ONCE upon a time when children read books, there was a popular character created by Richmal Crompton called William Brown. In a series of 38 books, readers could follow the adventures of the unruly scamp and his gang of outlaws as they rebel against the absurdity of adulthood. Pictured here, marching past the old Abergavenny Chronicle offices in Frogmore Street is a Just William tribute parade from the 1950s. Children from all over the Abergavenny area enthusiastically dressed like William, marched through the town, and tried their hand at a catapult competition. And if you believe that then you’re a ripe turkey! (Tindle News)

IN the late 20th Century two fiercely keen boaters set sail from Monmouth in a canoe hired from Fuller’s Boathouse and Landing to prove the world’s oceans and rivers all terminated at an epic waterfall. Flat earth theory has always been hugely popular amongst Monmouth people, many of who to this day will dispute fiercely that the world is round. It’s not known if the brave lady and gent pictured ever made it further than Chepstow, never mind the end of everything, but ours is not to reason Wye! (Monmouth Museum )

SOMETIMES the answer to the world’s problems and everyone in it is to find a hammock in the shady corner of a garden somewhere and fall asleep. In the Land of Nod, we are all sleepy kings and queens and can remake the world in our image. Take this young chap for instance. We do know not his name, but what we do know is he’s pictured in a Crickhowell garden somewhere enjoying some downtime in the blazing sun. As Ernest Hemingway once said, “I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I’m awake, you know?” (Rodney Lewis )