St Trinian's is a fictional girls' school created by Ronald Searle, a British cartoonist. The school is the antithesis of the Enid Blyton-type posh girls' boarding school, in that its pupils are wicked (and often well-armed). The teachers (or "mistresses", as female teachers in Britain were often known at the time) are also disreputable. It is reputed that the gym-slip style of dress worn by the girls was closely modelled on the uniform of the school that Searle's daughter Kate attended, JAGS in Dulwich. There is no suggestion that the behaviour of the girls or their armoury shared the same inspiration. Ronald William Fordham Searle (born March 3, 1920) is a British cartoonist. ... Enid Blyton (1897–1968) Enid Mary Blyton (August 11, 1897 – November 28, 1968) was a British childrens author. ... A boarding school is a self-contained educational establishment where students not only study but where some or all students may live. ... JAGS, or James Allens Girls School, is a private school situated in Dulwich, south-east London. ... Dulwich is a generally prosperous settlement in the London Borough of Southwark and which has the post code London SE21. ...

From preliminary sketches, St Trinian's became a series of comedy films featuring such British screen luminaries as Alastair Sim (in drag as the schoolmistress, but also playing her brother), George Cole as "Flash Harry", and Joyce Grenfell as Ruby, a beleaguered policewoman. The school became embroiled in a number of shady enterprises, thanks mainly to Flash, and, as a result, was always threatened with closure by the Ministry of Education. The first four films form a chronological quartet, and were produced by Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat. Alastair Sim (October 9, 1900 – August 19, 1976) was a Scottish character actor, whose comic appearance ensured him success in a string of classic British films. ... For a solid object moving through a fluid or gas, drag is the sum of all the aerodynamic or hydrodynamic forces in the direction of the external fluid flow. ... George Cole (born April 22, 1925) is a British actor born in Tooting, London, best known for his roles as Flash Harry in the St Trinians films and as Arthur Daley in the TV series Minder. ... George Cole appears as Flash Harry, a spiv, in the St. ... Joyce Grenfell, born February 10, 1910 - died November 30, 1979, was a British film and television actress, comedienne, and singer-songwriter. ... Several countries have government departments named the Ministry of Education Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan) Ministry of Education (India) Ministry of Education (New Zealand) Ministry of Education (Israel) Ministry of Education (Malaysia) Ministry of Education (Singapore) See also: Minister of Education, Department of Education This is... Frank Launder (January 28, 1906—February 23, 1997) was a British writer, director and producer, who made more than 40 films, usually in collaboration with Sidney Gilliat. ... Sidney Gilliat (February 15, 1908 – May 31, 1994) was a British film director, producer and writer. ...

There was a real St. Trinnean's [sic] School for Girls in Edinburgh until the end of World War II, and it did provide the name for Searle's fictional girl's school (the daughters of a friend were pupils). The school's existence came to light when The Scotsman announced a reunion coffee party for old girls in September, 1955 (the fictional school had become so fixed in the national consciousness by this time that the typesetter adopted Searle's spelling in the advertisement rather than the correct spelling). In an interview with the Sunday Express, the Headmistress firmly denied that her girls were anything like their fictional counterparts. World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was by far the bloodiest, most expensive, and most significant war in... The Scotsmans offices in Edinburgh The Scotsman is a Scottish newspaper published in Edinburgh. ... September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Daily Express is a British newspaper, currently tabloid, and it is owned by Richard Desmond. ...

The 1980 film was critically derided. In 2002 there were vague rumours that there could be a further film made, possibly with Kylie Minogue; nothing more has been heard since. Kylie Minogue in the music video for Slow (2003) Kylie Ann Minogue (pronounced: , to rhyme with vogue, born May 28, 1968) is an Australian singer and actress. ...

Books

• Hurrah for St. Trinian's (1948)
• The Female Approach (1950)
• Back to the Slaughterhouse (1952)
• The Terror of St. Trinians or Angela's Prince Charming (1952 - text by Timothy Sly)
• Souls in Torment (1953)

Films

• The Belles of St Trinian's (1954, the first film)
• Blue Murder at St Trinian's (1957, the second film)
• The Pure Hell of St Trinian's (1960, the third film)
• The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery (1966, the final film of the quartet)
• The Wildcats of St Trinian's (1980, with Maureen Lipman taking on the Joyce Grenfell role)

The Belles of St Trinians was a comedy film set in the fictional St Trinians School, made in 1954. ... Blue Murder at St Trinians (1957) is British comedy film set in the fictional St Trinians School. ... The Pure Hell of St Trinians was a comedy film set in the fictional St Trinians School, made in 1960. ... The Great St Trinians Train Robbery was a comedy film set in the fictional St Trinians School, made in 1966, a few years after the great train robbery had taken place. ... Maureen Lipman (born May 10, 1946) is a British actress. ...

External links

• Ronald Searle & the St Trinian's Cartoons
• St. Trinian's website