It is a canard trotted out by lazy or tendentious journalists that nationalised British Railways lacked entrepreneurial flair.

Everybody seemed happy. The goose and marble man, the monte player, purse trickster, monkey man, ginger-pop man, ice cream vendor, and the young man who gave away pound notes for sixteen shillings, and after wearables and so called jewellery at a grand profit to himself, all were happy and contented looking.

Understanding the basics is easy, but appreciating the nuances takes years.

But attempts to relate either of them to trends in urbanisation or increases in machinofacturing or the rise of the middle classes seem less plausible.