As a kid I was chartreuse with envy for my cousin who had a full set of Everyman Encyclopaedia. I spent ages in the reference library in Boston where there was a Chambers set.

I remember looking for Palmer and Pritchard. Two Victorian murderers mentioned The Speckled Band by Conan Doyle. Of course neither were in Chambers! But later I wrote a song about William Palmer.

I would have loved having access to something like Wikipedia in my own home.

I think its a great thing, and we all should be in properly.