The Heart of the Dales

Gervase Phinn's colourful characters have now become firm favourites - the mostly mad staff at County Hall and the children themselves, who find ways of embarrassing the school inspectors with innocent ease. We reconvene with Christine Bentley, head teacher of Winnery Nook School and now Gervase's wife and mother of their son; the well-named Mrs Savage and not forgetting the Queen of the Clean - Connie. Phinn's latest instalment to the Dale Series is heartwarming, wry and delightful.