Frank Richards, Morcove and the Girls' Crystal

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Kate Mary
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Frank Richards, Morcove and the Girls' Crystal

Post by Kate Mary »

I have not stuck my head above the parapet on the forums much of late, mostly because I am so diverted rummaging about in the Cave, but I also spend a lot of my time on this brilliant website:

http://www.friardale.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is primarily devoted to Frank Richards and his Greyfriars school stories with Billy Bunter and the original Famous Five, but there are also other delights including Morcove school stories from the Schoolgirls' Own, Cliff House stories with Bessie Bunter from the School Friend and some splendid Noel Raymond detective stories from the Girls' Crystal, and much more. By the way, check out Girls' Crystal issues 537, 540 and 542, these have stories by Enid Boyten on the covers; though incomplete sadly.

If you have not found this site before try it, click on the 'Books and Story Papers' link, it is great fun.

Kate.
"I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines." Oliver Goldsmith

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Lenoir
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Re: Frank Richards, Morcove and the Girls' Crystal

Post by Lenoir »

Thanks for posting this. The Frank Richards part is certainly of interest to me and will keep me occupied for a while! I didn’t know the books were available like this. I have quite a few of them but no annuals or Magnet comics.
The section on the Knockout comic is fascinating as well. I remember the Bunter comic strips from Valiant - done in a different style altogether to the books, but good for a bit of light relief from some of the other stories in that great publication.
I will have to spend some more time on the site.
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Re: Frank Richards, Morcove and the Girls' Crystal

Post by Lucky Star »

Thanks from me also Kate Mary. I am a long time Billy Bunter fan and there is loads of great stuff on that site. I have bookmarked it to browse at leisure.
"What a lot of trouble one avoids if one refuses to have anything to do with the common herd. To have no job, to devote ones life to literature, is the most wonderful thing in the world. - Cicero

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Re: Frank Richards, Morcove and the Girls' Crystal

Post by burlingtonbertram »

I don't know if there is a prize for reviving ancient threads, but here goes...

If there are any fans of Frank Richards on this forum who haven't tried the Holiday Annuals of the 70's and 80's, I would thoroughly recommend them. Until this year I had only bought the novels - but over the last few months I have bought the Holiday Annuals from 1978 to 1981 and they are great. They re-print selected Greyfriars and Tom Merry & Co stories in their original formats, plus original letter pages and a few other stock fillers (Ferrers Locke etc).

What I particularly like are the early 'Greyfriars' stories; less formulaic, less Bunter and concentrating on more serious plots. For example:

- "Wingate's Folly" from December 1911. Wingate, captain of the 6th and all round decent chap falls in love with Paula Bell, a young actress from the Pantomime.

- "Schoolboys Never Shall be Slaves" from August 1915. Billed as an amazing 50,000 word complete anti-German story (it is inevitably a bit jingoistic, given the date). Sergeant Sharp (half German) tries to literally whip the boys into shape and thus into revolt. Wingate (aged 17) is taunted into joining up even though he is under-age.

- "Harry Wharton & Co's Pantomime" from December 1915. The original famous five (Harry Wharton and gang) don't go home for Christmas, to Bunter's disgust. Instead they join a theatre to raise money for the war effort. Frank Nugent falls in love with Conchita - an actress - who, unbeknownst to him, is 37 and engaged already.

As usual, I find that (when featured) Vernon-Smith "the Bounder" is head and shoulders the best depicted character of them all.

Excellent stuff from the master of schoolboy stories and very reasonably priced. The print is a bit small but then again at least they pack an awful lot into each annual.
"The days are long, but the years are short"
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Kate Mary
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Re: Frank Richards, Morcove and the Girls' Crystal

Post by Kate Mary »

There is nothing better than a decent annual for Christmas and Friardale has just added the complete 1936 Greyfriars Holiday Annual to their website:

http://www.friardale.co.uk/Greyfriars%2 ... Annual.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Back then annuals were meaty affairs with plenty of reading to keep you going well into the new year. Hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas.
"I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines." Oliver Goldsmith

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Re: Frank Richards, Morcove and the Girls' Crystal

Post by burlingtonbertram »

Thanks; I have used 'Friardale' to check out the contents of annuals occasionally. Always scared I get duplicated stories - although Richards was so prolific the chances are relatively low!
"The days are long, but the years are short"
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