Before the Internet, there was the New Illustrated Universal Reference Book...

Before the Internet, there was the New Illustrated Universal Reference Book, a hefty tome that enabled you to check a historical date, look up your ailments, solve your legal problems, plan your garden, fix your radio, find out what was wrong with your pets, settle an argument about the rules of a game, fix a leaky washer, win at pub quizzes, set up a small business and make sure you were spelling things correctly.

Admit it, the contents list for this book pretty much covers most of what we use the Internet for, although good folk seeking enlightenment in 1933 were spared the opinions of the commenting classes on whether Mussolini was really good for the railways or the`merits of a Dandie Dinmont over a Dachshund.

Moreover, before quotes spambots stalked you on Twitter if you were unwise enough to quote a bit of Doctor Seuss, there was the New Illustrated Universal Reference Book's 'A Great Thought for Everyday'. Bishops feature quite heavily and the 10th September is no exception, featuring Archbishop Manning with the cheering thought that,

This life is the childhood of eternity

So, having mused on the metaphysical with Manning (what are the chances of there being a quotebot for a 19th century Catholic cardinal from Totteridge do you think?), I flick open the book - the equivalent of hitting the I feel lucky button in Google - and alight on the page headed Variola,Veins and Veld Sores. V is not a great place to land in a medical dictionary I discover, although it's comforting to note that should you have webbed toes, you need not interfere with them.

I can't help feeling that the New Illustrated Universal Reference Book and I are going to spend some happy hours together. I shall be sure and share the good bits on the modern illustrated universal reference book we call the internet.