Clarice Cliff (née Machin) took in washing to supplement the family income, and they had seven children. Cliff was sent to a different school from her siblings, and this perhaps prompted her more independent approach to her career, and her non-standard life style by Stoke-on-Trent standards. After school Cliff would visit an aunt who was a hand painters at a local pottery company, and she also made models from papier-mâché at school. At the age of 13, Cliff started working in the pottery industry. Her first work was as a gilder, adding gold lines on ware of traditional design. Once she had
Clarice Bean series "a big derriere." She also possesses a gait which Clarice Bean and Karl describe as "walking on trotters" which Karl often impersonates. Clem is a new girl at Clarice Bean's school. She is from Sweden and has a pet rabbit called Kahneen, which is Swedish for rabbit. Clarice describes Clem as Sadie Blanch, a fictional character from the Ruby Redfort series. Czarina is Clarice Bean's drama teacher. She is from Pakistan. Quincy is Betty's new friend. She talks a lot and has an older brother whose name is unknown. An important plot device is the "Ruby Redfort collection", a series