Jinty 14 November 1981

(cover artist: Mario Capaldi)

• Pam of Pond Hill (artist Bob Harvey, writer Jay Over)
• The Secret World – Gypsy Rose story (artist Keith Robson)
• Tansy of Jubilee Street (artist Peter Wilkes)
• Saturday’s Child Works Hard for a Living… (artist Trini Tinturé)
• The Spirits of the Trees – Gypsy Rose story
• Gaye’s Gloomy Ghost (artist Hugh Thornton-Jones)
• Badgered Belinda (artist Phil Gascoine)
• Home from Home – text story
• The Bow Street Runner (artist Phil Townsend, writer Alison Christie)

This is the penultimate issue of Jinty. The cover features a nice autumn scene from Mario Capaldi. The covers of the last six Jintys were an odd mix of Mario Capaldi. They were either blow-ups of the spot panel for the text story inside or they were just general covers, such as this one. The spot panel for the text story inside was handled by another artist.

So how did the penultimate issue set things up for Jinty‘s finale the following week? We start with a new Pam story. Mr Gold (Goldilocks) tells the school that government cutbacks mean the school will not be repainted that year, and it could sure do with it. Following a fast bit of spraypaint work to cover up some vandalism from the boys, Pam has the idea of organising volunteers out of parents and classmates to do the painting. The trouble is, she forgot to consult Goldilocks! The final issue will explain how this will be sorted out and how the redecorating goes.

Belinda realises someone in the school is helping the squire with whatever he is up to on the slope. She barely has time to ponder who it is before we are told that the next episode will explain, because it is the final one. However, Belinda thinks her two main problems have been solved in this episode. The two girls who were bullying her have been caught out and punished, and it looks like the squire is after buried treasure, so the badgers must be safe. But is she right or is there something she does not know about? We find out in the final issue.

The Bow Street Runner comes down with flu, which turns into pneumonia because she foolishly goes on the cross country run in that state – and then collapses in a stream, of all places! But she just has to believe in that wretched prophecy and thinks she has to beat it. In fact, she just keeps on rambling about it while she is delirious with fever. Beth pulls through the pneumonia but now comes down with deep depression. So deep that she does not even care about the prophecy(!). Beth’s nasty rival Louise does not do well in the run either. She is riding high in the lead and then takes a fall – into a bed of nettles!

It is business as usual for Gaye and Tansy. But we are told that “Gaye’s Gloomy Ghost” will end next week, with Gaye trying to lose her beloved ghost. Now what can that mean? There is a double helping of Gypsy Rose stories, both of which concern mythical creatures. We met the leprechaun-like people underneath the Earth in “The Lost World” and dryads in “The Spirits of the Trees”.

In the story of Saturday’s Child, Betty Marshall is indeed a hard working girl and loves it. She works hard at a her father’s café, but there is pressure on her to become an air hostess. She takes a holiday and comes back with a whole new appreciation of the work she does. In fact, that was the very reason why she took the holiday, and now she is very happy to stay in the café, thank you very much.

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