Bernese Adventure

The colour frontispiece from Benese Adventure. Thanks to Elizabeth Lindsay for this one.

Quote of the Day

When Midge and Charlotte and the beautiful spy reached the hotel they found Susan in the foyer, the centre of an admiring throng. She was sipping a glass of lemonade whle she recounted the story of her adventures for about the fifth time, this time to a journalist, whose English was a bit shaky, which might have accounted for the rather lurid version of the incident which appeared in the Gazettino next day.

From WHERE IS SUSAN?, Chapter 13, Susan Takes Some Photographs.

Sam

Quote of the Day

Sam was a dog who lived a very interesting life. He didn't live in a house or on a farm or even on a boat as some dogs do - he lived in a circus. He belonged to a clown called Gringo, and they lived in a gaily painted caravan. The circus travelled all over the country, stopping here for a night and there for a night; and everywhere that it went crowds of cheering children, and grown-ups too, greeted the coming of the circus.

From THE DOG WHO COULDN'T LEARN TRICKS. Thanks to Elizabeth Lindsay for providing this story and illustrations.

Susan's Trying Term Spines

When Seagull Library editions of the Susan stories were issued, they used the original Collins cover artwork but changed the spines. Here we can see the two spines for Susan's Trying Term.

Quote of the Day

Ours is a nice school - as far as school is ever nice - it's in Kent, in an old rambling Tudor manor-house, but we haven't a hall, we have gym and school plays and Founder's Day and so in an old barn, so that the audience sit with ropes practically round their necks and the people sitting at the side are more or less hanging onto the rib-stalls.

From SUSAN'S SCHOOL PLAY.

Brer Rabbit

Quote of the Day

"Where is Nile Road, please?" he said.

"Oh, you've passed it," said Mike, who loved directing people. "Turn up that road just there, and then take the second on the left - that's Nile Road."

Perhaps Mike's English voice attracted the old lady's attention; perhaps she wanted a closer look at this extraordinary couple. In any case she suddenly said, "I'll get out, Raphael, while you turn the car. I shall buy some peaches after all."

From VENTURE TO SOUTH AFRICA, Chapter 9, Looking After Stella.

Printemps

It has already been two years since I took the Crooks Tour. Here is another snap of Printemps, where Ricky is led to believe she has stumbled onto a gang of jewel thieves. There was more about this store on 7 January, 2012, which you can read here.

Quote of the Day

"I expect so," said Ricky, but she spoke doubtfully. However, as a delicious plateful of food fantastically called oiseaux-sans-têtes was at that moment placed before her, she forgot about the picture and turned her full attention to the food.

"Oiseaux sants têtes means birds without heads," said Denise helpfully.

Wendy gave an affected little squeal. "Oh, Denise, what a horrid idea. Fancy eating poor wee birds without heads!"

"Would you rather eat them with their heads?" Ricky inquired with genuine interest and Wendy squealed again.

"I'd rather not eat wee birds at all," she said.

"Och, go on with you, Wendy," said Julie, "they're not birds, they're beef olives, only a jolly lot nicer than the beef olives we get at home."

From CROOKS TOUR, Chapter 9, Light in the Night.

Fivepenny Mystery illustration

An illustration from Chapter 5, of Fivepenny Mystery. Penny is kidnapped by Brown Hand.

Quote of the Day

Charlotte quoted with great feeling, "Shades of the prison-house begin to close-"

Susan, whose round rosy face looked a little paler than usual, swallowed the great lump that had got stuck in her throat and was making her feel quite sick. Even the thought of her beautiful new uniform - royal blue gym tunic, warm grey hooded cloak lined with royal blue, the neat grey flannel suit for Sunday - didn't cheer her up as it had in the past fortnight. She said, "It's all very well for you and Midge, but what about me? How would you like to be a new girl? In January too, not even September when there would be other new girls. I'll die."

From SUSAN AT SCHOOL, Chapter 1, New Girls.