Is anyone out there who remembers the ITV dramatisation of KM Peyton’s Flambards books? In Malaysia, the mini series was shown on RTM1 in the 70s and clashed with the weekly Chinese drama on RTM2. Therefore, I didn’t get to watch all episodes from start to finish. I had the books though and loved them. I still do and got this one, by Linda Newbery, because of the link to Peyton’s series.

In Key to Flambards, fourteen-year-old Grace Russell moves into the Victorian manor when her mother gets a contract to market Flambards as a creative arts retreat. They’re excited as they know that the place belonged to their ancestor Christina Russell.

It’s a clever and modern premise, a believable way to get the characters where the author (who knew Peyton personally) wanted them.

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