"It was an encyclopaedia for growing up. There was an old Manor House, Broughton Hall,
which had been used for billetting soldiers during the war and which was deserted and
falling into ruin. We often entered it through a broken window and spent hours finding
our way through cavities in the walls. There were very clear "secret" routes throughout
the whole building which had quite obviously been built into it for some strange reasons,
and which could be entered only by removing certain well-designed panels. It was a haven
for young boys to escape the wrath of the periodic caretaker whom we could sometimes
hear shouting, "Come out, I know you are there," as we sat hidden with our torches in one
of the secret rooms. It really had rooms that could only be entered by removing some
of the panelling!"
"Village life was so different after that of a town and I can honestly say that the
happiest years of my youth were spent there."
