The Prisoner - The Boys Own

     The first issue of ‘The Boys Own Paper’ went on sale on January 19, 1879. In 1939 it was taken over by Lutterworth Press, and in 1963 by Purnell and Sons Ltd. It was published at the end of its life in 1967 by BPC Publishing Ltd, who are believed to have started publishing the paper in 1965. The paper was published weekly following the school year (Autumn through to Summer) until November 1913, when it became a monthly. In total, 2511 issues of the paper were published.  From 1879 onwards each year's issues were bound together and sold as the Boy's Own Annual. In the initial few years, one could purchase the covers at the end of the publishing year and have the weekly issues bound. This produced some interesting minor variations in order and contents. The Annuals ceased publication after the 1940-41 edition due to wartime paper rationing. The Annuals included all of the text of the weekly (and later monthly) issues, with additional illustrations. There was an extra Christmas Number (edition) magazine from 1884-85 until 1912-13 and an extra Summer Number from 1884-85 until 1900-01. Later attempts at a smaller format annual, under Jack Cox's editorship, were the Boy's Own Companion from 1959 through 1963, and the Boy's Own Annual II from 1964-65 through 1975-76.
     Often published were adventure stories; notes on how to practise nature study, sports and games. One of the stories in the opening issue was "My First Football Match", the first of many by Talbot Baines Reed set in public schools {ie private} (Reed, who had not in fact attended such a school, later became the paper's first assistant editor); and the first volume's serials included "From Powder Monkey to Admiral, or The Stirring Days of the British Navy". In the same volume, Captain Matthew Webb contributed an account of how he swam the English Channel. So ‘Boys Own Paper’ showed heroic attitudes, told stories of action and adventure that stirred the mind. And yet it was educational, for example how to build a crystal radio set, and other such ingenious devices.
   It was until relatively recently, being a boy meant you explored to outdoors. I remember cycling all over the place, I would be gone all day, on my own or with friends, and no-on worried about me. Today parents are so worried to allow their children out on their own.
   You explored the woods, you knew every tree. You had hobbies like wood craft. You learned to be resilient, to make yourself a man, to harden up.
   I occurs to me that there are two episodes of ‘the Prisoner’ that could be straight out of ‘The Boys Own Paper.’ The first being ‘Many Happy Returns.’ The hero Number 6, all alone in a deserted Village, which he escapes from by constructing a sea-going raft. He is resiliant, able to make himself a compass, and keeps a rudimentary log on the back of The Tally Ho, and can navigate. Number 6 is the hero that can survive against all odds, the action hero who fights the enemy with a straight bat, and an even better right hook! A strong swimmer, and climber. A man of determination, who will not be beaten, who never gives up!
   The second episode would be “The Girl Who Was Death,’ a story which is larger than life. London is in danger of being wiped off the face of the Earth, obliterated by a rocket built by a mad scientist. Mr. X gives every impression of being the quintisential Victorian hero, who sets out to find, and stop the mad German scientist from destroying London, whilst battling against the Girl who was Death along the way. Again the hero is a born survivor, but he’s not a killer. Not once does he attempt to kill the girl who is doing her utmost to kill him. He knows about guns and weapons, and yet prefers to survive by his wits. And yet not only does he survive every attempt to kill him, but also manages to stop the mad scientist, through the sabotaging of the rocket. This is all good ‘Own Boys’ stuff, what the paper was made of. Action, adventure, and daring-do.

I’ll be seeing you