Tophole!

Back in wartime Armishire for a review of Lavender Laughs at the Chalet School. Transcript available at https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2025/04/15/s2e16-i-need-nine-frocks/ You can contact Tophole via Facebook or at topholepodcast@gmail.com . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's that time of year when we finish varnishing our scrapbooks and stuffing our toy animals, and encourage our friends and family to get out their purses and spend, spend, spend at THE SALE! Are we organising the stalls by forms, groups, or houses? Do we need a Sale Committee or shall we skip it for this year? Readers participate in 13 sales of work at the Chalet School - here's a recap of each o...

Let's spend a year or so in Guernsey, catching up with friends. Or, if you've never read any of the La Rochelle books, let's get hugely confused by dozens of characters. Either way, settle down for an authentic portrait of the first year of married life. Transcript available at https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2025/03/18/s2e14-a-romance-for-older-girls/ You can find Tophole on Facebook or cont...

Second half of our discussion of Armada paperbacks - second style covers from 1972 to 1985. You can see most (although not all) of the covers we discuss at https://uk.pinterest.com/deborahlofas/chalet-school/2nd-style-pb/ Transcript available at https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2025/03/04/s2e13-paperback-writer-2/ You can find Tophole on Facebook or email us at topholepodcast@gmail.com. Hosted...

It's a Wendy week (woo-hoo!) and we're discussing Armada books, and particularly their covers. You can see most of these on the boards at https://uk.pinterest.com/deborahlofas/chalet-school/ . Obviously this took us hours so part 2 of our conversation will come next time. Transcript available at https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2025/02/18/s2e12-paperback-writer-1/ You can find Tophole on Faceb...

Delayed for technical reasons (for which apologies) - in this episode I consider Prunella Davidson's arrival at the School, and refrain from wondering what exactly 'It' is. I also don't talk much about the arrival of Bruno because we covered that last time. Transcript available at https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2025/02/04/s2-e11-this-one-started-with-antonia-forest/ You can find Tophole on F...

The long-promised episode where Wendy and I discuss dogs in EBD's books, and what we learn about training and caring for them. We talk about Rufus and Bruno in the Chalet School books, as well as They Both Liked Dogs , The Lost Staircase , and Kennelmaid Nan - and there are, of course, spoilers, but it is absolutely still worth reading Kennelmaid Nan for yourself if you get the chance. Where I ref...

It's that time of year, so there's really only one Chalet book to talk about! Brittany can be found here You can find Tophole on Facebook, or email us on topholepodcast@gmail.com (and I promise I will get to the emails this week). Episode transcript available here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Third time lucky for recording this particular episode, which is about backs and back problems (a) at the Chalet School (b) elsewhere in children's literature and (c) across the whole of recorded time. We are nothing if not ambitious. Transcript available at https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/12/17/s2e8-oof/ You can find Tophole on Facebook or email us at topholepodcast@gmail.com. Hosted on...

An overview both of Girlguiding, and the Chalet School's experience of it. Transcript available at https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/12/03/s2e7-on-my-honour/ You can find Tophole on Facebook, or email us on topholepodcast@gmail.com .  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The final book set at Plas Howell (which I keep accidentally calling Plas Gwyn, but I think Kit has managed to edit out all the incidents). Full transcript at https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/11/19/s2e6-the-series-re-boot/ Tophole has its own Facebook page, or you can email us at topholepodcast@gmail.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Loads of spoilers in this discussion, and also the shock of a man's voice, as Kit joins us to discuss The Lost Staircase. He's made clear he won't be doing it again. You can find Tophole on Facebook or email us at topholepodcast@gmail.com. https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/11/05/s2e5-the-kitten-did-it/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We conclude our conversation about The Chalet Girls in Camp, and our own experiences of guide camp, with reference to camp fires, latrines, rest hour, and much more. Full transcript at https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/10/22/s1e4-campfires-burning/ Tophole has a Facebook page, and you can email us at topholepodcast@gmail.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a Wendy week, and what could be better for two former Guide leaders than a Chalet School book devoted to Guide camp? We compare our experiences to those described by EBD (who, I think it's safe to say, never tried incinerating disposable nappies at a girlguiding campsite). You can find Tophole on Facebook, or email us at topholepodcast@gmail.com. Full episode transcript at https://topholepodc...

I'm joined today by Caroline Crampton ( Shedunnit, A Body Made of Glass ) to discuss health, and health anxiety, at the Chalet School. Transcript at https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/09/24/s2e2-slipping-something-into-the-coffee/ You can find Tophole on Facebook, or email topholepodcast@gmail.com . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A look at the start of the Chalet School's final year. You can find Tophole on Facebook and email us at topholepodcast@gmail.com. Full transcript at https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/09/10/ive-as-much-right-to-the-book-as-moira/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

End of term so Wendy does the interviewing in this one! Transcript at https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/07/09/s1e23-deborah-visits-the-chalet-school/ and you can find us on Facebook or email topholepodcast@gmail.com. Podcasts recommended for your summer break: The Kindred Spirits Book Club The Children's Literature Podcast Backlisted Shedunnit A Body Made of Glass Countrystride The History...

It's the centenary of the Chalet School's conception this summer, so today I'm taking a look at the holiday which inspired it all. I made considerable use of Behind the Chalet School by Helen McClelland in preparing this week's episode - more than usual, I mean - but also went down lots of lovely rabbit holes about fashion, ski-ing, and station departure boards. Transcript at https://topholepodcas...

Obviously the entire Chalet School never made it to Yorkshire. But Jo, Frieda, Simone and Marie did, and EBD wrote a book about it. Get into the holiday mood early with a look at Jo to the Rescue. Episode transcript available at https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/?p=79 Find us on Facebook or email us at topholepodcast@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's episode is an interview with Clarissa Cridland, of Girls Gone By Publishers and Friends of the Chalet School. You can find Girls Gone By (and order your copy of Millies of the Chalet School ) at www.ggbp.co.uk Friends of the Chalet School can be found at www.chaletschool.org.uk Episode transcript at www.topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/05/28/s1e20-friends-fill-ins-and-fans Find us on Face...

This week I'm talking about the only Chalet School book my husband attempted to engage with. Apologies for both the lateness, and the sniffs (the two are connected). Full transcript at https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/05/14/s1e19-unpacking-tennis-and-an-unsuitable-novel/ You can find us on Facebook or email at topholepodcast@gmail.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...

Daisy May Johnson is the author of How to be Brave , How to be True , and How to be Free - modern boarding school stories which you should definitely seek out. Daisy is also one of us, a fan of the Chalet School, so we talk about EBD's books as well as her own. The discussion doesn't quite need a content warning, but you may never think of Gottfried, Herr Anserl or Commander Christie in quite the...

A look at the book in which the Chalet School travels to England - retitled "The Chalet School at War" by Armada. Transcript available at topholepodcast.wordpress.com. You can find us on Facebook, or email us at topholepodcast@gmail.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josette, Maeve, Rosamund and Len, plus some statistical analysis. A slightly longer episode which entirely makes up for the fact that it's a day late. Transcript available at www.topholepodcast.wordpress.com. You can find us on Facebook and email us at topholepodcast@gmail.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've finally arrived in Switzerland, so this week we're talking about Julie, Betsy, Elinor and Mary-Lou, trying to decide on their finest moment (and, in the case of Elinor, work out who she is). Full transcript available at topholepodcast.wordpress.com. You can find us on Facebook, or email us at topholepodcast@gmail.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.