An Introduction by Nicholas Owen

What a thrill - to introduce another glorious collection of Carl Giles's cartoons, selected especially for the Queen's Golden Jubilee. mThe anniversary of Her Majesty's 50 years is a great cause for national celebration. The wit of Giles has always been something to celebrate.

When I was growing up, the characters in the typical Giles fammily somehow seemed very close to some of my own relatives. We did not actually have a grandma asa intimidating as Giles's creation. Neither were any of the small children quite as lethal as Giles's younger folk. But the weariness of father in the face of yet another family crisis and the stoical ability of mother to carry on regardless were echoed in everyday experiences.

I remember especially enjoying the portrayal of policemen. They were often in huge dark coats, biting on their helmet chinstraps as they made some wry remark or other. Their long-suffering, worldly-wise, yet good-humoured understanding of human nature is something I hope my own son, who's just starting out as a Metropolitan police officer, will manage to emulate.

I am sure in this special year that the Royal Household has done its share of chortling at the marvelous work of Giles. Now we all have a chance to remind ourselves again how good he really was, how much he brightened our lives for so many years.