tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013114232214923198.post3186921914661074000..comments2024-03-27T18:53:47.254-04:00Comments on Staircase Wit: Noel Streatfeild's overlooked series about child actress Gemma BowCLMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595294217111602231noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013114232214923198.post-43651522625322327962023-01-24T10:31:29.300-05:002023-01-24T10:31:29.300-05:00I read these books over and over and would love to...I read these books over and over and would love to find them again. They weren't set so long before my time that they seemed too dated, which was a plus. There were some errors though that should never have made it through. For example, the family have a TV in the first book (Gemma) but then get a TV to watch 'Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm' in 'Gemma Alone', Noel forgetting they already had one. Also Christmas happens twice within a couple of chapters in one of the books. Still so enjoyable though.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18317172153048730986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013114232214923198.post-40303117124564281342021-03-18T15:35:42.825-04:002021-03-18T15:35:42.825-04:00Sound like good Streatfield formula and I would lo...Sound like good Streatfield formula and I would love to read them.<br /><br />Gemma Jones was the actress who played the Duchess of Duke Stback in the 80s and the matron in Harry Potter, with many roles in between....Dixie Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05137137354422188659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013114232214923198.post-51078300179677711592021-03-18T15:20:48.351-04:002021-03-18T15:20:48.351-04:00It's so funny to see these books in their Amer...It's so funny to see these books in their American Dell paperback editions: those girls look so fancy-pants as compared to how they would have looked on the English illustrations. HahahBuried In Printhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00808249065026802365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013114232214923198.post-9156718656366963862021-03-16T07:57:31.308-04:002021-03-16T07:57:31.308-04:00I always especially liked the Streatfeilds about t...I always especially liked the Streatfeilds about the intrepid orphans! I am guessing I never read the Gemma books as a child because although published in the UK in 1968 this series was apparently not published here until 1986. By then, I was busy reading other things. I read Enid Blyton as well, Cath, both the boarding school stories and all the Adventure and Famous Five books.<br /><br />LyzzyBee, I saw quite a few cover variations when I looked! But the cover one recalls from childhood is always the right cover even if very wrong. I was looking at my Streatfield shelf and gave a special pat to the first one I owned, which was Thursday's Child.<br /><br />My friend Carla was the book consultant to the movie, You've Got Mail, and that is why there was a Streatfeild mention and a Betsy-Tacy mention.CLMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03595294217111602231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013114232214923198.post-18156485664718852582021-03-16T05:08:08.706-04:002021-03-16T05:08:08.706-04:00Funny how I never read a Noel Streatfield book whe...Funny how I never read a Noel Streatfield book when I was young. Avoided them like the plague to be honest as I was about as far from a ballet school/stagey child as you can possibly imagine. I wanted to read Enid Blyton's books about kids having adventures on the coast and in hidden valleys and abandoned castles. Ballet? Not so much. LOL!Cathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06371069000185280668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013114232214923198.post-44062935863281340622021-03-14T14:27:49.205-04:002021-03-14T14:27:49.205-04:00I did read these many years ago along with as many...I did read these many years ago along with as many other Noel Streatfeild books as I could! Along with so many of my childhood books I don't have them any more, though, and they are not so easy to find. Good questions about the implausibility -- seems a bit sloppy, though Streatfeild comes through on other points.Loryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08519976394732029323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013114232214923198.post-41575175865936412332021-03-14T13:57:19.834-04:002021-03-14T13:57:19.834-04:00I have all of these but with awful photographic co...I have all of these but with awful photographic covers from the early 80s, and liked them a lot!LyzzyBeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16398604923871095647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013114232214923198.post-72111342438185081262021-03-14T13:35:45.562-04:002021-03-14T13:35:45.562-04:00I don't recall coming across these books when ...I don't recall coming across these books when I was younger. Maybe because I was already in college by then. They do sound good.Judy Kruegerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11632346091869688862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3013114232214923198.post-43380468028550810292021-03-13T20:38:28.492-05:002021-03-13T20:38:28.492-05:00I have hazy memories of reading these back when I ...I have hazy memories of reading these back when I discovered Streatfeild, and your questions about the plot holes brought them into sharper focus!Jeannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17975028272143207826noreply@blogger.com