Whilst flipping through issues of The Girls Own Paper from the 1890s it gradually dawned on Philip Ardagh that he was witnessing tantalising glimpses of an unfolding story of mystery and intrigue in the seemingly unrelated illustrations. With these original illustrations and his brand-spanking-new text hes created the quite extraordinary very funny and unashamedly silly The Not-So-Very-Nice Goings-On at Victoria Lodge destined to become an immediate family favourite in houses (and flats) across the nation. In writing The-Not-So-Very-Nice Goings-On at Victoria Lodge Philip Ardagh follows in the grand tradition of E. V. Lucas and George Morrow and their 1911 book What A Life! which was based on a (heavily doctored) Whiteleys store catalogue; Woody Allens Whats Up Tiger Lily? (an existing Japanese film for which he created a completely new plot and dialogue); and those caption competitions you used to find in the back of Punch.
