[Andrew999]

Like passing through a portal in time to read this, to imagine the boy in flannel pyjamas absorbed by its pages until lights out in whatever seaside prep school his parents had abandoned him.

Empire is still a major influence – witness Pambardi, the Hooded Snake – a scary tale of human sacrifice, in both senses of the word, written by a vicar no less. Then it’s on to Borneo for a real-life tale of barbaric tongs and terror that would have done Robert E Howard proud.

What strikes you in reading this publication is the very high level of reading skills demanded of the child for which it was intended. For example, there’s an interminable article on how to create a wooden puzzle that quite frankly would have defeated Einstein, followed by a scholarly article on grass snakes that may still be used in a post-graduate course. Were children ever truly that intelligent and articulate?

A marvellous historical resource

Link to the book: The Boy's Own Paper v14 697