Kate Thomas never seems to be good at anything or be a winner. To find her forte she starts copying people, but it just seems to lead to hilarious blundering failures.
Mandy had a number of complete one-off stories. Some listed below.
Flo’s First Day
Things don’t go to plan on Flo Nightingale’s first day as a nurse, but the child patients think she is great, so maybe there is hope for her yet.
“The Camera Can’t Tell Lies”
Moira and her sister Jane get a job as extras on a film set. They take some photos around the set, when a star’s wallet is stolen the girls are accused, but they are able to prove their innocence with the photos they took earlier.
The Badge of Bravery
Story about Elizabeth Harris a nurse who earned a badge of bravery for her work during cholera epidemic in 1869 in India.
The Disappearing Girl
Complete text story. A girl volunteers for a conjuring act, which is visited by the ghost of the magician’s deceased assistant.
Jane Walker and her younger siblings Tom and Susie are living with Pat Ransome and her family with a view to being adopted. But Jane does not like the way Pat seems to be taking over her role of big sister to the siblings, a role Jane views as her prerogative.
In Victorian times, Janey thought the Megsons were her parents until Mrs Megson confesses she stole Janey from Mrs Wellson, the wife of a wealthy mill-owner. Upon the death of Mrs Megson and imprisonment of Mr Megson, Janey goes to live with her real family. But Richard, the adopted son, resents Janey and is trying to get rid of her.
Dianne Moore falls for Paul Peters, the boy next door, but he does not take any notice of her except as a nuisance. Dianne tries to get closer to Paul by looking after his younger brother Terry. But Terry is a little horror. His tricks keep getting Dianne into trouble and each time, she drops lower in Paul’s opinion.
A mysterious girl named Kyra, claiming to be a relative from Australia, arrives at Melanie Clark’s house. Kyra seems to know little about modern life and arrived in Victorian clothes, which convinces Melanie that Kyra is from the year 1884. Then Kyra reveals she is really from 2084 and was sent back in time to 1884 for a history project. But her timeship crashed, stranding her in 1984. Melanie agrees to help keep her secret.
Jenny Selby (Ruth in the reprint) is overjoyed when her brother John (Bob in the reprint) returns after being considered lost on a climbing expedition in the Himalayas. Then she begins to suspect the man is an impostor who is after the money John/Bob is set to inherit on his 21st birthday. When her suspicions become apparent, the man sends her away to boarding school. Jenny/Ruth returns secretly and, with the help of her dog Dirk, finds a sick man in a dingy room whom she is sure is her real brother. But the man does not claim to be John/Bob or recognise Jenny/Ruth.
Orphaned twins Gary and Lester Stark are trying to find a foster home, but none of them are working out.
Holly Reed works at Harding’s Riding Stables. The Hardings are hard employers, but Holly takes solace in Golden Harvest, her favourite horse. When Golden Harvest is injured in an accident, Holly offers to buy her to save her from being destroyed and then starts training her for a championship.
In Victorian times, Beth Bailey has lived all her life at Mercy House Orphanage. Then she is adopted by the Howards and now lives a life of luxury and is very happy. When she finds a photograph of a girl named Louisa who looks just like her, she reasons the Howards must have adopted her because she resembles their late daughter Louisa. Terrified she will be sent back to the orphanage if she loses her looks, she starts going to great lengths to keep her face maintained.
