Trivia / Chalet School

• Real Life Writes the Plot: Elinor M. Brent-Dyer converted to Catholicism, hence Joey's conversion and the increasing religious themes in the books, particularly the Swiss era.
  • When World War II broke out, she realised it would be impossible for the school to remain in Austria and moved it to the UK. She also wanted to move the Chalet School back to the Tyrol when writing in the fifties, but the occupation by the Allies would have made it impossible, so she relocated it to Switzerland instead.
• Write What You Know: Brent-Dyer was a teacher herself. She actually tried to start up her own school (in Hereford, which became one of the Chalet School's locations), although unlike its fictional equivalent, the school was unsuccessful in the end.
  • Briesau am Tiernsee, where the school was established, is based on the real-life Pertisau am Achensee.
  • The expedition to the Bourneville factory in Changes for the Chalet School was inspired by a real-life school trip on which EBD went.
  • 'The Youngest Shepherd', one of the Chalet School Christmas plays, was actually performed at the Margaret Roper School, the school EBD ran. EBD also had a background in theatre and amateur dramatics, and was friendly with a child actress called Hazel Bainbridge (Gerry Goes to School was written for her) and her parents. She wrote a couple of plays before moving into Girls' Own books, and even wrote a guide to putting on a play.

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