Judy stories I want to find

[Tammyfan]

I want to find two Judy stories.

The first is Be Nice to Nancy, which ran #1560-1573. It was reprinted in M&J as Be Nice to Nikki and ran #290-301.

The second is Hard Times for Helen, which ran #301(?) - 312. I have 304, 306-312 already.

Can anyone help, please? Thanks.

[Phoenix]

The first is Be Nice to Nancy, which ran #1562-1573. It was reprinted in M&J as Be Nice to Nikki and ran #290-301.

According to their online catalogue, 30th Century Comics in Putney have issues 1565, and 1567-1571 of Judy, and I have issues 295-301 of M&J, from which I would be prepared to photocopy the instalments of that story for you, if you are not necessarily insisting on actual issues.

[Tammyfan]

@Phoenix. Thanks! That would be great!

[Phoenix]

Phoenix. Thanks! That would be great!

I'll do them a week on Tuesday, Briony. In the meantime, could you please PM me your address again. I know I have it somewhere from last time, but I can't remember where I put it.

[Tammyfan]

I have been advised that Be Nice to Nikki ended with 300, so it must have begun with #289. And now I've acquired some back issues of the original run, it looks like it began with Judy #1660.

[Tammyfan]

Another Judy story I would like the ending to is Rosie's Revenge, where Rosie Carter goes into service at Deepdale to clear her sister, who was driven to her death when she was wrongly accused of theft. The only episode I have is #1492, 13 August 1988. The story is reaching its climax here, so it must have ended two or three episodes after. Can anyone help, please? Thank you.

[Phoenix]

The serial Rosie's Revenge appears in Judy 1486 (Jul. 2 1988) - 1495 (Sep. 3 1988). It replaced either School On Pirate Island or Cinderella Jones. It is itself replaced by Sisters Of Sadness. 30th Century Comics have issues 1488, 1491, 1493 and 1494.

[Tammyfan]

Phoenix: Thank you for the starting date and the titles of those two other serials. I am always on the lookout for new titles from Bunty, Judy, Mandy and M&J to pass on to the index at Girls Comics from Yesterday.

I have already asked 30th Century Comics if any of those numbers they have carries the final episode and waiting for their reply.

Can anyone else help with the ending?

[Phoenix]

In the last instalment Rosie sees a hooded figure entering the house, and decides to go and see Lady Blythe to get her to listen to her this time. She is not there, but the hooded figure hits Rosie on the head with a large torch. Rosie comes to bound and gagged in a cellar. She escapes by sawing through the rope round her wrists on an old footscraper. She is then caught by Lord Blythe, who she thought was away on business. He tells her he has come down to the cellar to get an old painting to take with them when they leave. She realises that she has this one last chance to tell her story to Lord Blythe. He is horrified, and asks her if she has any idea who has treated her so badly. She doesn't, but gives him a piece of blue velvet that she has torn from the hooded figure's cloak. Lord Blythe recognises it as coming from the gown his wife wore on their wedding day, and realises that she has gone back to her old life of stealing that he did know about when he married her. Lady Blythe apologises to Rosie, but Rosie accuses her to her face of driving her sister Emily to her death, and wants to know what she has done with Nell. She is safe, but Lady Blythe had had her kidnapped because she had become fond of Rosie and refused to carry on with Lady Blythe's scheme. Nell is returned, and the two girls make their peace. Rosie leaves Deepdale House but as she does so Lord Blythe gives her enough money to set her family up in some sort of little business. She says she'll take the money for Ma's sake, and then goes off to visit Emily's grave, where she admits that although she has not had her revenge, her late sister's good name has been restored. She also hopes that Lady Blythe will get over her affliction for the sake of her family.

[Tammyfan]

Phoenix: Okay, thank you for that. So Rosie thought it was Nell? I did too. But it sounds like Nell was in on it (though reluctantly), so I was sort of half right. So the culprit was the lady of the house with a kleptomaniac disorder? Now that's a bit different.

[Tammyfan]

I am now looking for the end of "I Want to be a Swot!". This story ended in Judy #1072. Does anyone have it?

[Phoenix]

I am now looking for the end of "I Want to be a Swot!". This story ended in Judy #1072. Does anyone have it?

Yes, I have it. Jenny Coney follows her dog Timmy down the mine shaft, and then chases it along assorted tunnels without taking note of which ones, but carrying on regardless. Meanwhile the scuffers turn up to evict Mr Coney from his cottage, but he has a trick up his sleeve. He evicts some wasps from their nest so the rozzers take refuge in the derelict mill beside the cottage. Angela Castle, the daughter of the man whose firm is building the new road, is brought along by her father to talk some sense into that girl and her grandfather. A temporary truce is agreed to allow Angela to talk to Mr Coney, who shows her the book. She is a good Latin scholar, and explains that it is about Abraham Foley, who owned the land next to the Coneys' land. Foley promised to pay the Coneys handsomely for all the coal under their property if they would let him extend his coal mines there. It seems that the Coneys regarded the coal as security for their future, so wouldn't sell there and then. However, if the family should fall on hard times, they could then raise money by selling the coal. The cottage still has to go now because people then hadn't thought motorways might come into existence, and regardless of how much money they might have now, they will not be able to prevent the motorway being built.

When Jenny is found in a tunnel virtually under the cottage, they realise that Foley took all the coal anyway without paying anything for it. This alters the whole situation. A motorway representative says that under the circumstances they cannot build their motorway there because of the real risk of subsidence. A new route will have to be found for it, and the Coneys get to keep their cottage. The following day at school, Jenny assures her sports teacher Miss Callister that she will now be taking her training for the hurdles seriously, saying Who wants to be a swot?

[Tammyfan]

@Phoenix. Thank you for the information. Foley was certainly mean in stealing the coal, but in a roundabout way he did help Jenny and her grandfather. They got to keep their cottage and that was all that matters. I wonder if Jenny kept up her Latin after this?

[Phoenix]

I wonder if Jenny kept up her Latin after this?

I can't see it. It was only a means to an end, after all. She will be much happier on the athletics track.

[Tammyfan]

I wonder if Jenny kept up her Latin after this?

I can't see it. It was only a means to an end, after all. She will be much happier on the athletics track.

Yes, she seemed more athletic than academic and wasn't intererested in lessons except Latin. Still, I suspect she retained a soft spot for Latin.