Tophole!

It's got all the ingredients of a good Chalet School book - but there's something about the way they're combined, that I really don't like! My thoughts will probably crystallize properly in about 6 months' time (that's usually what happens) but here's what I made of Summer Term at the Chalet School to be going on with.Transcript available at https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2026/07/28/s3e20-my-least-favourite-chalet-school-book/You can find Tophole on Facebook or email us at Topholepodcast@gmail.com.See you in September!

EBD wrote an adventure for boys - and Kit told me (after editing the episode) that it sounds far more brutal than any of the boys' stories he read as a kid. Time for a bit of international espionage as we travel with shipwrecked Hawk Chudleigh to an unnamed island somewhere near New Zealand.Transcript available at https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2026/07/14/s3e19-ebd-licensed-to-thrill/You can find Tophole on Facebook or email us at topholepodcast@gmail.com.

An account of our recent holiday in Guernsey - where I was, of course, constantly thinking about the CS and EBD. Kit, not so much.Transcript available at https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2026/06/30/s3e18-to-guernsey/.You can find Tophole on Facebook or email us at topholepodcast@gmail.com.

A pivotal summer term book this time, as we look at the Chalet School's final term on St Briavel's - a book which might well have inspired Roald Dahl, given that it could be subtitled "The Chalet School and the Chocolate Factory". Subjects I had to google while researching this episode included how much milk a goat produces, 1950s university entrance requirements, the Allied occupation of Austria, and the actual definition of a step-sister.Please don't panic if the next episode is late - we are about to go on holiday a podcast research trip to Guernsey.Transcript available at https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2026/06/02/s3e17-so-long-farewell-auf-wiedersehen-good-bye/You can find Tophole on Facebook, or email us at topholepodcast@gmail.com.

Hayley and Deborah discuss fan fiction, particularly about Chalet School. Audio warning: we recorded this using Teams, and you can tell Kit was not there supervising! Transcript available at https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2026/05/05/s3e15-comfort-and-joy/You can find Tophole on Facebook, or email us at topholepodcast@gmail.com.

It's a Wendy week and we're discussing how a talented producer might go about making a documentary about the Chalet School, just in case any talented producers listen to the podcast.Please substitute 'Paul Ozanne' where I said 'Julian Lucy'.Episode transcript available at https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2026/04/21/s3e14-girls-on-film/.You can find Tophole on Facebook or email us at topholepodcast@gmail.com.

Back at last with an episode answering a question posed by Kit.Transcript available at https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2026/04/07/s3e13-saved-by-the-medium-of-fashion/You can find Tophole on Facebook or email us at topholepodcast@gmail.com.

In honour of our Winter Olympic medals in skeleton, a look at the Chalet School book which mentions the sport - one which Mlle Lachenais has done many times. I know, right? We're looking at Trials for the Chalet School.Transcript available at https://topholepodcast.wordpress.com/2026/03/10/s3e12-the-secret-life-of-mlle-lachenais/You can find Tophole on Facebook, or email us at topholepodcast@gmail.com.