The Race for the Lost Keystone /The Mystery Of The Darkstone:
Some things you didn’t know
about the Reynolds family…
...and other characters


When Phil was six he and his best friend Mark rode their bicycles to the top of the hill because they wanted to see how fast they could cycle down again. But, the boys didn’t want it to be a race – they thought that if it became a race and one of them became the winner it would spoil the fun. So they decided that the only way they could cycle down the hill at exactly the same speed would be if they tied their bikes together. They did this with Kate’s skipping rope. They went really fast and they stayed together for approximately thirty seconds before they locked pedals and crashed. (Don't even think about trying this...it's dangerous!)


When Kate was a toddler she was once sitting in a supermarket trolley when a little boy, passing by with his mum, leaned over and bit Kate hard on the finger. Charlotte and Michael say this is why Kate hates supermarket shopping.


As you know from the books Charlotte had some extraordinary adventures when she was a young girl. Once, in dire circumstances, Great Aunt Elizabeth strapped her into a parachute and threw her out of a plane before jumping out herself. They pulled their cords at the same time but Charlotte’s parachute didn’t open right away and they got separated. The funny thing was, Charlotte made a perfectly graceful landing in some long, soft grass, while on the other side of the field she could see Great Aunt Elizabeth, tangled up in her parachute, slipping and sliding in mud and cow pats.

He is one of the lesser known characters in Darkstone but nevertheless Don Church plays a significant role. Don appears as a boy who has had his personality polished to perfection at Caddington Lodge. He is cheerfully swimming 8 km when Phil Reynolds meets him.

An adventurous spirit and intrepid explorer much of his life is shrouded in mystery. He is notoriously secretive about the date of his birthday though rumour has it that this auspicious occasion takes place some time during September each year. Here he is in this photograph - a little boy at Primary School way back in 1937.  (Roll mouse over photo to see which one he is.)

This chap is a genuine hybrid - in fact the animal experts among you will have noticed that in Darkstone Nikwata has gecko feet with suckers when really, going by the description of his body, he should have clawed fingers. But, hey - I haven't heard any lizards complaining! So I decided to keep him exactly the way he is - quaint and unique. You've probably noticed him scampering down this page. He was inspired by this little guy who was quietly dozing in a workshop near Dodoma, in central Tanzania, until I disturbed him. He related his version of the story faster than I can type... but I think I got everything down pretty accurately.

...more to come...

You can also read Val's very own blog regularly updated HERE