Worth the wait?

I have this week managed to finally get hold of one of the most sought after pony books of recent times. The extremely elusive Mystery On The Moor. I have been after this one for a few years now and it certainly has a 'hype' around it which I have found on past occasions brings nothing but disappointment on actually reading the story, such as with Sheila Chapman's books and rosette for Royal. Thankfully, this time it wasn't the case!

I also must apologise to someone for this review as I know this title will be covered by The pullein-Thompson archive in just a few weeks time, but I couldn't resist...it's not every day you actually manage to get hold of the most wanted book on your list! I'm hoping you will understand.

The story see's Angela Fletcher return to spend the summer as a paying guest with the Ashworths, meanwhile Jess and her sister Georgie are saying with their Gran, Mrs Hathaway. Once ponies are sorted out for everyone a great summer should be in the offing, but threat of a rabies outbreak is hanging over the country. It is also slightly marred by the fact the cottage on Menacoell, where they so often in the past had camped out, has now been turned into kennels and Mr Bates is far from friendly and won't have them near. A trip to the shops at peennecford is followed by the usual crossing of the estuary to have a gallop in the fields beyond, however this time they are greeted by birds who have been caught up in an oil spill. The friends immediately mount an operation to save the birds and help is at hand from the RSPCA. While this is going on suspicions are raised about Mr Bates and what exactly his business is. Is it as innocent as it seems and what of the rabies outbreaks? Where are they coming from and is it set to spread to the moors.......

I was all set to not like this book a single bit, I hadn't thought much of it's predecessor Treasure on the Moor, thought even less of the following book Suspicion Stalks The Moor and knew this one would be lacking the main characters from the first 5 books. However I can honestly say I enjoyed it as much, if not more than any other book in the series...and considering the times I have been thoroughly disappointed by books I have wanted so desperately it was somewhat refreshing to say the least.

The AsheyPales, as Sukey and Chris were known in Treasure, really come into their own in this book as they take over the main character slots previously filled by Louisa and Frances Burnett. They have turned from feeble city kids, struggling to adapt to their new surroundings into much stronger, dependable and infinitely more likeable characters. SuKey and Huw emerge as the new 'leaders' within the group, a void that is left by the absence of the Burnetts, older Hamilton's and the Jackson's. Danny is now fully integrated and accepted as part of the group and we see the return of the quite frankly 'horrendous' Angela. A pushy, in your face brat who more than meets her equal in the impertinent and downright obnoxious equally spoilt brat Jess. Unlike Jess, Angela has a few moments where she almost manages to redeem herself but Jess is selfish and out for herself through and through. She is also even more dislikable due to her natural ability on horseback...she immediately has the unschooled and difficult Russet going beautifully for her to further irritate the others.The Ashyplaes ponies are new reformed characters due to the help from the Burnetts and Snowman makes an interesting addition to their stable. He is a skinny mass of bones covered in warts who neither of them really want but as Sukey begins to ride him he proves himself to be a wise old hand and super all round performer...there is even a happy ending when his warts disappear!

It leaves me wondering a little whether I would like 'Suspicion' more now, knowing a little more about the characters in it, this book fills a lot of gaps in their personalities that make them appear bland and un endearing in Suspicion.The story itself covers several important issues. Firstly the devasting effects of an oil spill on local wildlife. Josephine didn't just touch lightly on the subject either as we learn about how the birds are to be cared for and how the RSPCA becomes involved. There is also the serious issue of Rabies, now laws and restrictions have changed, I guess smuggling dogs into the country is less necessary but Josephine tackled this issue well and the rabies plot was only brought fully into play at the end of the story...I won't go on and totally spoil it but suspicions were rife prior to this and the missing link falls into place in an unexpected way.............

The only thing I didn't like was the absence of the previous main characters and poor explanations of this in the case of the Burnetts. The Mitchell's had been being fazed out slowly for a while and are no great loss, The Jackson's were busy running their trekking centre and again this had been building up for some time, the older Hamilton's were away with their TV star/producer (I forget which) father, which was plausible but the Burnetts absence was due to their mother being ill and needing to recover in a warmer climate. Hello this is the 1980's, this might have been common in the 40's and 50's but did this really still happen in the 80's? I for one am not so sure but stand to be corrected. I know Josephine didn't want to bring in new characters but was made to by the publishers...I fear it was almost deja vu of the Noel and Henry series as her publishers didn't like the hint of romance between Noel and Henry and you felt a relationship was blossoming here between Frances and Felix too in the same subtle way. Whatever the reasoning the old characters were well and truly dead and buried apart from odd fleeting mention early on in this one.

The book is an enjoyable read with or without the characters of the first books and more than holds it own within the series. It showed her diversity as a writer as she shied away from her usual style of pony based story and embarked on a more adventure/mystery theme with ponies thrown in......maybe it was the what was popular and 'wanted' at the time as the Peter Grey Kit Hunter series and Linda Craig Mysteries by Ann Sheldon all got re-released in the early 1980's too but for me it will never be able to live up to and will always be a poor relative of her earlier classics such as Six Ponies and Pony Club Camp? It may be more sort after than these books but that is purely down to the rarity factor rather than content in my opinion.

Jacky Jumps To The Top

I have finally got round to doing something I have been meaning to do for ages....or at least started to....compare the Spitfire Jane Eliot titles with their Patricia Leitch re-releases.

I started with Jacky Jumps To The top as along with being my favourite Pat Leitch story (apart from Black Loch that is) it is one I read so many times as a child I almost know it word for word so the task was so much easier.

Ever since I obtained my first Spitfire, the elusive Pony Club Camp, I have been wondering if this mini books are are abridged/altered. So far I cannot find evidence of Pony Club Camp ever been re-printed either prior or post the Spitfire edition but Afraid to ride, First pony and of Course Jacky all appeared in the Collins Pony Library series.

However having now read Jacky Jumps to the top in all 3 different editions I can confirm the story was added to for the Collins version quite significantly and further minor abridgements occured in the later armada edition too.

The first thing that immediately struck me was the character Jacky was two years younger (just 9) in the spitfire edition than in the Collins and armada editions. I wonder if, although time did pass during the story, at least a year, Ms Leitch realised it was highly unlikely that a 10/11 year old would beat her peers to the leading junior show jumper title? Also Jacky struck me as extremely capable and independent for such a young age, even when she was 11. Interestingly Celia Grunter remains 10 in all 3 editions, thus going from older than to younger than Jacky.

Flicka also turns from a 4 year old in the Spitfire to a five year old, again I wonder if as an after thought Ms Leitch realised she would be very young to achieve such a feat, and not the best of examples either, competing hard and at a high level, such a young pony?

The text alterations begin at chapter 3 which begins - Jacky covered her head with the bed clothes - she didn't want to wake up. She didn't want it to be today - the day when Flicka and all the other ponies from the riding school were going to the sale at Buckly. In the later editions there an extra two chapters before this bit covering the period up to the sale and Jacky's frantic efforts to make enough money to save Flicka, not to mention Mrs Grunter also trying to buy Flicka for the dreadful Celia. Jacky is offered Flicka for £300 in this build up to the sale (the amount is £30 in the Collins and it is only mentioned as an after thought on sale day).

Chapter 5 of the later editions starts - The clock downstairs chimed half past seven - this is three paragraphs into chapter 3 of the spitfire edition and the story continues as per original for a while (apart from a £50 premium bond win becomes £500 in later eds and Mrs Grunter being prepared to pay £70 for Flicka at the sale becoming £700).Interestingly in the Armada edition there is also one final addition to an otherwise unabridged copy of the Collins. Jacky has no tack and in this edition it mentions her Father making her put her spare £200 into savings and not using it for a saddle, what happens to her change in earlier editions isn't mentioned.

At this point the Collins and Armada have an extra two chapters again which see Flicka jumping out of the Dawson's paddock and gorging herself in the feed room and her resulting bout of colic and another focusing on teaching Flicka to jump and taking part in a disastrous pony club gymkhana.

The two later editions also feature the pairs escapades out hunting, which nearly ruins Flicka's jumping career and occurs just before the try out's for the pony club team, where it all goes wrong! With Roderick's help they get Flicka back on track and from here on in the book is back to following the original storyline published by spitfire and ends with Jacky and Flicka being crowned Leading Junior show jumper Of the Year.

All in all a near perfect pony book, the stuff dreams are made of regardless of the edition you choose!

For me it has to be the armada I had growing up to be honest, much as i like the Collins pony libs......old faves die hard.

One question I would still like the answer to is - Is Patricia Leitch her real name? If so why the pseudonym ?

Quite Beautiful

Nothing to do with pony books or anything in particular for that matter but this has to be one of the loveliest poems I've ever come across and thought i'd share it a little more.

Ride By Night Christine Pullein-Thompson

Another entertaining read by the undeniable 'queen' of the pony books. I cannot think too many authors have had more works published than CPT (especially of this genre)?

A camping holiday in the Highlands (presumably) on ponies turns quickly in a battle against adversity to save the lives of two Romanian asylum seekers fleeing the Russian fleet. A little far fetched maybe but nether the less entertaining. However I can't help thinking it just an adaptation of her first novel We Rode To Sea. It is a long time since I read it but it also concerns a holiday in the Highlands (widely thought to be set between Fort William and Inverness) although this time it's a family rather than a group of friends and rather than being persued they end up persuing some Germans, who have two of their ponies, quite literally to the sea.

I am still mulling over the setting for this one too. Immediately Fort Augustus (Fort Angus) sprung to mind but there was a mention of it being by the sea and a beach so that cannot be. Mallaig (Collig) was also a thought and then they could have rode to Ayisaig maybe but I don't think this would provide a large enough town so I am a little perplexed. I know the sisters held great affection for Scotland and were frequent visitors so can't help thinking the town and village mentioned are real and most likely in the Highlands.

The story begins when Sheila and Desmond, who are bored and seeking some excitement, first think of organising a mounted camping expedition. Never did they imagine what drama and excitement was to follow! First the trekkers get lost, then they lose a horse and end up saving the lives of two Romanian asylum seekers, amid a barrage of gun fire, who are fleeing Russian Fleets.

In true CPT style it is quite dark in tone and not without it's casualties. One of the Romanians is shot, the children generally suffer from hunger and fatige and poor Jennifer has a nasty fall and breaks her nose. Tom Thumb, Ian's borrowed potential dressage horse, is injured but it is poor 'rich girl' Leslie, (whom turned out not to be spoilt and stuck up, as they had imagined prior to leaving, in the least) who suffered the most. Ching Poo (what a brilliant name!), her Peke, falls to his death down a prepice while escaping the Russians while her pony Raspberry also ends up becoming lame too.

Although I have pictured the the first edition with the beautiful Sheila Rose cover, I read a Pb copy which I have owned, but never before read, from childhood. I have found that there are a number Of Christine's books , which I own that fall into this category whereas I have read (and more often than not devoured) both Diana's and Josephine's books as soon as I have got my hands on them, in fact the childhood ones that escaped my mums recycling sprees were/are now rather tired and dog eared! The reason was summed up perfectly however by Jane Badger, some time ago in this excellent post on her blog, where she described some of her works as being outside her comfort zone. I had not really given the reason why, despite commercially being the most successful of the sisters, I had never liked her books as much as her sisters that much thought prior to reading this post. On reading the post it fell into place, as it was also outside my comfort zone. I didn't like the doom and casualties a lot of her books carried but also the subjects were sometimes out of the comfort zone of a pony mad youngster, after all I wanted to gallop on beaches and win rosettes and not be worrying whether I would escape from Russian Fleets!

Dark Champion Arthur Waterhouse

I seem to be having a run of choosing really good reads at the min and this one, although not in The same league as The Milkman's Cob, is also a well written enjoyable story. I have also come to the conclusion that although I like school stories, apart from No Ponies For Miss Pobjoy, school stories and ponies don't mix that well, which was further confirmed when I read the (in my opinion) rather forgettable Ponies At Westways recently. The blurb stated you want to read it at least twice, or words to that effect, but I think once was enough for me!

Now I've gone somewhat off track and must point out that Dark Champion is not a school/pony story. The Author Arthur Waterhouse, appears to have written a number of children's books, including some under the pseudonyms Vera Painter, but this seems to be his only foray into the world of pony books. I would hazard a guess that he did not really know one end of a horse from another as, as I found with Peter Greys Kit Hunter series also, although the story/ies are great there are rather large and gaping blunders where the horses are concerned, in this one the main thing is how the children gallop and jump Jim straight from the stable and cold. Warming up is never given a second glance and like Peter Grey's books it is assumed/taken for granted that all horses need regular good gallops and can be jumped day after day after day without getting fed up/soured. Another thing that struck me is how very much times have changed, this book having been first published 60 years ago next year (tomorrow...scary yet another one gone). I couldn't help but think all the time I was reading it that there was something rather sinister in Mr Martin and his son Colonel Martins interest in two young (ish) children, especially the extra interest in Brenda, but this is clearly a sign of the times and is rather sad really that the first thought is that the sad lonely old man must be a paedophile. I guess in it's era it was perfectly acceptable but I fear now he would have been persecuted.

The story struck me as almost two stories in one, one of which was a pony story. It begins as a lovely pony story, Framer Webster inadvertently buys a poor bedraggled black horse at an auction. When the mistake is realised, he agrees to keep the horse and condition it ready for the next auction in a months time. So Connemara Jim comes to live on the farm and immediately wins the heart of Farmer Websters daughter Brenda. In true female style Brenda can wind the opposite sex round her little finger and with David's help persuades her father they would like to keep Jim. He soon looks a whole lot better and it's time for the next auction, Farmer Webster tries to pay for Jim but the auctioneer won't hear of it so to please Brenda, David takes drastic measures and goes into hiding with Jim until the coast is clear.

Shortly after this episode their Father agrees to them riding Jim, and old Farm hand Danny, who saw his potential as soon as he arrived, becomes more and more convinced he is an Irish hunter and it is he who suggests the name, Connemara Jim.

One Gloriously sunny morning however a shock is in store for Brenda and David, as Jim is missing from his paddock. He is later traced as having made his way (via some rather fearsome hedges it would seem) to Red Hall the home of a rather fail old gentleman Mr Martin. Old Danny is delighted as it would seem his surmise of Jim had been correct. Brenda and David set out to fetch Jim home and this is where the story opens out and almost has a second storyline running Pararell with the pony one woven around Jim and his new life. The children meet Mr Martin and Brenda, usually quite shy, takes an instant liking to the old man and shocks David by her talkativeness. Brena also shows a peculiar attraction to a photograph of a young woman on Mr Martins wall and a strange friendship occurs between the old man and the children. In between training Jim for the whitenside show, where David is to jump him, they regularly visit Mr Martin and Brenda's fascination of the picture continues. It is around now the reader learns that unknown to the children Brenda is in fact adopted.

The Whitsentide show brings disappointment as David's nerves cause Jim to run away with him in the jumping but at the same time everyone is delighted at the potential Jim shows and the next goal is set. At this point he auctioneer rears his head again offering to buy Jim but Farmer Webster refuses his offer to the children's delight. The Children also make another new friend in the form of Mr Martins son Colonel Martin, again David is baffled by Brenda's unusual behaviour/attraction to another stranger. He owns a fine mare Ladybird and allows the children use of her and Brenda rides her to victory at the September show in the riding class. David jumps Jim to a clear in the first round of jumping but then a freak fall injures his wrist and it looks as though Jim will never get his chance to prove his worth. However it is finally agreed that Brenda will take Davids place in the jump off (something that would never happen nowadays) and she rides Jim to victory. On entering the ring the commentator makes an error and announces her as Brenda Martin, which rather confirmed what the second story line already had me thinking and also what Mr and Mrs Webster had been thinking. It comes out shortly after in conversation between the Websters and Colonel Martin that Brenda is in fact their adopted daughter and this leads to the colonels own sad story being told. While away in the army his wife and daughter had vanishes, presumed killed in a train crash....the same train crash the orphanage had found Brenda at the scene of. He immediately sets out to visit the orphanage to see how plausible it is that Brenda could be his long lost daughter. Within her records a locket is found, that had not been noticed before then, and in it a picture of Colonel Martin, suddenly her attraction to the two men and of course the photo are instantly explained. If this is not unbelievable enough the fact that both children hardly batter an eyelid at the news and all go off to live happily ever after rather spoilt the ending for me, as in reality I am sure it is not so simple. However don't be put off as Connemara Jim's story is a lovely one, abet a little over shadowed by the adoption story towards the second half of the book.

Santa returns!

Hooray....Santa didn't forget me.....he brought me this little beauty yesterday. Better late than never and I promise not to sell it this time too!

The Milkman's Cob June Mary Groves

This is the best book I have read in a very long time! It is not a book I had heard of previously but and having seen (and lost) a couple on eBay, it was one I was on the look out for, then on actually winning one it has taken several months to get round to reading it, but boy was it worth it!

It is reasonably unique in that the story is told by four different characters, all of whom play a major role in the story, Not unlike DPT’s Pony to School actually as they share the story telling throughout, although Katy has first and last (well last proper) say.

The Main character, in that I mean whom the story focus’s on, is Kathleen (known as Katy). The story begins with Katy jumping her very good jumping pony Larke in the leading Junior show jumper at Hoys. She is here with two other central characters (who also tell the story) John, also competing with his jumping pony Greystones and international show jumper Jane, who is also the local pony club DC.
Larke collapses during her round and a heartbroken Katy shies away from contact with horses for a whole year, save a passing interest in Larkes Dam, Gay, (a new Forest pony living in the forest) and the Milkman’s Cob, Happy, whom she first met (and grew to love)as a 7 year old child.
On hearing the Dairy are to change to vans, and Happy will be sold, Katy decides to buy him. With Jane’s help they buy Happy (the Happy prince, as Jane calls him) at auction and Katy sets about schooling him under saddle once more.
A day out hunting proves to all Happy scope and jumping ability as while bolting with Katy he clears a 5ft 3 hedge the rest of the field have spurned in favour of a lower gate…however Katy, not expecting him to jump, is thrown and concussed, and although happy to ride after finds she has lost her nerve where jumping is concerned. Jane is rather a strong, harsh character and finds Jane loss of nerve irksome and has little patience but Jane’s brother Andrew (who also joins in the story telling) proves a more mellow and sympathetic character and it is he who helps Katy regain her nerve, even if one of his methods is somewhat unorthodox) and soon Katy and Happy, as always accompanied by John and greystones, are ready for their First Show. After an initial setback with crowds, happy proves that he may have been a Milkman’s cob but now he is a real force to be reakoned with in the jumping ring and despite a few adventures along the way, including rescuing Gay’s foal from a bog, Happy jumps his way (with a little help from Katie) to the Hoys. Here he helps Katy achieve what Larke died trying, albeit we find out with a little help from Katy’s guardian Angel, Andrew.

A beautifully written book and a real rags to riches story, and after all we love an underdog don’t we? June groves characters are very well developed and it does leave you wondering if they are based on real people as they are incredibly real, maybe it’s the writing style of telling the story in the first person (or persons in this case). The Authors dedication gives away there was a real Happy, but whether or not he too was a milkman’s cob is not stated.
Find a copy and devour it, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
On a negative note the illustrations do not do the lovely story justice what so ever unfortunately, but do not let this put you off.