When I Were A Lad…

When I Were a Lad... explores the glorious-yet-risky childhoods of yesteryear, before Health and Safety officers restricted activities deemed too dangerous.

The sleeper hit of Christmas 2009, it sold more than 4,000 copies through Bookscan.

This book will send shivers down the spine of any parent who has spent years protecting their children from the slightest bump and bash.

Experience a glorious romp through some of the most reckless photos from the 1930s, 40s, 50s, and 60s, accompanied by side-splitting captions.

Ah, the past—a time when children could play in the snow without a helmet, crampons, or a risk assessment report. Back when footballs were made from rhino hide and cricket was played with just one pad, if you were lucky. When I Were a Lad... takes a fond look back at childhoods where children mingled with animals at London Zoo before car seatbelts were invented, let alone used; a time when dressing endangered species in goalkeeping kit and taking penalties against them was a playful norm.

The authors have meticulously trawled through major historic archives to present some exuberant photo opportunities, where the safety concerns of the participants were an afterthought. Children perch happily on lethal, limb-mangling machinery, stand grinning on live crocodiles, feed brown bears with their hands, and were even scooped from the street by passing tram conductors!

These truly were the days that Health and Safety forgot, back when I were a lad...