Diapason asked: "Now, does anyone else remember Jennings and Darbishire" by Anthony Buckeridge??"

I love it!!! I collect the Jennings books. I have many different titles, and many different editions! I'm a bit sad I suppose, but they're very nice to collect, and also wonderful to read. They are very well written. Nothing much really happens in the books, but they're worth reading for the language and turn of phrase!

So, anyone else a Jennings fan?

Yes. Wasn't there a Mr Wilkins who used to go "cor-wumph!" when he was angry?

I enjoyed them. But I haven't read any for ages....

I saw the title and I thought 'Oh my, what a coincidence that these books should come up!'. Then I saw who started it...

Oh yes. I love them. Still have one or two kicking around.

was that the same Mr Wilkins who regularly used to shout

"Venables ! "

or am I in the wrong book ???

There certainly was!! We had a teacher at school - Mr Grier - who was Mr. Wilkins in person!!

I have managed to collect several of the collection from Ebay. Also picked up 4 from the local central library when they had a book sale.

Ma Diapason decided that when her small diapason left home, he had "out grown" certain things, including the J & D books (and all of the Rupert annuals since 1954 to 1968)

The series was also broadcast on BBC Home service in the early 50's but I was too young to hear them. The signature tune was "The Old Clockmaker" by Charles Williams, a delightful piece that I include in many of my organ concert programmes.

Anthony Buckeridge died only this year.

Hooray for J & D fans!!




No, quite right, maggiemay!!

I liked the way that Temple's nickname was 'Bod' because his initials were CAT. That got changed to 'dog', which got 'shortened' to 'dogsbody', which got shortened to 'Bod'.

Oooh, I've read some of these. Good fun!

I used to have them all- but quite a long time ago- I even had a French version of one of them.

I loved these. They sort of followed on from Just William.

I am going to see if I can dig some of my old copies out now...

Yes - I liked those books. Also liked just William.

It's all coming back now...was it Venables that had trailing bootlaces, or was that Bod?

There was the latin grace said before and after dinner - benedictus something which apparently meant 'come and get it' and 'you've had it'

Derbyshire who said things in Capital Letters and used to quote his father who was a vicar.

And their full names: John Christopher Timothy Jennings and Charles Edwin Jeremy Darbishire, if i remember correctly.

Yes. Read them to my sons who also loved them (when they got a bit too old for Enid Blyton). They used to cry 'fishhooks!' in moments of extremis for quite a while afterwards, to rather strange looks from friends who were not similarly literarily (?) aware. (Don't wish to sound like a pompous twit - too many of those around already!)

Mel

Yes! I've been known to say 'fossilised fishhooks as well'.

...and a mistake was a 'bish'