Secret Seven Readathon for Bonfire Night

[Daisy]

When it was first written there were no such things as seat belts, let alone booster seats!

[Rob Houghton]

I think Nick was referring to the most recent updates.

I agree it might be a problem in 2018. In the 1970's when I first read this story it seemed very plausible - as my sister and I never wore seat-belts in the back seat - indeed, there weren't any! It was my favourite part of the story, because quite often my dad would leave us in the back of his car while he went into a shop or the bank etc, so I used to imagine it happening to us, and think what an adventure it would be!

I'm just on the last two chapters of 'Five On A Secret Trail' - and after that I plan to read some Secret Seven's - Secret Seven Fireworks, Good Work Secret Seven, and maybe Good Old Secret Seven - as they all have autumn settings - before going back to my Famous Five read-through.

[Lenoir]

There is one Famous Five autumnal adventure of course, "Five on a Hike Together".
It gives it a different and mellow feel compared to the extreme conditions they usually have to endure, such as sweltering summers with violent storms, snowed-bound winters and windy, stormy Easters.

[Rob Houghton]

yes - my favourite Famous Five book - such a great atmosphere and a great plot! I read again it a few months ago.

[MJE]

Something that occurred to me when rereading Good Work Secret Seven is how the publishes dealt with Peter and Janet being in the back of the car? Surely they would need seat belts and booster seats :D hard to imagine they could go unnoticed these days.

     What is a booster seat? Is it one of those special seats for infants or very young children you fit to the back seat of a car? I can't think what else it might be.
     In that case, I wouldn't think that would be relevant to this story, since Peter and Janet are presumably old enough to just sit in a car in the normal way.
     Seat-belts present or absent shouldn't make much of a difference to the story as far as I can see. They weren't mentioned in the original story as far as I can recall, and probably didn't even exist then. If people (including modern editors keen to ensure stories are made politically correct) want to imagine that the seat-belts are present, then the fact that they are not mentioned surely wouldn't matter. After all, one might read a story written today, set in modern times, with a scene in a car, and there's a good chance seat-belts wouldn't be mentioned, because you'd just take them for granted.

Regards, Michael.

[Rob Houghton]

     What is a booster seat? Is it one of those special seats for infants or very young children you fit to the back seat of a car? I can't think what else it might be.
     In that case, I wouldn't think that would be relevant to this story, since Peter and Janet are presumably old enough to just sit in a car in the normal way.

In the UK its law that a child uses a booster seat until they reach 135cm in height, or the age of 12, whichever comes first, so in 2018 Janet and Peter would presumably both need booster-seats.

[MJE]

In the UK its law that a child uses a booster seat until they reach 135cm in height, or the age of 12, whichever comes first, so in 2018 Janet and Peter would presumably both need booster-seats.

     As old as that? That seems incredible to me. Do you have lots of kids that age complaining at having to be treated like babies when they get into a car?
     For that matter, do we know how old Peter and Janet are? I don't recall their ages ever being mentioned in any of the books.

Regards, Michael.

[Boatbuilder]

Michael, just to clarify this is a typical booster seat which just sits on the car seat so the child is at an appropriate height to enable them wear a standard seatbelt. They come in different sizes to suit differing child heights/ages. These are used once a child outgrows the traditional child seat which has to be secured to the anchor points in cars. My grandchildren have never complained about using them.

[Courtenay]

Although it wasn't a law in Australia at the time, I remember I was using a booster seat (a smaller one like in Boatbuilder's picture) up until about the age of 9, simply because I was small for my age and could hardly see out of the car window without it!

[MJE]

     I see; thanks for the explanation. Perhaps this is not quite what I was thinking of.
     But then, I am unmarried and childless, so I have not really kept up with things like this - anything relating to children in general.
     But are these seats so age- or size-specific that anyone raising a child has to buy a whole series of them over time, and go through them one by one as the child gets bigger?
     That sounds rather expensive.

Regards, Michael.

[Rob Houghton]

    
     That sounds rather expensive.

Regards, Michael.

Yes - like everything else here, new laws tend to force people to buy stuff to comply!

[Boatbuilder]

That booster seat I posted an image of is £11.99 from Argos, but there is an even cheaper one at £8.99 so not all that expensive compared to the other type of baby/toddler seat.

[Rob Houghton]

But more expensive than not having to buy one!!

[Boatbuilder]

My philosophy is - If you can't afford to have children, then don't.

[Rob Houghton]

i agree!