All the evacuees – except me, of course – were being interviewed by News 24. Izzy was saying, ‘And I know I’ve made friends for life.’
‘If not even longer,’ quipped Leo.
‘And that’s why,’ went on Izzy, ‘we couldn’t let Zac be treated like that. He’s our friend, and so we had to stand up for him.’
‘Very well put,’ said Farmer Benson. ‘And look at them, all talking away without any sign of nerves at all. TV naturals, they are.’
‘They’re fantastic,’ I said. ‘And I’m so happy I met them.’
‘You’ll see them all again very soon,’ said Dad, who had an arm lightly round my shoulder. That sounded exactly like a promise.
And then we heard another taxi roll up the drive.
I looked at Dad. ‘That’s Victor and he—’
‘He was an evacuee here in 1939 and stayed for the whole of the Second World War,’ interrupted Dad.
‘You really have been watching me,’ I said approvingly. ‘I’d better go and greet him,’ I added.
I got outside just as the taxi was pulling away, and Victor was looking around him with a mixture of sadness and wonderment.
Then he saw me. ‘Oh, I’m very glad you’re here,’ he said. ‘Even though I understand Strictly Evacuees is not.’
‘No, they’ve gone,’ I said. ‘But I couldn’t miss this moment of living history.’
‘And I suppose I’m the living history.’
‘Well, yes, you are really.’
‘Good job I remembered my hearing aid today then – and my glasses.’
We grinned at each other. ‘How exactly are you feeling?’ I asked.
‘Like a ghost,’ said Victor firmly. ‘And especially when I see you standing there, looking more than a bit like me and in identical clothes.’
‘I wanted to be authentic,’ I said proudly.
‘You really are,’ said Victor. ‘And now time is twisting and shrinking away so much . . . well, I half expect the people who lived here all those years ago, and who were so very kind to me, to come rushing out to greet me again.’
‘Wonderful if they could,’ I said.
‘And poor old Dennis; I’d give anything to see him tearing towards me with that big grin on his face. And I’d be thinking, What bit of mischief have you been up to now?’ Victor smiled and shook his head and seemed totally lost in memories for a moment.
Pete Johnson
‘One of our best contemporary humourists’ TES
How many of Pete’s books have you read?
Funny stories
THE BAD SPY’S GUIDE
Shortlisted for the 2007 Blue Peter Book Award
Book I Couldn’t Put Down category
‘This book grabs you from the first page (5 stars)’ Sunday Express
HELP! I’M A CLASSROOM GAMBLER
Winner of the 2007 Leicester Best Book Award
‘A real romp of a read that will leave readers ravenous for more’ Achuka
HOW TO GET FAMOUS
Shortlisted for the 2009 Leicester Best Book Award
‘Lots of humour and witty dialogue . . . thoroughly enjoyable’ School Librarian
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR PARENTS
‘Makes you laugh out loud’ Sunday Times
TRUST ME, I’M A TROUBLEMAKER
Winner of the 2006 Calderdale Children’s Book of the Year
(Upper Primary)
‘Characters every child will recognize and every adult should try to understand’
Observer
‘Most buoyant, funny and optimistic’ Carousel
Thrillers
AVENGER
Winner of the 2006 Sheffield Children’s Book Award, Children’s Books, shorter novel
Winner of the 2005 West Sussex Children’s Book Award ‘Brilliant’ Sunday Express
THE CREEPER
‘Explores the subtle power of the imagination’ Books for Keeps
THE FRIGHTENERS
‘Prepare to be thoroughly spooked’ Daily Mail
THE GHOST DOG
Winner of the 1997 Young Telegraph/Fully Booked Award
‘Incredibly enjoyable’ Books for Keeps
TRAITOR
‘Fast-paced and energetic’ The Bookseller
PHANTOM FEAR
Includes:
MY FRIEND’S A WEREWOLF and THE PHANTOM THIEF
www.petejohnsonauthor.com
THE TV TIME TRAVELLERS
AN RHCP DIGITAL EBOOK 978 1 407 04889 5
Published in Great Britain by RHCP Digital,
A Random House Group Company
This ebook edition published 2014
Copyright © Pete Johnson, 2012
First Published in Great Britain
Yearling 9780440868620 2012
The right of Pete Johnson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
RANDOM HOUSE CHILDREN’S PUBLISHERS UK
61–63 Uxbridge Road, London W5 5SA
www.randomhousechildrens.co.uk
www.totallyrandombooks.co.uk
www.randomhouse.co.uk
Addresses for companies within The Random House Group Limited can be found at:
www.randomhouse.co.uk/offices.htm
THE RANDOM HOUSE GROUP Limited Reg. No. 954009
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.