Nostalgia for British Children's Writers Part 3 Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In which series by Captain W.E. Johns did the characters of "Trapper" Troublay and "Copper" Colson regularly appear?

Answer: The "Gimlet" series

The War Office decided that if the Captain could inspire girls to join the WAAF with his "Worrals" stories he might be able to inspire young men to join the army with another series about a soldier. So "Gimlet" was born and formed a team that consisted of Gimlet, "Cub" Peters, "Copper" and "Trapper". They were commandos.

2. In which part of Britain did Marie Muir set most of her family stories about the Torridon family?

Answer: Scotland

There were four full-length novels in the "Torridons" series and several short stories printed in annuals. Torquil, Jan and Ivor's struggles to keep the boatyard are mainly observed through the shrewd and sensitive eyes of Jan who does quite a lot of growing up during the series.

3. Which author wrote series books about the Deans and the Brydons?

Answer: Kathleen Fidler

Kathleen Fidler also instituted an annual prize for children's literature in Scotland. The adventures of the Deans in particular tended to take them to many different locations including the Lake District, Liverpool and the Isle of Man.

4. Which book became the sequel to Robert Westall's award-winning "The Machine-Gunners"?

Answer: Fathom Five

Originally "Fathom Five" had an entirely different hero but Westall was persuaded to change the name so that it seemed like a continuation of his immensely popular first novel. Both stories are set in Garmouth or Tynemouth, though "Fathom Five" certainly deals with much more adult topics than "The Machine-Gunners".

5. What is the name of Jennings' best friend in the immensely popular "Jennings" series by Anthony Buckeridge?

Answer: Darbishire

Actually his full name is Charles Edwin Jeremy Darbishire but as Venables says, "You can keep the Charles Edwin Jeremy, you won't be needing it." Surnames only is the order of the day unless you happen to acquire a nickname like Temple who is known as "Bod".

6. What is Jennings' own first name which is scarcely ever mentioned in the "Jennings" series by Anthony Buckeridge?

Answer: John

His initials are J.C.T. but it always comes as a surprise when he is called "John" by one of his visiting aunties. Mr.Wilkins has even more bother with his initials "L.P." because they represent the sort of Christian names that most people would keep quiet about.

7. In Monica Edwards' combined "Romney Marsh" and "Punchbowl Farm" story called "The Outsider" which one of the children is successful in catching the deer with a lasso?

Answer: Meryon

It has to be Meryon. He is talented at every activity that he undertakes except horse-riding. On this occasion he even manages to stay on the back of Cascade and do the roping of the injured deer. This wins the admiration of Andrea but Meryon is already deeply attached to Tamzin.

8. What is the first name of Eric Leyland's newspaper reporter hero in the "Gale" series which includes such titles as "Gale Hits the Headlines" and "Gale and the Sword of Mars"?

Answer: Steven

Yes, there is another story called "Calling, Steven Gale". Eric Leyland couldn't seem to make up his mind whether to let Steven Gale have a regular love interest and for a while he gets quite "pally" with his secretary. However, it all comes to nothing.

9. Which of the following is not a title in the "Adam MacAdam" series by Douglas Duff?

Answer: Peril on the Amazon

Adam MacAdam was an ideal hero for teenage boys. He was part British and part Uruguayan. He spoke English, Spanish and Arabic fluently. He was a marine in the Uruguayan Armed Services but he had been to school in England. Females played almost no part at all in many of these stories which took Adam to all parts of the globe.

10. This story concerns Billy Hawkins, a cadet in the R.A.F. who gets leave of absence to travel with Professor Cottle to a South American Republic where they help to put down a revolution. What is it called?

Answer: "Wings of Adventure" by T.C. Bridges

All the clues were there to tell you that this was a book about flying. It contains a long "hidden city" section which was a speciality of T.C. Bridges. In a T.C.Bridges book there is also nearly always a scene involving the hero and a snake.

11. Complete the title of this boys' flying adventure by Erroll Collins - "The Black Dwarf of _____".

Answer: Mongolia

What makes it even more unusual is that the author's real name was Ellen Redknap. She also wrote "The Hawk of Aurania" and "Outlaw Squadron". More interestingly, she also wrote "The Star of Korania" which is a girls' flying story.

12. What sort of story was R.A.H. Goodyear famous for?

Answer: Boys' school stories usually strongly involving sport

It is interesting to note that in Goodyear's day football was the preferred game of public schools rather than rugby. One of his most famous and entertaining books is "The White House Boys" which is actually largely about cricket matches.

13. In the "Just William" books by Richmal Crompton, William forms a gang with his three friends which they call the "Outlaws". Who are the other three members of the "Outlaws"?

Answer: Ginger, Douglas and Henry

William's closest friend is probably Ginger. Henry very often seems to compete with Willam for leadership of the gang. Douglas is a born pessimist, always predicting dire disasters for anything that they undertake. (Douglas is usually proved right!)

14. In the "Just William" books by Richmal Crompton, who is William's worst enemy who runs his own gang which is based on bribery rather than on comradeship?

Answer: Hubert Lane

Hubert is a very greedy boy and a very credulous one. Quite often William gets out of a difficult situation by playing upon Hubert's belief in the power of witches. Sometimes Hubert has a helpful lieutenant in the form of Bertie Franks but even Bertie gets fed up with him and forms a new third gang in the village.

15. Which of the boys in the "Swallows and Amazons" series by Arthur Ransome is often presented as being greedy for chocolate?

Answer: Roger

Roger is perhaps the most light-hearted of the characters in the series. In "Pigeon Post" he drifts away from the others in their gold hunt and finds the famous mine by accident. In "Missee Lee" he proves to be the most able student of Latin which moves him to the top of the Chinese pirate's class.

16. In Arthur Ransome's "The Big Six", which member of the Coot Club is the one with the loose tooth?

Answer: Pete

The interesting way in which the "Death and Glories" propose removing it is to tie one end of a piece of fishing line around the tooth and the other end to a brick. They then drop the brick from the top floor of the boatshed at Horning. It works!

17. There are five stories by Philip Turner in the modern cycle of adventures based around "Darnley Mills". Which of the following is the first in the series?

Answer: Colonel Sheperton's Clock

The second in the series, "The Grange at High Force", was the one that won the Carnegie Medal. The missing one not mentioned in these answers is "War on the Darnel". "Skull Island" is actually the last of the adventures, when two of the boys are in the Upper Sixth and Arthur has left school to go to agricultural college.

18. In the historical cycle of "Darney Mills" stories by Philip Turner there are only four stories. Which is the one set during World War Two?

Answer: Dunkirk Summer

"Dunkirk Summer" chronicles what happens when the sixth formers of a boys' school from London are evacuated and made to share with a girls' school in Darnley Mills in the north-east of England. "When the Siren Wailed" and "The Dolphin Crossing" are both set in World War Two but they are by other authors.

19. Which is the correct outline of the plot of "Cloudy-Bright" by John Rowe Townsend?

Answer: Northern boy meets southern girl - involvement in photography.

This is basically a young adult love story in which the hero and the heroine take some time to sort out their real feelings for each other. A camera is at the centre of their first meeting. He has the technical expertise but she is the one that has the feeling for people.

20. Arthur Catherall wrote a series of books entitled "Sea Wolves", "Jackals of the Sea" and "Forgotten Submarine". The series was named after the tugboat owned by the hero. What was it called?

Answer: Bulldog

The villain of the series was called "Karmey" and the two heroes were Husky Hudson and Jack Frodsham. No matter how many times they got the better of him Karmey kept coming back for more.

21. Which of the following is not a real story by Arthur Ransome?

Answer: The Little Ship

"The Little Ship" is by Douglas Duff. "Racundra's Furst Cruise" is not a "Swallows and Amazons" story.

22. Which person from his past does Biggles meet again in "Biggles Looks Back" by W. E. Johns?

Answer: Marie Janis

Marie Janis is the only girl Biggles ever loved. Unfortunately she proved to be a German spy. Almost 50 years later she is trapped in her castle behind the Iron Curtain. Does Biggles set off to rescue her? What do you think? His one-time enemy Erich von Stalhein also gets involved in the adventure.

23. Which member of the "Lone Pine" gang goes into training to be a lawyer as the series by Malcolm Saville draws to an end?

Answer: David

David manages to get a transfer from a London firm to a Shrewsbury one so that he can be near to Peter (Petronella). This allows him to announce their engagement on Peter's 18th birthday. Tom is destined to take over Ingles Farm and Jenny works in a bookshop. Penny has now gone in to the hotel business in Rye.

24. Stephen Tring wrote "Penny" stories mainly for girls but what was the name of his male character in the series he wrote for boys?

Answer: Barry

Lawrence Meynell was the real name behind the Stephen Tring pseudonym. His "Barry" series was much shorter than the "Penny" one and was set more amongst ordinary working class boys than the rather middle-class family that Penny belonged to.

25. Which of the following is not a genuine "Jennings" book by Anthony Buckeridge?

Answer: Triumph for Jennings

The crazes in the different Jennings' books could record fashion changes in boys' enthusiasms over many generations. There is the whole process of building your own little hut and then there is stamp collecting and photography and the memorable story all about the space race.

Source: Author Philian

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Bruyere before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Nostalgia for British Children's Writers Part 3 Quiz

This collection of questions favours mixed series for boys and girls together and series mainly for boys. Take a trip down Memory Lane and see which characters and situations you bump into.

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