I find it increasingly hard to read fiction these days, even from the past when much of it was consider important, or Literature. I have enjoyed many of John Boynton’s other books, particularly his English Journey, and even some his novels; The Good Companions for one.

But this work is now, for me, a difficult and dated read. There are touches of the author’s wit that made his plays sparkle – commenting on the meaningless drudgery of the working weeks of the time he hopes “... perhaps in another twenty years, machine guns and hand grenades would be allowed on Saturday nights, just to add spice?” They have not added much meaning and far too much ‘spice’ to our weekends in the US!

However, the hero and heroines are conventionally nice and the villains are equally nasty and Priestley’s prose flows well – and his ‘travel narrative’ of the Britain of that time is enjoyable and worth the read.