It was one of those strange coincidences that I mentioned ‘Bestsellers of Literature’ last week, 20 of the 24 covers being painted by John Raynes, when I got an email from the man himself. John had been contacted by one of the boys who had modelled for the cover of ‘Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn’ asking if he still had a copy of the cover which he didn’t. I helped out by forwarding a scan of my copy but in return I have the names of the two boys and where the painting was done.

It was in 1968 that John took Tim Wilcocks and Simon Games-Thomas to Stogumber Church in Somerset where he photographed them. Tim was the one standing and played Tom while the one sitting was Simon as Huck. They were both 15 years old and pupils at Taunton Prep School.