TWO sets of figures gladdened the average middle-aged heart this week.

One showed that a quarter of under-25s are now turning off alcohol with the number of binge-drinking teenagers and twenty-somethings falling sharply which is a real boost to health prospects.

And the other was the shortlist for the Waterstones’ Children’s Book Prize. This reveals that old-fashioned mystery and detective novels are popular again with a new generation of youngsters.

Many are reminiscent of oldie favourites like Enid Blyton’s Famous Five stories brought up to date - wholesome novels that sounds like a real step in the right development direction.