Mervyn and I first met when we were about five years old, our parents taking it in turns to pass each of us over the fence which separated the rear of our gardens in Barkingside. I remember being fascinated by his grandparents' vegetable garden and in particular by the chickens they kept. If I was very lucky, I would be sent home with a large brown egg in a paper bag and with instructions not to drop it! An extra egg, over and above the ration was a luxury in the late 1940's. 

When Mervyn started his lifelong interest in music he had piano lessons from our neighbour who was a professional music and singing teacher. I remember hearing his lessons through the wall of our front room!

I went away to school in Leicestershire but we still saw each quite a lot of each other in the holidays. We often took two buses (fare 2d.) to the indoor swimming pool in Ilford and I remember Mervyn became a far better swimmer.

We moved to Birmingham when I was 16 and then Mervyn went to Bristol University although we saw each other only infrequently, we kept in touch over the years, by exchanging Christmas cards.