The following work of fiction is based upon a young man who is travelling from Portsmouth to London to visit the Festival of Britain in 1951, it is written in the narrative form of a picaresque novel. The story is written in first person as an autobiographical account, and normally depicts, the adventures of a roguish character of low social class who lives by his wits in a corrupt society, in realistic and often clever detail.
The Festival of Britain was seen as an opportunity to save Britain, a war stricken land wounded by the Second World War. Post War Britain was in austerity trying to stand tall once again, the nation’s morale had been badly affected and people looked to the festival to reconstruct Britain’s spirit. The festival was a celebration of Britain’s history, achievements and culture; British identity was shown and exhibited in view of the seat of power on the South Bank, and the event is fondly remembered and intensely evocative to those who were there.
