A pigeon brought it."

John gasped. "A pigeon brought it?" he said, his eyes shining. "A pigeon brought a message for Penny?"

From TWOPENCE COLOURED, Chapter 11, Market Day.

Louise Escapes

Last time we saw Louise from Twopence Coloured, Marie foiled her escape from the Manoir de la Falaise. This time, in Chapter 14, The Rescue, she makes it and is happy when she meets Penny and Jill who have come to help her get away.

Louise's Foiled Escape

An illustration from Chapter 6 of Twopence Coloured, At the Manoir de la Falaise. Penny's new friend Louise Carrington attempts to escape, but the watchful Marie catches her in the act.

Ad for Twopence Coloured

Ad for Twopence Coloured from the inside back cover of Threepenny Bit.

Quote of the Day

"I must be going potty," she thought: "I thought I heard bagpipes-" Penny knew the sound of bagpipes quite well, because she had been in Scotland the summer before and had heard them often. They always started with that awful droning wail, but they grew nicer later on. She rose to her knees and looked round. The man on the lorry had got into his stride and the noise of the bagpipes became nicer; it also became louder, and the grey horse apparently was not so used to bagpipes as Penny - he threw up his head with a whinny and went of in a slow canter.

From TWOPENCE COLOURED, Chapter 9, Penny Leads the Procession.

Twopence Coloured Chapter 1

At the beginning of every Penny story there is a half-page sketch. Here we can see Penny and Jill perusing brochures of Brittany, where they will go for their next holiday. Although the text of all the books clearly states that Penny and Jill are so similar that they are often mistaken for twins, the artist has decided to give Jill dark hair, probably to help the reader tell who's who. I don't care for this sort of interference very much, but I can understand the reasons for it.

Quote of the Day

Penny didn't much fancy scrabbling about in the undergrowth half-way up a cliff. "I thought I'd go to the village," she said, "and look for something to buy with the money Daddy gave me."

Dr. Carter, much afflicted in the past by his daughters' expensive souvenir-buying, had that morning handed them each what seemed to Penny an enormous number of francs. "That's for spending and postcard-buying and souvenirs and everything," he said, "and don't come to me for any more, and don't go to your mother either and ask her to buy you things."

"Oh, we won't," said Penny. "All those francs!"

"It's only just over a pound," said Jill.

"Well, even a pound," said Penny. "I don't know when I had a pound, just to spend!"

From TWOPENCE COLOURED, Chapter 7, Penny Buys a Picture.