*

  I know it sounds crazy-weird, but so what? The chance that anybody will ever read this is probably a big fat zero. There's no writing paper of course. That's why I’m cramming it onto the back of my maps. Good job I had a pencil in my rucksack. I can rub out stuff with the heel of my trainers if I need to. I expect I will – I usually have to erase stuff – you know, wrong words and spellings and such.

  So, if you are reading this, it means I've somehow beaten the odds and the most stupendous change in world history and technology has happened. Of course, it’ll be the Government’s best kept secret. And let’s face it, this is the one secret they can most easily keep, and keep on keeping, no matter how often it’s discovered. Poor old Joe Public will never know. And if anyone did find out they'd make them out to be loonies, or just quietly change things and make it seem as if they never happened. Government spooks will do that.