|
The Jim Starling series is about of course Jim Starling and his three mates (British for best friends). Jim himself is an English boy who attends a Secondary Modern at Cement Street. Notice that the boys do not go to an academically selective Grammar School. Secondary Modern means the secondary schools for children that were not especially academically talented. It is located in the Northern town of Smogbury--not a very imaginative dig at industry. Notice that he does not go to an academically selective grammar school or a privare school. His friends are: Terry Todd, Grimshaw, and Nip Challons. Terry Todd comes from a broken home. He is nearly 14 years old. A stocky, pale-faced lad. He often wears a flying helmet with loose ends of leather Grimshaw had Ginger hair and wears glasses which he is called 'Goggles'. He is prone to mact as what you might call 'a nutty professor'. Challons, named 'Nip'. In Jim Starling's Holiday we found out his full name is Brian Challons. The boys are 13 or 14 year old. They described themselves as the Last Apple Gang--ready for anything. There are many books about boys attending private schools or Grammar chools. Books about boys attending Secondary Moderns are much less common.
Jim Starling is a not-very-special schoolboy. He attends a technical school (Secondary Moddern) at Cement Street. Notice that he does not go to an academically selective grammar school irprivate school. This might be expected from the neighborhood in which he and his friends live.
Googles was Grimshaw. He has ginger hair and wears glasses which he is called 'Goggles'. He is prone to act as what you might call 'a nutty professor'. It is typical Goggles when he is telling how easy something is
be done. And if somebody else just asks: "Well, can you explain that a
little bit?" Goggels is, generally speaking, reacting like: "Eh... well...
of course there are still some details that I did not worked out yet." He is also an animal lover.
Nip or Brian Callons was the smallest boy in the class. He was also the neatest and the best dressed. This does not come out in the illustratuin here. His mates often pulled his leg about the creases in his pants and the straightness of his parting. His parents have a pub in Smogbury (the 'Golden Lion'). Goggles' family see:ms to change with the series.
Terry Todd comes from a broken home. He is nearly 14 years old. A stocky, pale-faced lad. He often wears a flying helmet with loose ends of leather ('flapping as a spaniel's ears'). A reader writes, "I noted you didn't comment on Terry's choice of headgear in your review. He always wore an RAF leather flying helmet, and when the ear flap was cut by a baddie in one story he talked about going down to the army surplus store and getting another one. I was so envious as a boy. I really wanted a leather flying helmet too, but they were hard to come by in New Zealand." Aviator caps were a popular head wear item in America. They were popular in the 1920s and 30s, but we do not see many by the 40s. Since Terry had found a gun in the wall and so helped to catch a couple of would-be hold-up men, he had fancied himself as a detective. Remark: This fact (about the gun) is not described. It just seems to be happened before the Jim Starling-series started at all. So we can just guess about 'how and what'.
Jim lives with Aunt Julie, described as a likeable worrier,
Beringen, John. E-mail message, April 16, 2005.
Navigate the HBC literary pages' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the main Main Jim Starling page]
[Belgium]
[England]
[France]
[Greece]
[Netherlands]
[United States]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[About Us]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Girls]
[Theatricals]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Images]
[Index]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Main HBC Topic page]
[Boys' Historical Clothing Home]
