Posted by John Wilson on August 14, 2001 at 08:21:29 from 202.154.157.7:
In Reply to: Re: Matterhorn - they were children posted by Peter H on August 09, 2001 at 14:02:26:
Well I had imagined the younger Turners & Blackett as in their early teens ie 14-15 when they clinbed the Matterhorn, but there is nothing in the books to indicate their age (or saying that Jim is older than Molly) that I can recall.
In the beginning of PM Molly Blackett refers to “old Colonel Jolys” but if he was in the nursery 50 years ago (perhaps 50+ years), he would have been in World War I - the British Army got doddery old generals (like Stopford at Gallipoli) back for WWI. But PM refers to him as the “hero of many wars” ie the 19th Century colonial wars of AR’s childhood.
Later in PM of course the dreaded GA refers to seeing Tommy Jolys on the nursery floor upset because of his tin trumpet.
Maria Turner somewhere is said to have been an (elderly) GA since the beginning of time. Literally a Victorian, going off to “take the waters” at the end of PM.
Molly & Jim are still in awe of the GA in PM (Nancy’s aim is to stop the GA upsetting her mother) so they would have been very much in awe of her in their youth - and into their twenties. If Bob Blackett “rescued” Molly & Jim for the assault on the Matterhorn, it would have been with the GA’s permission - and with her brother Jim to chaperone Molly going on a trip with Bob!