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As a child I reread books with the same I was discovered, punished and the book
delight and frisson - they lost none of the confiscated.
wonderful power and the fabulousness Would the Fat Owl of the Remove be
with which they first overwhelmed me caned for failing to ‘swot’ the translations of
- only now with the added comfort of Aeneid ? Would Stephen Price of the Fifth
knowing that though the twins at St. Clare’s manage to get his bet on for the two-thirty
have been punished for midnight feasts by races? Who would win the showdown
the irascible Ma’mezelle or Fatty and Beth between plucky form captain Harry
and Pip and Daisy are locked up in Banshee Wharton and Herbert Vernon-Smith,
Towers, all will turn out well for the heroes cocky son of a millionaire stockbroker, the
and heroines. Life even in the good old days legendary “Bounder” and of course, Huree
was not without its share of the oh -not - Jamset Ramsingh, a prince from India
so – pleasant - strict parents, threatening affectionately called Inky, with his quirky
teachers, boring must visit relatives - and English, and part of the famous gang, who
the comforting predictability of rereading is shielded from “colour prejudice” of their
provided a reassurances, a certainty that as American classmate Fisher T. Fish. Billy
in books so in life - all will be well. Bunter of Greyfriars may be loaded with
Paper ships, books allow me to time political incorrect language. But, there
travel into world of my childhood, my own was no indignation; I never felt that hot
history. singe racism or body shaming. They were
As a collector of children’s books I believe humans, no matter the colour of their
they are often among the finest books ever skin or the shape and size of their bodies.
written, gifts of timeless joy for the eternal The Billy Bunter stories serialised in Gem
child living in each of us. and The Magnet, were instead all about
And so I join again in the escapades fair play, decency, teamwork, respect and
of the Owl of the Remove. That portly discipline, groups of like-minded chums
and bespectacled Billy Bunter - the jam- whose thrilling exploits never included
sodden embodiment of greed, laziness and smoking and gambling. Laughing out
stupidity - who is always waiting for his aloud, delighting in the hapless Bunter’s
postal order, always stealing other boys’ silliness, I learnt more about the power of
tuck, always being caned by the stern Mr friendship, values of truthfulness, courage
Quelch for howlers of Latin translations and living by a certain code of honour, than
and emitting, from time to time, a any books of moral science.
characteristic cry of “Yarooooh!” Public
school settings meant that adults could be
dispensed with, aside from the presence of
the odd teacher.
With Enid Blyton, Billy Bunter books
were among the first books that I read
after lights-out, under the covers with
a torch, braving the wrath of parents;
inserted them between the covers of my
geometry book and read them in class until
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