Bunter the Caravanner by Frank Richards.

Published in 1962 by Cassell & Co

Illustrated by C. H. Chapman.

A jolly, rollicking, yarn this. Published the year after Hamilton’s death. This volume boasted one of the best Chapman illustrated covers ever. Uniquely, it is even signed by the artist. In a scene reminiscent of Toad, it shows the chums, with their caravan, cheerily plodding along a dry dirt road.

A holiday yarn this, and a very satisfying one too. The normally hard up

Bunter finds himself in possession of a caravan for the Easter holidays. Even better, he acquires a manservant, the oily, obsequious Jervis. Instead of sticking onto some other fellows for the vac, Bunter is now able to invite the Famous Five to be his guests.

The fact that he first met Jervis running from a stranger, and was subsequently booted out of the van by him, escapes Bunter’s obtuse mind. Bunter is able now to swank in front of the chums about “his caravan,” & “his” manservant.

Travelling the countryside, the caravanners encounter all the usual situations. There are irate landowners, a bad tempered bull, and the problem of extricating the van from the ditch! Also on their travels they meet a detective, on the track of the missing scientist, Krinko, who has absconded, & is on the run carrying stolen documents.

Earlier, Krinko, who had once been a science master at Greyfriars, had written to Quelch, asking the Remove beak to help him to escape overseas.

Mr Quelch is enjoying the holidays in his own way. He is on a “grind,” hiking the roads of the Home Counties with only his pocket Horace for companionship. It is soon apparent to the reader that Jervis is not at all anxious to meet Quelch.

An excellent adventure, and one of the better post war books.

In the Magnet stories, Greyfriars fellows often tea’d at the rather pricey Pagoda at Lantham. By 1962, another café had appeared – the Arcade. This is the only time it is mentioned, at the start of this story.