Judy Cardew (Previously Judith Grandways)

Morcove’s Character Analyses

By Sylvia Reed

No 3: Judy Cardew (Previously Judith Grandways)

Judy of course, featured in the Morcove saga right from the start. Prior to coming to Morcove, she, along with Cora, attended the Private Academy for the Daughters of Gentlefolk in Ribbleton. Not that the Grandways could be called Gentlefolk! Not much was known about Mrs Grandways however it wasn’t long before Josiah also made his pompous, bombastic character known to Morcove. Before Judy’s reformation which was told in SO 66-69 Tuckshop (SGOL 121 The Morcove Tuckshop Keepers), she was a nasty character, although nowhere in the league of Cora’s vicious, brazen personality. Judy also she seemed to be strangely ashamed of her Lancashire upbringing. From the earliest story, there were little tantalising signs that she was different. Perhaps Phillips had it planned it from the beginning that Judy was going to emerge as a super character.

Judy and Cora – on the run from Morcove, were in the vicinity of the old wooden watch tower that was frequently used by the girls of Morcove for sheltering in (Although Leonard Shields in his illustration shows construction of stone). Paula and the Coterie were on a picnic, and Paula had left her contribution back at school. So she went back and got it, and on her way back to the picnic, a storm came. She sheltered in the watch tower, and of course it was struck by lightning! She called out for help. Judy heard the cry:

SO 69: Some better instincts, some heroic quality all too long dormant within her heart had responded to that piteous cry for help. She was not going to think of herself – no! She was going to do the decent thing at last! She was going to save the imperilled being who was inside this burning building, or perish in the attempt!

When Audrey Blain came on the scene, with her double faced personality and her personal axe to grind when she realised who Cora and Judy were, caused much personal distress to Judy herself - SO 70-75 Audrey Blain – New Girl (SGOL 127 Morcove’s Reckless Two). Judy of course saw through Audrey’s act and her undue influence upon Cora caused Judy the loss of the Study 12 Coterie’s friendship, as they thought Judy was going back to her old ways. Gradually though, Audrey’s true character exposed itself and Judy was exonerated, and she went on to become the beloved Judy who featured right to the end of the Morcove saga. Cora of course vented all of her hate and vitriol towards Judy right up until the transformation came along, and was a perpetual thorn in Judy’s flesh. Judy tried her best at all times with Cora, even protecting her and standing up for her during her many misdeeds. She was especially protective of Cora during her one and only reformation in SO 363-367 Cora Grandways Disgraced (SGOL 617 The Girl Who Fooled Morcove) and SO 368-Cora Grandways Reformation (SGOL 623 The Girl Morcove Pitied).

SO 170-173, Return of Cora and Judith, (SGOL 279 A Second Chance at Morcove) was where Judy really started to come into her own. Watermoor Grange, an outwardly picturesque country home owned by Luke and Becky Rusper, was for sale. The Ruspers were the Aunt and Uncle of Judy and Cora Grandways, who had taken them in after Josiah Grandways lost his money in SO 103-106 Audrey Blain’s Captaincy Bid (SGOL 163 The Hundred Guinea Prize.) During this story, it was rumoured that the sisters may never return, to Morcove, however Phillips decided that they do. Horace Phillips described Luke as cadaverous, so he must have been a pretty dreadful looking fellow, which suited his personality to a tee. Uncle Luke, was in dire financial hardship - perhaps he was involved with Josiah Grandways and his cotton mill – who knows? Luke was anxious to get rid of Watermoor Grange because of this cash crisis and because he knew that its foundations were in a dangerous state due to an underground water course passing right underneath the house. When he heard that a certain Mr Craig was looking for a property in the area as he had a daughter who was to enter Morcove, Luke started his wheeling and dealing. He decided to send the sisters back to Morcove, where they could become friends with Helen and thus try to influence Mr Craig into buying Watermoor Grange which was only a few miles from Morcove, somewhere off the Stormwood Road. Cora was only too happy to be back at Morcove, as she was bored out of her brains and ready for mischief, however Judy wasn’t, especially after being told the real reason why they are to return to Morcove. Judy It didn’t take Cora long to befriend Helen and to start the scheming. Mr Craig of course was shown Watermoor Grange, although of course he was told nothing about the dire state of the outwardly beautiful, picturesque house. Judy was horrified about this deception and won’t take any part of it. She starts her own investigation into the dire state of the house and undergoes tumultuous experiences, however eventually managed to become a heroine. Cora’s true colours of cowardice were revealed, Watermoor did eventually meet its fate, Helen’s Father didn’t buy, and Luke collected the insurance money.

Before Judy underwent her transformation from Judith Grandways to Judy Cardew, SO 564-566 Judith Grandways and Dave Lawder, Judy’s life had become practically unbearable due to the despicable treatment of her by Cora.. In SO 509-514 Morcove on the Films: “Poor Judy Grandways; it’s a hard life for her all over again,” deplored Pam. “She is so fond of Cora, and yet all Cora seems to try to do is to cause Judy as much pain as possible.” Judy befriended the Helder family (Mother Lulu who is an actress, and her son, Ronnie). Josiah Grandways fortunes were somewhat revived by this story (probably by unscrupulous dealings), as he was part of the filming company involved with this story.

Another instance where she was treated badly by the Grandways was during SO 540-543 Madge Minden’s Father’s Secret. SO 540: “Hallo Misery! Well, Faceache!” was the derisive remark she had for her sister Judith. “How’s Moody Judy?” Mr Minden, being short of money, let out the Exeter house and was living in a cabin close to Morcove, working on an invention. Madge knew nothing about this arrangement until the Coterie went on a picnic, their destination being close to this cabin. A family consisting of Sybil, her indolent and lazy brother Cyril, and their loud Father by the name of Elswick were camped in their caravan close to the cabin. Unbeknown to Judy, Cora was on very good terms with the family, Mr Elswick was a business partner of Josiah – one of the many he had over the years. They came to learn that Mr Minden was close to success with his invention, and if stolen, could aid Josiah Grandways a great deal. Conveniently, Josiah had been working on a similar design! So, eventually and the notes for the invention were intercepted by Cora. Judy had come to hear of this through Madge and intervened. She had a dreadful row with Cora, who let slip where the notes were hidden. Judy found them and put them in another hiding place. Meanwhile, to stop Judy from returning the notes to the rightful owner Mr Minden, Cora enlisted the help of her and Judy’s Mother Mrs Grandways to get Judy out of the way temporarily. On the pretext that Mrs Grandways was concerned about Judy’s health, she was taken to Cornwall to stay at the Grand Hotel in Lorna Bay. Shortly after arrival, Judy started to make her escape plans and she was so unhappy that she wrote a letter to her Mother telling her what she intended doing about returning the notes to the rightful owner, and managed to return to Morcove via stowing away on a night goods train. By early morning, she was secreted into a goods wagon that was put up in a layby near Morcove Road. No one knew about Judy’s return. Shortly after this, Mrs Grandways herself arrived at Morcove, having had the wind put up her due to Judy’s letter and subsequent disappearance. So she came with the outward intention that Cora should also be taken out of Morcove for a while to join Judy for the rest in Cornwall. But it was all a front. Mrs Grandways had decided to look for the notes, with the aid of Cora, and eventually all three – converged on the moor and when Judy spied her Mother and Cora on the moor close to the hiding place, her heart did a somersault. She ducked for cover and worked out her plan of action in getting to the notes without being seen by Cora and Mrs Grandways. She eventually achieved this purpose, and then as luck would have it, Madge also came out onto the moor and was searching herself, so Judy was able to quietly dispatch the notes practically under Madge’s nose! SO 542: Mrs. Grandways was there – handsome, and richly dressed, and petulant looking. She seemed, as usual, to prefer Cora’s casual, flippant greeting, to Judith’s more earnest and affectionate one. It was another pang for Judith that her kiss was coldly returned. SO 543: “So,” exclaimed Mrs. Grandways, bridling, “you even suggest that Cora and the young Elswicks deliberately stoke the notebook to please your father and Mr. Elswick!” “I am sure, mother,” Judith said after a moment, in a low, dry-throated tone, “that is what everybody would think. Unless the notebook can be returned to Mr. Minden in such a way that no suspicion falls upon the people who took it – and that is what I was meaning to do. I would have done it, too, and so saved Cora; but you – you brought me away.

At the end of this story, Mrs Grandways gives Cora a real wigging and this left Cora intending to mend her ways a bit. But of course, it doesn’t last.

It wasn’t long after this story that events began to lead up to the transformation story. There were some clues, prior to SO 540-543 Madge Minden’s Father’s Secret , especially in SO 519-523 The Morrison Sisters, Judith said no more, but sighed. Poor Judy. It may well have been a moment for her to know a greater heartache than ever, when she had seen Jill and Daisy, this evening, that great love which should rightly bind sisters to each other, and also in SO 556 The Secret of the Schoolhouse. All is revealed in SO 564-566 Judith Grandways and Dave Cardew. Judy doesn’t seem to feature prominently in any future stories, but she slowly blossoms, and is to the forefront along with the Study 12 Coterie, of which she is now a regular member. As mentioned previously with Hetty Curzon, she does suffer badly, but apart from that the only major catastrophe in Judy’s life is when she is disappointed by Dave’s apparent strange behaviour in SO 686-690, Cromlech Manor House.

After her transformation, Judy, still suffered somewhat badly, especially by the hand of Hetty Curzon, who was responsible for letting the cat out of the bag about Judy’s parentage, and she also fell somewhat foul of the Form due to Hetty’s machinations. Judy had persuaded her new found Mother Mrs Cardew, to take Hetty under her wing after she was cast adrift by the Grandways family - .SO 574-576 Judy Cardew and Hetty Curzon. Judy was booked for an important hockey match between Morcove and Barncombe House, and she didn’t turn up as promised – she was off after trying to save Hetty from herself. Immediately the Form thought she had let them down, instead of considering possible extenuating circumstances, including Betty herself. However, apart from this situation which eventually righted itself, Judy was a much loved member of the Study 12 Coterie.

A lot has also been written about Judy and her transformation. As Mary Cadogan says, the story of Judy’s adoption is never known, however it is stated in SO 574 that the money that went with her adoption is a fact that also made the Grandways family wealthy, along with the later input from Hetty Curzon’s father

One of the many adventures Judy shared with the Coterie was SO 654-657 Morcove in Turania. They were on their way home from India and heard that Jack Somerfield and his wife Zora, were in Turania, to sell part of Zora’s inherited estate, Klosters. As she was now settled in England, most of the estate was surplus to her requirements. The Coterie and various parents decided to make a visit. Zora’s land was very heavily timbered, and she thought of selling for the timber value. However, a ‘Gentleman’ by the name of Rudolf Jetza who was a timber dealer and thoroughly unscrupulous, thought otherwise as he had found out that there was a secret about the land and he wanted the land at a throwaway price. The Coterie discovered Jetza’s plan to obtain this land as a less than throwaway price, and so he kidnapped firstly Dicky (Who was really Jimmy Cherroll), then Dave, Pam and Judy. There was a few heart stopping moments when Judy, Pam, Dave and Dicky (Jimmy) made their eventual escape from Jetza and his bandits along a precipitous pass named the Cats Creep. Phillips with his writing and Leonard Shields especially with his illustrations, screwed up the tension to such a high adrenalin peak to enable that the reader to experience the terror that the foursome endured, especially Judy. Incidentally, this and the previous India story is where Horace Phillips muddled up the names of Jimmy and Dicky Cherroll. Definitely a major blunder on Phillips’ part!

And of course, Mary Cadogan’s theory that Judy’s bother Dave marries Polly Linton is just so sensible.