Such is Enid Blyton's enduring appeal, most youngsters have a very fixed view of boarding school life. Unfortunately, it is firmly fixed in the 1930s when Blyton's pen was at its most active.

But a glimpse behind the scenes at Harrogate Ladies College soon dispels the old fashioned image. The students are no longer stifled by a rigid rulebook which allowed a weekly letter home and a monthly trip into town. Food parcels are not necessary to add much-needed spice to the bland school diet.

These days the girls choose meals from a large menu before e-mailing their parents with all their news. No doubt one of Blyton's characters would have found it all simply spiffing.

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