and found it a bit like a jigsaw made up from other jigsaws

I couldn't agree more, Les - but I've always had a fondness for Where Is St George? - flawed though it undoubtedly is; hell, I even like The White Goddess and there are passages of The Manifesto of the Communist Party that might still bring tears to my eyes. The worst of it is when you put R J Stewart into Google and you get something like this!