...a trip on the river is a glorious adventure, nosing about looking for a sandy bank to beach the boat on, or an overhanging tree to tie her up to and swing ashore by, and Father might take it into his head to take you down to the wharves one day where the big cargo ships come in, and you fall to talking of fascinating lands beyond the Australian shores, and you read the names and home ports on the stern of the ships - and you might be lucky enough to be asked aboard by the Officer of the Watch.

For on wet days there's the workshop - goodness, how I used to love our workshop. All these thoughts: thoughts of my own childhood...