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Nettleford #2
Christmas at Nettleford
Christmas at Nettleford (Armada) Saville, Malcolm
- GenresChristmas
Paperback
First published January 1, 1953
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About the author
Malcolm Saville
194 books34 followersLeonard Malcolm Saville was an English author best known for the Lone Pine series of children's books, many of which are set in Shropshire. His work emphasises location; the books include many vivid descriptions of English countryside, villages and sometimes towns.
(wikipedia)
(wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 23, 2024
Have you read any of Miss Read’s books? This feels like the child’s version. Quaint English village, a slew of characters, and all the fun things about Christmas time packed into a story. Though Miss Read, I’m sure, never stuck a chicken thief or little mystery into her tales.
Snowball fights, Christmas shopping, and remembering what it’s all for, as one character does during the church nativity play.
Ages: 10+
Content Considerations: shut up is said a couple of times. So is idiot. There is some squabbling and poor attitudes but nothing very major or that lasts long before amends are made.
Snowball fights, Christmas shopping, and remembering what it’s all for, as one character does during the church nativity play.
Ages: 10+
Content Considerations: shut up is said a couple of times. So is idiot. There is some squabbling and poor attitudes but nothing very major or that lasts long before amends are made.
December 26, 2021
This is such a fun story. I love that we stay with Elizabeth the most in the story, but we also spend lots of time with her group of friends and her brothers: Paul, Jimmy, Sally, Hugh, Charles, and the dastardly League of the Red Handers. 😆 This was a kind of mashup between Swallows and Amazons (only Christmas and with snow) and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Seriously Saville packed so much action into this less-than-200 page story: a bike accident, a secret club and its epic snowball fight, a Christmas market, a mystery with a chicken thief, another mystery with a music box, a Christmas pageant, a blizzard and holly gathering, and more. This is hard to find (though not too bad through ABEBooks), but a perfect Christmas kid read.
November 8, 2025
considerable five star quality Christmas time content, which I enjoyed. I enjoyed the action and adventure elements of the story less, and never quite cared about the characters, and so only three stars for the book as a whole.
March 8, 2020
My favourite of all the Saville books. I read it every Christmas, timing it so that I read the chapters to coincide with the days and finish it on Boxing Day.
December 26, 2022
A completely enchanting holiday read.
December 18, 2025
Christmas At Nettleford by Malcolm Saville
5 Stars
It is the end of the school term in 1953 and Elizabeth Langton is ready to go home to the vicarage at Nettleford for the Christmas holidays. We meet Elizabeth as she leaves her school friends and travel with her on her bus and train journey. Along the way we learn more about Elizabeth and her friends, Sally, Paul, and Jimmy back home and her siblings, Charles and Hugh so when we arrive the reader is perfectly ready for the adventures to begin.
Gathering at the Wise Owl bookshop owned by the parents of Sally and Paul the four children aka The Wise Owlers prepare to hold their secret meetings and write to each other in coded letters, but one of the letters is intercepted by George Gibbs leader of the Red Hand Gang who challenge the Owlers to battle. As snow falls just before Christmas this lends itself to an epic snowball fight with the building of snow forts and battle plans. Along with all the preparations for the battle the children are also involved with the community and the reader is part of their work of using sledges to deliver groceries around the village and work to help make the church’s Christmas Market a success for raising much needed funds. I loved how the community spirit was so prevalent and how much everyone contributed to helping each other. It reminded me of conversations with my late parents who would have recognised this world which is far different to the one we live in now, where everyone seemed to have less but were prepared to give more even if that was time and help rather than money. The story doesn’t preclude the bad though when the villager’s become victim to a chicken thief and the vicar and his family look as though they have lost their Christmas dinner this year. More adventures in the snow follow for the children finding the lair of the thief and trying to escape from him and his dog.
This was the prefect pre-Christmas read. It’s written beautifully and reading it with the distance of 70+ years since publication it also has a wonderful nostalgic charm. The writing envelopes the reader into a world where the real meaning of Christmas is still celebrated and offers a cosy and ultimately safe place to be.
“With the Owlers and their friends we shall now forget chicken - thieves, snow - fights, secret societies and missing musical boxes and concentrate on Christmas Day-the one day in all the year which, for nearly two thousand years, has been set apart as the most important of all birthdays. The day on which we remember first the reason for the song the angels sang and then make it the festival of our homes, our families and our friends.”
5 Stars
It is the end of the school term in 1953 and Elizabeth Langton is ready to go home to the vicarage at Nettleford for the Christmas holidays. We meet Elizabeth as she leaves her school friends and travel with her on her bus and train journey. Along the way we learn more about Elizabeth and her friends, Sally, Paul, and Jimmy back home and her siblings, Charles and Hugh so when we arrive the reader is perfectly ready for the adventures to begin.
Gathering at the Wise Owl bookshop owned by the parents of Sally and Paul the four children aka The Wise Owlers prepare to hold their secret meetings and write to each other in coded letters, but one of the letters is intercepted by George Gibbs leader of the Red Hand Gang who challenge the Owlers to battle. As snow falls just before Christmas this lends itself to an epic snowball fight with the building of snow forts and battle plans. Along with all the preparations for the battle the children are also involved with the community and the reader is part of their work of using sledges to deliver groceries around the village and work to help make the church’s Christmas Market a success for raising much needed funds. I loved how the community spirit was so prevalent and how much everyone contributed to helping each other. It reminded me of conversations with my late parents who would have recognised this world which is far different to the one we live in now, where everyone seemed to have less but were prepared to give more even if that was time and help rather than money. The story doesn’t preclude the bad though when the villager’s become victim to a chicken thief and the vicar and his family look as though they have lost their Christmas dinner this year. More adventures in the snow follow for the children finding the lair of the thief and trying to escape from him and his dog.
This was the prefect pre-Christmas read. It’s written beautifully and reading it with the distance of 70+ years since publication it also has a wonderful nostalgic charm. The writing envelopes the reader into a world where the real meaning of Christmas is still celebrated and offers a cosy and ultimately safe place to be.
“With the Owlers and their friends we shall now forget chicken - thieves, snow - fights, secret societies and missing musical boxes and concentrate on Christmas Day-the one day in all the year which, for nearly two thousand years, has been set apart as the most important of all birthdays. The day on which we remember first the reason for the song the angels sang and then make it the festival of our homes, our families and our friends.”
December 29, 2021
3.5🌟 A cozy Christmas adventure for families living in Nettleford. This book reminded me a little of the Miss Read books, but more from the kids’ perspective and with more going on.
Although I would have enjoyed this story more as a pre-teen, I still loved the domestic details and snowy Christmas atmosphere. There was more plot than character development, but it was still an enjoyable read. The kids’ bickering about activities did annoy my slightly, but overall I think I would give it another read in the future.
Although I would have enjoyed this story more as a pre-teen, I still loved the domestic details and snowy Christmas atmosphere. There was more plot than character development, but it was still an enjoyable read. The kids’ bickering about activities did annoy my slightly, but overall I think I would give it another read in the future.
June 1, 2023
Second in the 'Nettleford' series originally intended for children of around 9-12. The four Owlers meet again in the Christmas holidays, and are intimidated by some local bullies...
They also have to contend with a chicken thief, and the loss of a music box. There are lots of wintry scenes with sledging, snowballing, and a slightly tense section where two characters get lost in a very snowy wood.
Pleasant enough, though I doubt if it would appeal to most of today's pre-teens. There's quite a strong religious thread, relating to Christmas and the fact that one of the children is the daughter of. the local vicar. I thought it very well done but some might find it a bit too much.
Three and a half stars, really.
Longer review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
They also have to contend with a chicken thief, and the loss of a music box. There are lots of wintry scenes with sledging, snowballing, and a slightly tense section where two characters get lost in a very snowy wood.
Pleasant enough, though I doubt if it would appeal to most of today's pre-teens. There's quite a strong religious thread, relating to Christmas and the fact that one of the children is the daughter of. the local vicar. I thought it very well done but some might find it a bit too much.
Three and a half stars, really.
Longer review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
December 12, 2025
It's great, it keeps unfolding, not just the mystery of the chicken thief. And a wonderful Christmas read.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews