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The Chalet School #28
Changes for the Chalet School
The Chalet School is on the move again - this time it is going to Switzerland. Bride Bettany is the Head Girl and is kept frantically busy preparing for the move. The Dawbarn twins plan to have a midnight feast in the apple orchard but everything goes wrong.
231 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1953
122 people want to read
About the author
Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
171 books113 followersElinor M. Brent-Dyer was born as Gladys Eleanor May Dyer on 6th April 1894, in South Shields in the industrial northeast of England, and grew up in a terraced house which had no garden or inside toilet. She was the only daughter of Eleanor Watson Rutherford and Charles Morris Brent Dyer. Her father, who had been married before, left home when she was three years old. In 1912, her brother Henzell died at age 17 of cerebro-spinal fever. After her father died, her mother remarried in 1913.
Elinor was educated at a small local private school in South Shields and returned there to teach when she was eighteen after spending two years at the City of Leeds Training College. Her teaching career spanned 36 years, during which she taught in a wide variety of state and private schools in the northeast, in Middlesex, Bedfordshire, Hampshire, and finally in Hereford.
In the early 1920s she adopted the name Elinor Mary Brent-Dyer. A holiday she spent in the Austrian Tyrol at Pertisau-am-Achensee gave her the inspiration for the first location in the Chalet School series. However, her first book, 'Gerry Goes to School', was published in 1922 and was written for the child actress Hazel Bainbridge. Her first 'Chalet' story, 'The School at the Chalet', was originally published in 1925.
In 1930, the same year that 'Jean of Storms' was serialised, she converted to Roman Catholicism.
In 1933 the Brent-Dyer household (she lived with her mother and stepfather until her mother's death in 1957) moved to Hereford. She travelled daily to Peterchurch as a governess.
When her stepfather died she started her own school in Hereford, The Margaret Roper School. It was non-denominational but with a strong religious tradition. Many Chalet School customs were followed, the girls even wore a similar uniform made in the Chalet School's colours of brown and flame. Elinor was rather untidy, erratic and flamboyant and not really suited to being a headmistress. After her school closed in 1948 she devoted most of her time to writing.
Elinor's mother died in 1957 and in 1964 she moved to Redhill, where she lived in a joint establishment with fellow school story author Phyllis Matthewman and her husband, until her death on 20th September 1969.
During her lifetime Elinor M. Brent-Dyer published 101 books but she is remembered mainly for her Chalet School series. The series numbers 58 books and is the longest-surviving series of girls' school-stories ever known, having been continuously in print for more than 70 years. One hundred thousand paperback copies are still being sold each year.
Among her published books are other school stories; family, historical, adventure and animal stories; a cookery book, and four educational geography-readers. She also wrote plays and numerous unpublished poems and was a keen musician.
In 1994, the year of the centenary of her Elinor Brent-Dyer's birth, Friends of the Chalet School put up plaques in Pertisau, South Shields and Hereford, and a headstone was erected on her grave in Redstone Cemetery, since there was not one previously. They also put flowers on her grave on the anniversaries of her birth and death and on other special occasions.
Elinor was educated at a small local private school in South Shields and returned there to teach when she was eighteen after spending two years at the City of Leeds Training College. Her teaching career spanned 36 years, during which she taught in a wide variety of state and private schools in the northeast, in Middlesex, Bedfordshire, Hampshire, and finally in Hereford.
In the early 1920s she adopted the name Elinor Mary Brent-Dyer. A holiday she spent in the Austrian Tyrol at Pertisau-am-Achensee gave her the inspiration for the first location in the Chalet School series. However, her first book, 'Gerry Goes to School', was published in 1922 and was written for the child actress Hazel Bainbridge. Her first 'Chalet' story, 'The School at the Chalet', was originally published in 1925.
In 1930, the same year that 'Jean of Storms' was serialised, she converted to Roman Catholicism.
In 1933 the Brent-Dyer household (she lived with her mother and stepfather until her mother's death in 1957) moved to Hereford. She travelled daily to Peterchurch as a governess.
When her stepfather died she started her own school in Hereford, The Margaret Roper School. It was non-denominational but with a strong religious tradition. Many Chalet School customs were followed, the girls even wore a similar uniform made in the Chalet School's colours of brown and flame. Elinor was rather untidy, erratic and flamboyant and not really suited to being a headmistress. After her school closed in 1948 she devoted most of her time to writing.
Elinor's mother died in 1957 and in 1964 she moved to Redhill, where she lived in a joint establishment with fellow school story author Phyllis Matthewman and her husband, until her death on 20th September 1969.
During her lifetime Elinor M. Brent-Dyer published 101 books but she is remembered mainly for her Chalet School series. The series numbers 58 books and is the longest-surviving series of girls' school-stories ever known, having been continuously in print for more than 70 years. One hundred thousand paperback copies are still being sold each year.
Among her published books are other school stories; family, historical, adventure and animal stories; a cookery book, and four educational geography-readers. She also wrote plays and numerous unpublished poems and was a keen musician.
In 1994, the year of the centenary of her Elinor Brent-Dyer's birth, Friends of the Chalet School put up plaques in Pertisau, South Shields and Hereford, and a headstone was erected on her grave in Redstone Cemetery, since there was not one previously. They also put flowers on her grave on the anniversaries of her birth and death and on other special occasions.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 7, 2022
I remembered how much I love these books when I got to the part where one character vaults out of the window and vanishes. Honestly, I think I cackled for a week over that one and I will probably cackle until the end of time. These books are so great, I love them.
So plot! Is there plot? It's vague at best and involves the brief cameo of pirate treasure (I mean), Hot Commander Christy, pigs in the orchard, and a school that's packing up to move to Switzerland. It's time to leave the island behind and so we must have a (naturally) riotous regatta, high-jinks on swampy bits of islands (I never really follow this bit and I don't quite think EBD does either, we're just here for the drama), the reappearance of the Canadian troupe (a welcome cameo from Madge Russell here), a lot of lounging on deckchairs (amazing) and also a lot (a lot) of Packing Up Stuff. Honestly, if you're into logistics, you'll love this one. I remember being absolutely amazed at how these kids could be sent to boarding school (not a cheap thing, I think) and then legitimately be farmed off to pack up the library or sort out the old sports cupboards. I was comforted on this read to know that I still felt the same.
And yet even in all of this, it's lovely because we get that incredibly specific and detailed minutiae that this series thrives on. Everybody has a kid! People come back! Pivotal friendships are formed! Gangs are split! Somebody has an attack of the hiccoughs that sees them end up being sent to bed under the care of Matron! It's amazing and honestly, I feel we should produce this book to anybody who says: "look, Kids Books should have Plot and a Clearly Defined Antagonist" and go "dudes, but what about this one with lots of adults having a moan in the staffroom and the kids packing boxes".
Ugh, I love it, I love it.
So plot! Is there plot? It's vague at best and involves the brief cameo of pirate treasure (I mean), Hot Commander Christy, pigs in the orchard, and a school that's packing up to move to Switzerland. It's time to leave the island behind and so we must have a (naturally) riotous regatta, high-jinks on swampy bits of islands (I never really follow this bit and I don't quite think EBD does either, we're just here for the drama), the reappearance of the Canadian troupe (a welcome cameo from Madge Russell here), a lot of lounging on deckchairs (amazing) and also a lot (a lot) of Packing Up Stuff. Honestly, if you're into logistics, you'll love this one. I remember being absolutely amazed at how these kids could be sent to boarding school (not a cheap thing, I think) and then legitimately be farmed off to pack up the library or sort out the old sports cupboards. I was comforted on this read to know that I still felt the same.
And yet even in all of this, it's lovely because we get that incredibly specific and detailed minutiae that this series thrives on. Everybody has a kid! People come back! Pivotal friendships are formed! Gangs are split! Somebody has an attack of the hiccoughs that sees them end up being sent to bed under the care of Matron! It's amazing and honestly, I feel we should produce this book to anybody who says: "look, Kids Books should have Plot and a Clearly Defined Antagonist" and go "dudes, but what about this one with lots of adults having a moan in the staffroom and the kids packing boxes".
Ugh, I love it, I love it.
March 28, 2024
As the book itself states, nothing much happens in this book but it is an important link between Chalet school's days in the Island and the imminent move to Switzerland. I enjoyed it anyway and look forward to reading the next in the series 'Joey goes to Oberland'
June 5, 2017
This is the last of the stories set on St Briavel's Island and it is a mixture of looking back - lots of footnotes referring to previous books - and looking ahead - the school is moving to Switzerland next term - but not much present. There are accounts of two expeditions, one of which actually goes off without incident! but the book mainly consists of everyday school life and discussion the new school of what is needs to be done with school equipment etc. This doesn't mean it's a dull read, sometimes you just need to hear about such details, but it will be good to get back to the glamour and excitement of Abroad.
May 12, 2024
An ‘OK’ book but had I encountered this as a child when I was reading as many Girls School stories as possible I would have been disappointed and certainly would not have been inspired to try to read aas many of the Chalet School series as I could lay my hands on
The island books in the series are for me the weakest in the series despite having some good characters such as Peggy and Bride Bettany as leading characters
Looking forward to the series getting back to the Alps
The island books in the series are for me the weakest in the series despite having some good characters such as Peggy and Bride Bettany as leading characters
Looking forward to the series getting back to the Alps
January 9, 2025
In what other series would a man come in to basically evict a school bc he has found a load of TREASURE CHESTS in a CAVE and then VAULT OUT OF A WINDOW while the staff act like this is a completely normal occurrence
July 16, 2019
Thoroughly enjoyed my first time ever reading this!
September 5, 2021
A bit rambly. The trip to the Bournville factory was funny.
October 21, 2025
A shame that the otherwise brilliant sequence set on the island had to end with such an outstandingly boring book.
April 30, 2016
Plus points: it's the summer term, they're still on the island, Kester Bellever is back on the scene (although time has run out for any possibility of a romance with Miss Annersley), and there's a regatta (by far the best sort of end-of-term bash).
Minus points: ghastly Maynard triplets are back. Margot is put in Upper IIIa, and if she works very hard she may get put up to Upper IIIa. Who edits these books?!
And of course it's the final term on the island. Now, I can understand the school wanting to move to the Swiss Alps. I can just about understand Ernest Howells wanting to sell Plas Howell. What I can't understand is why he doesn't sell it to the Chalet School, so that the English (Welsh) branch that stays behind can maintain its close connection with the San (the two have always been run in conjunction, remember?) in the beautiful Golden Valley. I mean, who wants to go to school in Carnbach, forever looking across the Sound at the (much more fun) island where the school was briefly located?
It's also farewell to an excellent bunch of characters - notably Tom - that we have seen move up the school from juniors to prefects. It's never the same once they're pushed over to Welson. 'Changes' does, for me, mark the beginning of the downward spiral. There's a bit of bobbing up again but from now on there's a lot of repetition and the perilous incidents get ever more ridiculous (the ink, the hiccups, and the pigs in the orchard are markers of what's to come).
Update April 2016 after reading the GGB edition: my Armada paperback was listed as having 'minor frequent cuts' and that's what they were. But I was struck on reading the full version by Kester Bellever's catering arrangements. It’s not clear how many goats he actually has, but he must have been saving the milk for weeks to have enough for the massed ranks of the junior middles, and there's no mention of a fridge...
Minus points: ghastly Maynard triplets are back. Margot is put in Upper IIIa, and if she works very hard she may get put up to Upper IIIa. Who edits these books?!
And of course it's the final term on the island. Now, I can understand the school wanting to move to the Swiss Alps. I can just about understand Ernest Howells wanting to sell Plas Howell. What I can't understand is why he doesn't sell it to the Chalet School, so that the English (Welsh) branch that stays behind can maintain its close connection with the San (the two have always been run in conjunction, remember?) in the beautiful Golden Valley. I mean, who wants to go to school in Carnbach, forever looking across the Sound at the (much more fun) island where the school was briefly located?
It's also farewell to an excellent bunch of characters - notably Tom - that we have seen move up the school from juniors to prefects. It's never the same once they're pushed over to Welson. 'Changes' does, for me, mark the beginning of the downward spiral. There's a bit of bobbing up again but from now on there's a lot of repetition and the perilous incidents get ever more ridiculous (the ink, the hiccups, and the pigs in the orchard are markers of what's to come).
Update April 2016 after reading the GGB edition: my Armada paperback was listed as having 'minor frequent cuts' and that's what they were. But I was struck on reading the full version by Kester Bellever's catering arrangements. It’s not clear how many goats he actually has, but he must have been saving the milk for weeks to have enough for the massed ranks of the junior middles, and there's no mention of a fridge...
May 22, 2024
In this book, the School prepares to leave St Briavel's, where they have been for a while during the war, and return to the Oberland. There's not a lot of plot - it's very much a formulaic school story, but there's a bit of light relief when the girls visit the Cadbury factory in Birmingham, and have some trouble with pigs at night...
Bride Bettany is still Head Girl, and the Maynard triplets return from Canada at last, stronger and more confident. Margot strikes up a friendship with the unpredictable Emerence Hope, much to the dismay of the authorities, but is persuaded to work hard after being placed in a form much lower than that of her sisters.
This is an important book for continuity if reading through; it's about half-way through the series, and shows the school packing up for a permanent - and planned - removal from the island where they have been so happy for the past few years. But it's not one of my favourites.
Three and a half stars would be fairer.
Latest full review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
Bride Bettany is still Head Girl, and the Maynard triplets return from Canada at last, stronger and more confident. Margot strikes up a friendship with the unpredictable Emerence Hope, much to the dismay of the authorities, but is persuaded to work hard after being placed in a form much lower than that of her sisters.
This is an important book for continuity if reading through; it's about half-way through the series, and shows the school packing up for a permanent - and planned - removal from the island where they have been so happy for the past few years. But it's not one of my favourites.
Three and a half stars would be fairer.
Latest full review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
February 22, 2011
A Chalet term with no new girls! Quite a surprise. Still, it was interesting enough fare without being one of the most exciting. Fun to see the initial meeting of Margot and Emerence too. I hadn't realised there was such an enormous age gap between them!
Also, I had to laugh at the wonderful product placement. ;) They went on an excursion to a chocolate factory (NOT the best thing to read on an empty stomach!) with a guide who spoke to them "of the way the great firm of Cadburys' looked after their people." Fabulous!
Also, I had to laugh at the wonderful product placement. ;) They went on an excursion to a chocolate factory (NOT the best thing to read on an empty stomach!) with a guide who spoke to them "of the way the great firm of Cadburys' looked after their people." Fabulous!
December 27, 2015
Another fun chalet read - one of the rarer books! This one explores the changes that happen to the schools as it gets ready to leave the island and the majority of the school will move onto the Tirol whilst some will remain in the Uk. The meeting of Emerence and Margot, the last term of Bride as Head Girl and the return of the Maynards and Russels from Canada all feature. Not as good reading as many of the other books but does contain some important moments connecting the other stories.
April 5, 2010
The Chalet School is about to move to Switzerland! Bride Bettany, the Head Girl, and the rest of the school are busy preparing for the big move.
July 31, 2015
The last term on the island. Not the usual antics but still good fun.
April 8, 2016
Another pleasant story in this beloved series
March 25, 2017
Wonderful. Filled in lots of story arcs but left me with questions too.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews