#Timmy with trains🚂🚂

[the-princess-and-the-admiral]

Princess Anne and Tim Laurence attending the unveiling of the new GWR train ‘HRH The Princess Royal’ at Paddington Station, 2nd May 2024

📸🎥 - Great Western Railway

[papillon82fluttersby]

Famous Five Art Nostalgia #13 – Part 3

Introductory post

Masterpost

🐎😶‍🌫️🚂 Five Go to Mystery Moor – La locomotive du Club des Cinq

Original publication date: 1954 (UK), 1961 (France)

(Cover art by Jean Sidobre, 1987)

Plot summary (adapted from Wikipedia):

George and her cousin Anne are spending their holiday at Captain Johnson's Riding School, where George has a rivalry with another tomboy named Henrietta, who prefers to be called "Henry". Anne's brothers Julian and Dick come to join the girls and initially mistake Henry for a boy, much to George's chagrin.

(George and Anne are quite bored without the boys around)

(The boys have finally arrived and help with taking care of the horses)

(The owner of an injured horse tries to retrieve his animal covertly against Captain Johnson’s advice)

Amidst horse rides on the moor, the children encounter a group of gypsies determined to visit a desolate place called Mystery Moor. An elderly blacksmith tells the children how gypsies, in the past, sabotaged a railway run by a family of sand miners, causing most of the family to mysteriously disappear when the moor was covered by a thick mist.

(Exploring the moor on horseback)

(An uncharitable rooster sings its morning tune much earlier that Julian and Dick would have liked! 😖)

(Old Ben the blacksmith)

(Old Ben tells his tale)

The Five follow the gypsies to the moor, following signs left by a young gypsy whom they’ve made friends with, named Sniffer, as well as the old railway tracks formerly used by the sand miners mentioned by the old blacksmith. They also find the old train engine, half buried in the sand and overgrown with heather and gorse.

(A camping trip on the moor)

(A rowdy ball game before settling in for the night)

On their first night camping on the moor, the Five hear a plane circling low over the area. Intrigued, they figure out over the next day that the gypsies had arranged a signal for the plane. The plane comes back the next night and drops several packages that the Five collect, discovering that they contain smuggled American banknotes, later revealed to be forgeries from France [England].

(Falling parcels!)

The Five decide to flee and hide the parcels before the travellers come to retrieve them. Unfortunately, a heavy mist falls on the moor and the kids get separated. The boys manage to hide the parcels in the old train engine while the girls lose their way and are taken prisoners and held in a cave.

(An ingenious hiding place!)

(The girls and Timmy lose their way on the misty moor)

(Sniffer visits the captured girls and gives them whatever help he can)

Thanks to Timmy, George manages to send a message to their friends Henry and William at the riding school. Henry and William come to rescue the girls, with Sniffer’s assistance, while Dick and Julian finally find their way back to the riding school, where Mrs Johnson was just calling the police.

(The ride back to safety!)

Thankful for Sniffer’s help, George promises to reward him with a red bicycle and living in a house with a family.

~~~~~~

Thanks for reading!

[papillon82fluttersby]

Famous Five Art Nostalgia #07 – Part 3

Introductory post

Masterpost

🏕️🚞👻 Five Go Off to Camp – Le Club des Cinq va camper

Original publication date: 1948 (UK), 1957 (France)

(Cover art by Jean Sidobre, 1977)

As announced, here are Sidobre's illustrations for Five Go Off to Camp. Happy spook trains, everyone! 👻🚂👻

~~~~~~

Plot summary (adapted from Wikipedia):

Julian, Dick, George, Anne and their dog Timmy are planning to go camping in a moor with the absent-minded and insect-loving Mr Luffy, a master at Julian and Dick's school. When they arrive at camp they find that their camping site is close to a farm.

(Even the trailer seems excited for this camping trip!)

(Meet Mr Moustache Luffy)

(While George and the boys visit the farm for food supplies, Anne stays at the camp to tidy things up after their breakfast, after which she goes for a stroll on the moor, where she gets spooked upon seeing smoke erupting from the ground, thinking that she may be sitting on a volcano! Mr Luffy is quick to reassure her that the smoke came from a train passing through of the many tunnels crisscrossing the area, and swears to keep Anne’s momentary fright a secret from the others)

(All campers report on their morning activities)

The Five discover several old railway tracks that run under the moors, some of them unused, and are eager to explore. They soon make friends with a boy named Jock, who lives at the farm with his mother and stepfather. While exploring the moor, the Five find a railway yard and a tunnel that are apparently abandoned. A watchman called Wooden Leg Sam tells them that "spook trains" travel along those tracks before chasing them away.

(An intriguing tunnel)

(Mr Moustache Luffy listens with interest to the children’s story about the supposed spook trains – he keeps a fondness for Anne and teases her good-naturedly about her supposed ‘volcano’)

The children visit the farm the next day. They are surprised to find that most of the farm labourers are not working properly although Jock's stepfather, Mr Andrews, has supplied the farm with a lot of expensive equipment and vehicles. When Mr Andrews hears about the spook trains, he warns the children to stay away from the railway yard, and tries to prevent Jock from meeting the Five over the next few days.

(A good meal at the farm 😋)

(Mr Andrews shows a peculiar interest in the children’s tale about spook trains)

(Visiting the farm with Jock)

(The next night over, Jock visits the Five in secret to tell them that his stepfather has been keeping him busy at the farm and he couldn’t escape to come have fun with them; they also make plans for Jock to come back the next night and investigate the abandoned railyard along with the boys)

The next day is spent having fun bathing at a nearby pond along with Mr Luffy. Meanwhile, Jock has to play host to a very annoying boy called Cecil Dearlove, foisted upon Jock by his stepfather, and has to spend the entire day playing "soldiers" with him, although Jock finds his revenge by changing the game to playing "Red Indians" and giving Cecil quite a scare in the process, for which Jock gets punished.

(Mr Moustache Luffy is surprisingly good at swimming!)

(A friendly play-together)

Julian and Dick secretly set off the next two nights (the first time with Jock, the second time without him due to Jock’s being punished) to watch for the spook trains, leaving the girls behind. They find that there is indeed a mysterious train coming from and back into the tunnel.

(The spook train?!!!)

The next day, George is furious when she finds that the boys left them behind. While Julian, Dick and Anne go to a nearby town with Mr Luffy to ask for information about the tunnels at the local train station, George sets off with Timmy to try and find the spook trains by herself. She does find one, which enters a secret area behind a supposedly blocked-off section of the tunnel.

(The Five minus George and Timmy go to the next town to make enquiries about the abandoned railway)

(George discovers the so-called spook train)

Once back, the boys explore the tunnel while Anne waits outside, but they are captured by some men led by Mr Andrews.

(Captured!)

Anne runs off to find Mr Luffy, but gets lost on her way. Eventually she does find him, along with some police officers that are helping him search for the missing Five. George, who had been hiding inside the train, rescues the boys and, realising that the train is used for smuggling, they try to find a way out of the tunnel. They are recaptured, but Anne arrives with Mr Luffy and the police just in time to free them. After being rounded up by Timmy, the criminals are arrested, and the Five return to the farm, while Jock is delighted at the adventure.

~~~~~~

Bonus:

(Choo-choo! 👻)

~~~~~~

Thanks for reading!

[papillon82fluttersby]

Famous Five Art Nostalgia #13 – Part 1

Introductory post

Masterpost

🐎😶‍🌫️🚂 Five Go to Mystery Moor – La locomotive du Club des Cinq

Original publication date: 1954 (UK), 1961 (France)

(Original cover art by Jeanne Hives, 1961)

In the French version, the book title focuses on the old train engine ("locomotive") that the Five discover on Mystery Moor, so you will find this visual heavily featured in the cover art!

~~~~~~

Plot summary (adapted from Wikipedia):

George and her cousin Anne are spending their holiday at Captain Johnson's Riding School [la ferme de M. et Mme Girard], where George has a rivalry with another tomboy named Henrietta [Paulette], who prefers to be called "Henry" [Paul(e)] . Anne's brothers Julian and Dick come to join the girls and initially mistake Henry for a boy, much to George's chagrin.

(Julian and Dick are waiting to be picked at the bus stop)

(George and Anne look after an injured horse named Clip [Pompon])

Amidst horse rides on the moor, the Five encounter a group of gypsies determined to visit a desolate place called Mystery Moor [la Lande du Mystère].

(Lovely horse rides on the moor)

(Lovely horse rides on the moor)

An elderly blacksmith tells the children how gypsies, in the past, sabotaged a railway run by a family of sand miners, causing most of the family to mysteriously disappear when the moor was covered by a thick mist.

(Old Ben, the blacksmith, tells his tale)

(An evening at the farm: Anne helps Mrs Johnson with the dishes while William [Pierre] (one of the kids from the riding school) struts away) [William is a good kid, really, just a little on the bragging side!]

The Five follow the gypsies to the moor, following signs left by Sniffer as well as the old railway tracks formerly used by the sand miners mentioned by the old blacksmith. They also find the old train engine formerly used by the miners, half buried in the sand and overgrown with heather and gorse.

(The old train engine mentioned by the blacksmith)

(Hiking on the moor)

(The Five call for Sniffer once they arrive on the moor)

On their first night camping on the moor, the Five hear a plane circling low over the area. Intrigued, they figure out over the next day that the gypsies had arranged a signal for the plane. The plane comes back the next night and drops several packages that the Five collect, discovering that they contain smuggled American banknotes, later revealed to be forgeries from France [England 🙃].

The Five decide to flee and hide the parcels before the travellers come to retrieve them. Unfortunately, a heavy mist falls on the moor and the kids get separated. The boys manage to hide the parcels in the old train engine while the girls lose their way and are taken prisoners and held in a cave. Thanks to Timmy, George manages to send a message to their friends Henry and William at the riding school.

(Anne and George manage to loosen their bonds)

Henry and William come to the girls' rescue with Sniffer’s assistance, while Dick and Julian, after an uncomfortable night on the foggy moor, finally find their way back to the riding school, where Mrs Johnson was just calling the police. Thankful for Sniffer’s help, George promises to reward him with a red bicycle and living in a house with a family.

(George and Henry make peace)

~~~~~~

Cover art through the ages:

(Disclaimer: This is not an exhaustive list; sometimes the dates are difficult to pinpoint; and I have purposefully not included editions that re-used similar cover art, with differences only in layout and font style.)

(Original cover by Jeanne Hives, with some nice close-ups of our intrepid investigators – Hachette, 1961)

(This… is decidedly NOT a canonical scene. It looks like the kids are in an amusement park or something... 😑 – Jean Sidobre, Hachette, 1977)

(Umberto Nonna puts the old engine back to its correct environment – Edito Service, 1981)

(Selfie mode! Jean Sidobre, Hachette, 1987)

(Some horses amidst all those train engines, for variety – Yves Beaujard, Hachette, 1991)

(Digging up the old engine – Paul Gillon, Hachette, 1996)

(An extra-rusty old engine from Munch & Prunier, Hachette, 1999)

(In line with their latest safety practices, the girls are now wearing riding helmets. Safety first, always! Frédéric Rébéna, Hachette, 2010)

(Hey, here's a night scenery for a change! Auren, Hachette, 2020)

~~~~~~

Thanks for putting up with these very many train engines – choo-choo! 🚂 – and see you next time! 😊

[papillon82fluttersby]

Famous Five Art Nostalgia #13 – Part 2

Introductory post

Masterpost

🐎😶‍🌫️🚂 Five Go to Mystery Moor – La locomotive du Club des Cinq

Original publication date: 1954 (UK), 1961 (France)

(Cover art by Umberto Nonna, 1981)

Plot summary (adapted from Wikipedia):

George and her cousin Anne are spending their holiday at Captain Johnson's Riding School, where George has a rivalry with another tomboy named Henrietta, who prefers to be called "Henry". Anne's brothers Julian and Dick come to join the girls and initially mistake Henry for a boy, much to George's chagrin.

(This portrait of Anne is located at the beginning of chapter 3, just after Dick and Julian meet Henry – I have no idea why Nonna would give her such an unflattering expression 😓😲😫)

Amidst horse rides on the moor, the Five encounter a group of gypsies determined to visit a desolate place called Mystery Moor.

(A refreshing halt on the moor)

An elderly blacksmith tells the children how gypsies, in the past, sabotaged a railway run by a family of sand miners, causing most of the family to mysteriously disappear when the moor was covered by a thick mist.

(A trip to the smithy: meet Jim [Jacques], the very fit grandson of old Ben [Baudry], former blacksmith and spirited storyteller)

The Five follow the gypsies to the moor, following signs left by Sniffer, a gypsy boy whom George befriended, as well as the old railway tracks formerly used by the sand miners mentioned by the old blacksmith. They also find the old train engine that was used by the miners, half buried in the sand and overgrown with heather and gorse.

On their first night camping on the moor, the Five hear a plane circling low over the area. Intrigued, they find out over the next day that the gypsies had arranged a signal for the plane. The plane comes back the next night and drops several packages that the Five collect, discovering that they contain smuggled American banknotes, later revealed to be forgeries from France.

(🎶 Banknotes are falling on my head 🎶)

The Five decide to flee and hide the parcels before the travellers come to retrieve them. Unfortunately, a heavy mist falls on the moor and the kids get separated. The boys manage to hide the parcels in the old train engine while the girls lose their way and are taken prisoners and held in a cave. Thanks to Timmy, George manages to send a message to their friends Henry and William at the riding school.

Henry and William come to the girls' rescue with Sniffer’s assistance, while Dick and Julian, after an uncomfortable night on the foggy moor, finally find their way back to the riding school, where Mrs Johnson was just calling the police. Thankful for Sniffer’s help, George promises to reward him with a red bicycle and living in a house with a family.

(The travellers’ campsite)

~~~~~~

Thanks for reading!