In Our Bones

Bert Love reflects on his early Meccano life and remembers, when he was seven, "Those Winter nights.... (he) was transported into a magic land of sheer joy and creativity", and how at seventy, Meccano still engenders that feeling. 

The Jesuits say "Give me a boy until he is seven, and I will give you the man".  When Hornby targeted seven-year-olds, had he known that maxim, and realised he would make converts for life?

Not all boys were fertile ground.  Even in those who were, the seed had to be nurtured.  Encouragement by adults and peers was important, perhaps, but to keep the flame of enthusiasm burning bright, some deprivation was necessary.  If Meccano time was limited, it became more precious.  Having insufficient parts and making do magnified the value of what one had; the perpetual yearning for the next set, the wistful poring over the parts list, all instilled a hunger for Meccano that, once etched in the youthful mind, lasts a lifetime.

Outsiders find it strange to see mature men delighting in the same old strips, girders and holey models.  What is the attraction to us?  These things cannot be explained; it is in our bones.