Wichwood Village
A blog about the life and works of Scottish writer Jane Shaw (1910-2000).
Monday, March 13, 2023
Quote of the Day
"You could ask Liz what she thinks," suggested Nicky.
"No, I couldn't," said Kay. Liz doesn't know about Gail's carry-on the Day of the Flood."
In the dormitory that night she glanced at Gail's arm, free at last of the plaster which, by the time it was taken off, was so covered in signatures and funny drawings that it looked more like an autograph album than a plaster. "What did Doc Winkle-picker say about hockey, Gail - are you allowed to play again?"
"Heavens, yes, I've mended very nicely. I'm turning up at the practice tomorrow. I'm dying, I must admit, to get a stick in my hands again. Those walks with Miss Chambers rambling on about seed-pods and making us pick lumps of wet, dead prickly undergrowth out of the hedges, or Fishy spouting bits of poetry about autumn, what she called that 'season of inexhaustible influence on the mind of taste and tenderness', which I suppose was a quotation, were just about the end."
From NORTHMEAD NUISANCE, Chapter 11, Gossip and Grumbles.
Thursday, December 31, 2020
My Jane Shaw Reads in 2020
Unfortunately, I didn't manage to read as much Jane Shaw as I would have liked this year. I only read five books. The House of the Glimmering Light was one, of course, which I read in depth while preparing to write the introduction to the reissue, along with Amanda's Spies. I also read three Penny books in a row back in April: Threepenny Bit, Fourpenny Fair and Fivepenny Mystery. Fourpenny Fair is my favourite in the Penny series. I also read two Susan stories: Where is Susan? and Susan's Kind Heart. Of all the "travel" stories that Jane Shaw wrote, Where is Susan? is the best in my opinion. I hope to read a lot more in 2021.
Annuals
Collins Girls' Annual 1941
2020 in the World of Jane Shaw
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Breton Holiday
A better scan of the cover and spine of Breton Holiday. Thanks to Clarissa at GGBP for providing this.
Quote of the Day
Monday, October 28, 2019
Breton Holiday Colour Frontis
Quote of the Day
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Breton Adventure
Quote of the Day
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Bernese Holiday Cover
Quote of the Day
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Highland Holiday GGBP Edition
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Breton Holiday DW
Quote of the Day
Monday, May 1, 2017
Notes on A Job for Susan
Quote of the Day
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Recent Purchases
Quote of the Day
Thursday, April 13, 2017
Paddy Turns Detective illustration
Quote of the Day
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Penhallow Mystery illustration
The first illustration from The Penhallow Mystery shows the Forrest family on their way to their new home in Hallow Haven in the north of Cornwall, described as being located "between Bude and Tintagel". Hallow Haven is probably based on Crackington Haven, which had already been used in the Moochers stories. In those books, the village is called Pendragon Haven. You can see a photo of Crackington Haven by clicking here. |
Quote of the Day
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Breton Adventure (alternative boards)
Quote of the Day
Monday, April 10, 2017
Bernese Holiday Frontispiece
Quote of the Day
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Bernese Holiday and Bernese Adventure
A few paragraphs are also removed from Chapter 8 (Switzerland at Last). On Page 83 of Bernese Adventure, a paragraph was removed from between the paragraphs that begin “I dunno,” said Caroline, then, overhearing, she added carelessly… and The meadows were decked with flowers… The redacted paragraph begins with At Interlaken, Vanessa fussily bundled them, and their baggage out of the train. This is on Page 106 of Bernese Holiday. A little farther down on the same page of Bernese Adventure, there is a paragraph that ends with the words the peaked cap of the guard who had come forward to look at their tickets. In Bernese Holiday (Page 107), this sentence continues: to look at their tickets, who was very handsome, and who spoke to them, with smiles, in very good English. Seventeen lines were removed, in which Sara and Caroline discuss the ticket collector’s cap and the scenery. The reason for this editing appears to be that it saves a whole page of paper (which was strictly rationed in the years following World War II). Chapter 8 finishes quite neatly almost at the bottom of Page 86, allowing Chapter 9 to begin on Page 87, a right-hand page. Another reason may be that there were changes in the Swiss railways. The redacted parts discuss the train routes and the guard’s uniform. Perhaps the routes had changed after 13 years and the guards no longer wore peaked caps.
Quote of the Day
Saturday, April 1, 2017
The Jean Bell Spitfire Books
Quote of the Day
Monday, April 11, 2016
Quote of the Day
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Exile for Jill
Quote of the Day
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Quote of the Day
Friday, April 8, 2016
Penny in St Brieuc
Notes on Twopence Coloured
Quote of the Day
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Quote of the Day
Friday, April 1, 2016
Northmead Nuisance illustration
Notes on Northmead Nuisance
Quote of the Day
"Are you all right?"
There was a silence, then Judy called, "Well, sort of!"
"Why only sort of? What's the matter?"
"I'm upside down!"
"Oh, help." Nicky gave a small giggle. "That girl! Trust Judy! Anyone else would have landed the right way up!"
From NORTHMEAD NUISANCE, Chapter 9, Half-Term.
Monday, February 1, 2016
Quote of the Day
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Quote of the Day
Friday, January 8, 2016
Quote of the Day
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Breton Adventure (colour frontispiece)
Quote of the Day
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Breton Holiday (frontispiece)
Abridgement of Breton Holiday and Bernese Holiday
Whenever I have read about Breton Adventure and Bernese Adventure, they are always described as "slightly abridged" versions of the original Holiday books. In Susan and Friends, detailed descriptions are given of two scenes that were edited or deleted prior to the publication of Bernese Adventure, both from Chapter 11. On Page 105, it says that when Caroline and Sara were on the train to Interlaken, "the nice blue-eyed guard came and passed the time of day with them; and when they reached Interlaken, Sara went quite wild over the shops". In Bernese Holiday, the train journey scene is longer, with Sara thinking that the guard's name is Bob because he has the letters BOB emblazoned on his cap. Caroline explains that the letters actually stand for Bernese Oberland Bahn. The other deleted scene takes place the next morning, when Sara awakes early and is delighted to find that it is snowing. After breakfast, Caroline and Vanessa decide to take advantage of the cold snap to write some post cards. The next paragraph begins: "Two days later, the snow had gone, the sun came out again and the flowers reappeared..." However, in Bernese Holiday, while the others are writing their post cards, Sara borrows the hotel owner's skis and has a go at skiing. Caroline eventually has to come out and dig her out of a snow drift. One of the members of the Jane Shaw Facebook group, who has a copy of Bernese Holiday, also recalls what she refers to as some "curtailed dialogue" but could not be more specific as she had conducted her comparison some time ago. I recently purchased a copy of Breton Holiday and looked forward to comparing it with the reissued version. However, as far as I can tell, there was no abridging of the story at all. The above photograph shows the contents page of Breton Holiday on the left and the Adventure on the right. They are identical. So, although the original book is much thicker, there are no extra scenes. The only differences are that the dedication to Jane Shaw's parents is omitted from the Adventure and that the Holiday has a black and white frontispiece drawn by Alice Helena Watson. My copy of Breton Adventure has no frontispiece, although I've been told that some editions of the book did have one. Bernese Adventure has had two frontispieces, one colour and one black and white, which you can see by clicking here and here. |