“ If watching cartoons has taught me anything, it’s that escapism hurts no one “ The world, it seems, right now is in the grip of a never ending, relentless, sad and depressing tirade of news. War in Europe. economic crisis, our planet slowly dying.

Like a responsible adult I keep abreast of current affairs. Sometimes though when my heart is heavy with constantly streaming worrying images, of economic reports, clever people talking about climate change, I search through the channels and land, if I’m lucky, upon some vintage classic. Watch Jerry outsmart Tom and try not to feel good inside. My wife looks at me with a wry smile and lovingly shakes her head.

It takes me back , it takes me to the sweltering record breaking summer of 1976. I was just a kid in blue jeans and a t shirt walking down our country lane popping tar bubbles with a stick. I can still smell that tar intermixed with the fragrance of the freshly mowed verges, the sun beating down on my deeply tanned arms. Not one care in the world except for what time I had to be back for lunch.

No worries, the worries of the worlds back then where for the grown ups, and no one else.