FOCS is run by Clarissa Cridland and Ann Mackie-Hunter. In addition to running FOCS, we also own Girls Gone By Publishers, which, among other authors, publishes the books of Elinor Brent-Dyer. Some years ago, Girls Gone By bought the copyright in all of Elinor’s books, and this covers the copyright in her characters as well.
For more information about Girls Gone By Publishers click here.
Clarissa Cridland
I am a retired priest in the Church of England. I was ordained in 2006, and Elinor Brent-Dyer was a big influence on my Christian faith; she remains very important in my life.
I first started to read the Chalet School stories in the mid 1960s when I was about 10 and used to borrow them from my local library. When I was 12, I bought four titles – Highland Twins, Lavender, Peggy and Joey Goes to the Oberland, but then moved very suddenly to adult books. However, from the age of about 19 I used to buy the Armada paperbacks, and haunt every jumble sale in my area in London. Gradually I acquired some hardbacks, and then some years later, after I had moved to Coleford, I first visited Hay-on-Wye and bought quite a lot more. A little later I met other collectors and discovered secondhand dealers, discovering, too, that EBD had written not just the Chalet School books, but lots of others as well. I began to love different editions of the books, and in many cases have a number of copies of each title.
I also read and collect quite a number of other authors, some of whom are published by Girls Gone By. (I read a lot of theology and other church books as well – and of course the Bible.) Other hobbies are a bit difficult to define, because so much of what I enjoy is bound up in what I do.
Health wise, I have M.E. and also high blood pressure which means I have to be careful about how much and what I do, but I am now able to space out what I do, and how I do it.
Ann Mackie-Hunter
I spent the first 16 years of my life in Scotland, near Glasgow, and then moved to Australia where I became a teacher. I retired from teaching some years ago, and moved back to the UK. Health issues mean I cannot do as much as I would like, but I love gardening and I love flowers, both in the house and in the garden.
I began reading the Chalet School books at the age of eight, and borrowed them from the library, reading all that they had. When I discovered others who read them, and was able to read the whole series as well as EBD’s other books, it was as though a door had opened. Founding Friends of the Chalet School is probably the most important thing I have done in my life.
Jack and Jill
We are now thirteen. We have slowed down quite a lot and now enjoy living in Leominster.