Penny Puzzled
For the first time this story takes our heroine away from her home ground in Buckinghamshire and on a trip to stay with a family in coastal Suffolk. No sooner has she got on to the small branch-line leading to the East Anglian resort than she finds herself embroiled in a mystery about a stolen painting. She quickly makes friends with Elizabeth and David Bale and fits comfortably into the life of the family. For the first time the reader sees signs that Penny is beginning to think about her appearance. The delights of a new dress and the opportunity for wearing it at a special dance are ideas that would never have crossed the mind of the younger Penny. The villain of the piece is easy to spot from the beginning but the dramatic intervention of a flood causes an exciting episode that makes Penny realise that every one has a mixture of qualities that go into their character. There are signs that Penny is growing up, though the author maintains a lot of the comic element by the dialogue between Penny and young David who spends most of his time coming up with impossible inventions.
Thursday 13 January 2011
Light Over Lundy
"The Tamlyn family, on holiday in Devon, notice strangely irregular flashes from the lighthouses at Hartland and Bull Point. Stephen Tamlyn is riding on the sands the next day, when his horse shies at a bottle, which proves to contain a mysterious message. He encounters a stranger, who offers to decipher the message and who subsequently invites the children to a picnic. During luncheon they see an aeroplane drop something shining on the beach, and by now it is apparent that there are sinister goings on in this quiet corner of the coast. The investigation of these happenings lands the Tamlyn family and their ally, Mr. Prosper, in the most exciting holiday, described by Mr. Mais with unflagging gusto and with intimate knowledge of the West country and it's people.
Tuesday 11 January 2011
River Thames Dawlish
Dauntless Takes RecruitsThis is the fourth book in a series of seven adventures. It was first
published in 1950.
The Dauntless boys, lucky owners of a trim little sailing ship, run
into a group of Poplar boys on none too friendly terms. But they soon
discover that these London boys are only trying to express their
resentment at being warned off the river by the unfriendly bargemen.
The Dauntless boys' answer to this problem is to invite Nicky and his
friends aboard for a trip down towards the Thames estuary; and all is
set fair until they run into fog. The Dauntless sits at anchor,
comparatively safe, nut one of the barges which is risking the fog
falls foul of a wreck and the bargeman's family take refuge on the
Dauntless. It is then that David finds that his hospitality has
precipitated an unpleasant dramatic situation from which they are all
extracted only by his tact and good seamanship.
'Dauntless and the Poplar Pirates'
Dauntless and the Poplar Pirates"Look out, David!" Alex cried warningly. "They are throwing stones at
us." David ducked, then raised himself cautiously. There was a
ringing sound and a yell of triumph.
"Got it!" a voice shouted jubilantly.
"I will get it as well," another voice cried and a stone hit the
Dauntless's mainmast. David saw the attackers as a row of faces
showing over the edge of the bridge balustrade and arms upraised to
throw more stones.
The crew of the Dauntless, David, Bob, Alex and Tim , have sailed
their boat up the Thames and moored her in Bow Creek and they are not
at all pleased at this reception. But they discover the "Poplar
Pirates", as these local lads call themselves, are not really
vicious, just showing their resentment at being warned off the river
boats by the local bargees. The Pirates are all desperately keen on
boats, so David and his friends decide to offer them a trip in the
Dauntless. There is fog in the river and they rescue the
unfriendliest of the bargees when his Thames sailing barge gets
wrecked on a sandbank. The bargee, his wife and granddaughter Jenny
take refuge on the Dauntless, but the Pirates decide to salvage the
barge so they can have a boat of their own.
David is worried about the barge family whose home it is, and the
rest of the story tells of the exciting salvage of the barge and how
finally David extracts them all from a dramatic situation by his tact
and good seamanship.
Another in the series of exciting books about the Dauntless, with the
usual ingredients of a thrilling story and all the fun of sailing as
well as the interest of the details of life on a working sailing
barge in the late 1940-s.
published in 1950.
The Dauntless boys, lucky owners of a trim little sailing ship, run
into a group of Poplar boys on none too friendly terms. But they soon
discover that these London boys are only trying to express their
resentment at being warned off the river by the unfriendly bargemen.
The Dauntless boys' answer to this problem is to invite Nicky and his
friends aboard for a trip down towards the Thames estuary; and all is
set fair until they run into fog. The Dauntless sits at anchor,
comparatively safe, nut one of the barges which is risking the fog
falls foul of a wreck and the bargeman's family take refuge on the
Dauntless. It is then that David finds that his hospitality has
precipitated an unpleasant dramatic situation from which they are all
extracted only by his tact and good seamanship.
'Dauntless and the Poplar Pirates'
Dauntless and the Poplar Pirates"Look out, David!" Alex cried warningly. "They are throwing stones at
us." David ducked, then raised himself cautiously. There was a
ringing sound and a yell of triumph.
"Got it!" a voice shouted jubilantly.
"I will get it as well," another voice cried and a stone hit the
Dauntless's mainmast. David saw the attackers as a row of faces
showing over the edge of the bridge balustrade and arms upraised to
throw more stones.
The crew of the Dauntless, David, Bob, Alex and Tim , have sailed
their boat up the Thames and moored her in Bow Creek and they are not
at all pleased at this reception. But they discover the "Poplar
Pirates", as these local lads call themselves, are not really
vicious, just showing their resentment at being warned off the river
boats by the local bargees. The Pirates are all desperately keen on
boats, so David and his friends decide to offer them a trip in the
Dauntless. There is fog in the river and they rescue the
unfriendliest of the bargees when his Thames sailing barge gets
wrecked on a sandbank. The bargee, his wife and granddaughter Jenny
take refuge on the Dauntless, but the Pirates decide to salvage the
barge so they can have a boat of their own.
David is worried about the barge family whose home it is, and the
rest of the story tells of the exciting salvage of the barge and how
finally David extracts them all from a dramatic situation by his tact
and good seamanship.
Another in the series of exciting books about the Dauntless, with the
usual ingredients of a thrilling story and all the fun of sailing as
well as the interest of the details of life on a working sailing
barge in the late 1940-s.
Sunday 9 January 2011
Dean's Lighthouse Adventure
The story starts as usual in the Deans' home town of Wigan. The
actual adventure takes place on the Berwickshire Coast near the small
village of Coldlingham. This, though Berwick is mentioned, the bulk
of the events take place in Scotland. One of Mr. Deans' friends from
his days in the Royal Navy during the Second World War is now a
lighthouse keeper who has been based in many different parts of the
British Isles. He invites the children to stay with him during the
Easter holidays. The three members of the Dean family, plus their
three friends are all included in the invitation. Nearly half of the
book is then spent in describing events that take place before the
journey to Scotland. All the children are given the share in a
greenhouse by Andrew Forbes and his fiancee (who feature largely in
the earlier story "The Deans Solve a Mystery"). They are to be
allowed to grow what they want and are given six pounds to help them
stock and equip the enterprise. They decide to work as a cooperative
and, with the help of Caleb Moscrop, the old gardener at the hall,
they begin to labour and to plan. Caleb also introduces Buffin
(Bartholomew) Dean to the delights of pigeon care to pigeon racing.
Things are just beginning to get going when they are destined to go
away on holiday.
The lighthouse they travel to is a very remote one that is built into
the cliff rather than as a separate pillar or traditional tube
affair. Mr. Patterson, his wife and their daughter Doris are just one
family who live on the premises and Mr, Patterson is the senior
keeper.
Two adventures befall the children whilst they are in Berwickshire.
The first is the traditional one of getting trapped by the tide.
Buffin, Doris and Beckie (who has injured her ankle) are forced to
retreat into a cave. The cave leads back to the cliff top but they
three prisoners have to be rescued by their siblings who pry away a
rock from the cleft above them. The cave proves to a part of the old
hermitage of St.Coll and also the probably haunt of smugglers from
two hundred years before.
Camille, the young French girl who lives next door to the Deans in
Wigan, is left alone with Mr. Patterson one day that suddenly becomes
stormy. A "Mayday" message comes in from a ship that is in trouble.
Here Camille proves her worth because the crew of the ship is all
French and radio communication proves problematical. She is able to
help Mr. Patterson fix the correction position so that the local
lifeboat can be launched to save the sailors in distress. There are
quite a few details in the book about the chain of lighthouses down
this part of the coast as the keepers make their regular radio
reports. One hears of the one on Bass Rock and others up on the Firth
of Forth.
actual adventure takes place on the Berwickshire Coast near the small
village of Coldlingham. This, though Berwick is mentioned, the bulk
of the events take place in Scotland. One of Mr. Deans' friends from
his days in the Royal Navy during the Second World War is now a
lighthouse keeper who has been based in many different parts of the
British Isles. He invites the children to stay with him during the
Easter holidays. The three members of the Dean family, plus their
three friends are all included in the invitation. Nearly half of the
book is then spent in describing events that take place before the
journey to Scotland. All the children are given the share in a
greenhouse by Andrew Forbes and his fiancee (who feature largely in
the earlier story "The Deans Solve a Mystery"). They are to be
allowed to grow what they want and are given six pounds to help them
stock and equip the enterprise. They decide to work as a cooperative
and, with the help of Caleb Moscrop, the old gardener at the hall,
they begin to labour and to plan. Caleb also introduces Buffin
(Bartholomew) Dean to the delights of pigeon care to pigeon racing.
Things are just beginning to get going when they are destined to go
away on holiday.
The lighthouse they travel to is a very remote one that is built into
the cliff rather than as a separate pillar or traditional tube
affair. Mr. Patterson, his wife and their daughter Doris are just one
family who live on the premises and Mr, Patterson is the senior
keeper.
Two adventures befall the children whilst they are in Berwickshire.
The first is the traditional one of getting trapped by the tide.
Buffin, Doris and Beckie (who has injured her ankle) are forced to
retreat into a cave. The cave leads back to the cliff top but they
three prisoners have to be rescued by their siblings who pry away a
rock from the cleft above them. The cave proves to a part of the old
hermitage of St.Coll and also the probably haunt of smugglers from
two hundred years before.
Camille, the young French girl who lives next door to the Deans in
Wigan, is left alone with Mr. Patterson one day that suddenly becomes
stormy. A "Mayday" message comes in from a ship that is in trouble.
Here Camille proves her worth because the crew of the ship is all
French and radio communication proves problematical. She is able to
help Mr. Patterson fix the correction position so that the local
lifeboat can be launched to save the sailors in distress. There are
quite a few details in the book about the chain of lighthouses down
this part of the coast as the keepers make their regular radio
reports. One hears of the one on Bass Rock and others up on the Firth
of Forth.
Lois Lamplugh
Andrew, Bruce and Celia (who are friends but not related to each other)
are home from the holidays in their small North Devon village of Crowdown.
Bruce becomes intrigued with the idea of re-building a sand yacht that
has been abandoned in Crowdown by another family. Eventually he is
successful. Meanwhile Andrew and Celia have become fascinated by
searching for the remains of a chapel that once used to be located
amongst the massive sand dunes that are a major feature of the coast.
As the year goes by the three teenagers spend different holidays
enjoying the racing of the yacht and uncovering the ancient building.
It is the latter task which dominates the second half of the book.
Together with 6 helpers (including the Allen family who feature in
many later adventures) the three friends gradually dig their way down
until the outlines of the small chapel buried for hundreds of years
are finally revealed. They style themselves the "Nine Bright Shiners"
after the words of "Green Grow the Rushes" which they sing as a sort
of work-song as the slowly clearly the inrushing sand.
Inevitably their activities are found out by some of the local
small-time villains who suspect that a treasure may be found.
There is a robbery, a chase and a successful recovery. This
leads to the discovery of something precious which makes all
their activities worthwhile.
are home from the holidays in their small North Devon village of Crowdown.
Bruce becomes intrigued with the idea of re-building a sand yacht that
has been abandoned in Crowdown by another family. Eventually he is
successful. Meanwhile Andrew and Celia have become fascinated by
searching for the remains of a chapel that once used to be located
amongst the massive sand dunes that are a major feature of the coast.
As the year goes by the three teenagers spend different holidays
enjoying the racing of the yacht and uncovering the ancient building.
It is the latter task which dominates the second half of the book.
Together with 6 helpers (including the Allen family who feature in
many later adventures) the three friends gradually dig their way down
until the outlines of the small chapel buried for hundreds of years
are finally revealed. They style themselves the "Nine Bright Shiners"
after the words of "Green Grow the Rushes" which they sing as a sort
of work-song as the slowly clearly the inrushing sand.
Inevitably their activities are found out by some of the local
small-time villains who suspect that a treasure may be found.
There is a robbery, a chase and a successful recovery. This
leads to the discovery of something precious which makes all
their activities worthwhile.
Saturday 8 January 2011
St. Abbs and Kathleen Fidler
The three books by Kathleen Fidler which are set on the Berwickshire Coast are Treasure of Ebba, The Gold of Fast Castle, The Deans Lighthouse Adventure.
Treasure of Ebba is the first in a group of two about the same groups of children. These are Nicol and Julie Milne and their cousins David and Sarah Drummond who live on a farm at St.Abbs. The story is the old one of members of the family who initially don't get on with each other. David has formed the impression that his rather bookish cousin Nicol is a "jessee" because he has had to drop out of a continental journey because of his period of illness with pneumonia. Nicol considers David to be a bit of a country clodhopper who is interested in nothing but the outdoor life. A part of the plot of the book is used to explore how they eventually overcome these erronious impressions. Both boys find themselves in life-threatening situations and their cousin to bring them to safety. The second strand of the story is about the way in which the four children begin to become involved in the history of that small area of the coast. In particular it is about the way in which they carry out an archeological dig on the remains of Ebba's church located on the St. Abb's promontory.
Nicol is a strickler for doing things the right way and insists on all the excavations being done "according to the rules". David just wants to get on with things but eventually begins to operate according to the methodical way in which the expedition is set about. There is an interesting explanation of how to excavate and record the results. The girls also follow Nicol's lead even though they admit that their main hope is to find some treasure.
Nicol points out that it is very unlikely that they are going to find anything. The following conversation then takes place:
"Then what are we going to dig for ?" David interrupted from his mound.
"Information," Nicol told him, "That's what true archeologists are really looking for, information. They want to learn how people lived in the past. They aren't digging to make themselves rich by finding buried treasure. If any object do turn up, they're of interest first of all for what we can learn from them of the people who made them." Nicol was serious and sincere.
The story that the children are trying to piece together is captured in the dramatic lines of the dust-jacket.
"Cut off your noses," said Ebba to her companions, "and the Vikings will not kill you." But when the Danes came in their long ships to Coldingham, to see what treasure they could find, everybody was killed, in spite of Ebba's plan. The little chapel on the cliff at St. Abb's was burned, and the grass grew over it; but after eleven centuries the site was still to be seen on St. Abb's Head north of Berwick-on-Tweed.
"Just the place for a properly-run Dig," said Nicol Milne; and Milnes and Drummonds began to explore, to see what they could discover, and to find any treasure which the Danes might have left behind.
David's friend Jimmy Barr introduces another note to the harmonious progress of the excavation. He is the son of the lighthouse keeper and Kathleen Fidler makes sure that she introduces the feeling of methodical service to duty that such a family has to undergo. Jimmy is patient and sensible where David is impulsive and rash. He too becomes caught up in the adventure of the dig and the links with the past that is all around his home. At the end of the book there is, of course, a tangible reward but there is also a much more important reward when the children's involvement in the enterprise is approved of by an expert and the period of exploration proves to be just the beginning of a new strand of their lives rather than the closed book that seems to be threatened.
Treasure of Ebba is the first in a group of two about the same groups of children. These are Nicol and Julie Milne and their cousins David and Sarah Drummond who live on a farm at St.Abbs. The story is the old one of members of the family who initially don't get on with each other. David has formed the impression that his rather bookish cousin Nicol is a "jessee" because he has had to drop out of a continental journey because of his period of illness with pneumonia. Nicol considers David to be a bit of a country clodhopper who is interested in nothing but the outdoor life. A part of the plot of the book is used to explore how they eventually overcome these erronious impressions. Both boys find themselves in life-threatening situations and their cousin to bring them to safety. The second strand of the story is about the way in which the four children begin to become involved in the history of that small area of the coast. In particular it is about the way in which they carry out an archeological dig on the remains of Ebba's church located on the St. Abb's promontory.
Nicol is a strickler for doing things the right way and insists on all the excavations being done "according to the rules". David just wants to get on with things but eventually begins to operate according to the methodical way in which the expedition is set about. There is an interesting explanation of how to excavate and record the results. The girls also follow Nicol's lead even though they admit that their main hope is to find some treasure.
Nicol points out that it is very unlikely that they are going to find anything. The following conversation then takes place:
"Then what are we going to dig for ?" David interrupted from his mound.
"Information," Nicol told him, "That's what true archeologists are really looking for, information. They want to learn how people lived in the past. They aren't digging to make themselves rich by finding buried treasure. If any object do turn up, they're of interest first of all for what we can learn from them of the people who made them." Nicol was serious and sincere.
The story that the children are trying to piece together is captured in the dramatic lines of the dust-jacket.
"Cut off your noses," said Ebba to her companions, "and the Vikings will not kill you." But when the Danes came in their long ships to Coldingham, to see what treasure they could find, everybody was killed, in spite of Ebba's plan. The little chapel on the cliff at St. Abb's was burned, and the grass grew over it; but after eleven centuries the site was still to be seen on St. Abb's Head north of Berwick-on-Tweed.
"Just the place for a properly-run Dig," said Nicol Milne; and Milnes and Drummonds began to explore, to see what they could discover, and to find any treasure which the Danes might have left behind.
David's friend Jimmy Barr introduces another note to the harmonious progress of the excavation. He is the son of the lighthouse keeper and Kathleen Fidler makes sure that she introduces the feeling of methodical service to duty that such a family has to undergo. Jimmy is patient and sensible where David is impulsive and rash. He too becomes caught up in the adventure of the dig and the links with the past that is all around his home. At the end of the book there is, of course, a tangible reward but there is also a much more important reward when the children's involvement in the enterprise is approved of by an expert and the period of exploration proves to be just the beginning of a new strand of their lives rather than the closed book that seems to be threatened.
Sunday 2 January 2011
Dumfries and Galloway legend
Kate Crackernuts by K.M,Briggs is part legend and part manufactured story. It is really about the power of witchcraft and the friendship between two girls who share almost the same name. The story is set in the time of the civil war when King Charles tried to use a Scottish army in order to defeat the forces of parliament until he was defeated at the battle of Worcester. However, the action is mostly centred on the small communities along the Scottish edge of (Dumfries and Galloway) of the Solway Firth. The two Kates live in Auchenskeouch Castle in Dalbeatie. Events take place in such coastal locations as Kircudbright,Colvend, Port o'Warren and Kippford. Castle Douglas and Douglas Hall are also mentioned. The climax of the story is the pursuit of the two Kates as they set out to leave from Kippford in order to land in England. Eventually their journey is completed in Maryport but not before the ship that pursues them is sunk with all hands in the mid-channel. Amongst those who perish are Kate's mother and Kate's stepmother - the same person.
"Four went down with her. Black Hew, with his dazed mind still held in blind obedience to the witchwife, went down trapped under the thwarts without a struggle. The other three rose up ans beat the water in anger and fear and frowing black despair."
The author knows that she is a notorious witch who is trying to win her daughter to the dark side and to take revenge on her stepdaughter whom she hates out of sheer malevolence. The principal activity of the witches takes place on Criffel, the highest peak of the coastal range and the prominent landmark across the Solway today.
"Four went down with her. Black Hew, with his dazed mind still held in blind obedience to the witchwife, went down trapped under the thwarts without a struggle. The other three rose up ans beat the water in anger and fear and frowing black despair."
The author knows that she is a notorious witch who is trying to win her daughter to the dark side and to take revenge on her stepdaughter whom she hates out of sheer malevolence. The principal activity of the witches takes place on Criffel, the highest peak of the coastal range and the prominent landmark across the Solway today.
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