“The first five volumes of my memoirs covered, respectively, genealogy (illuminated by modern ethnogeographical genetic analyses, linked with prehistoric and historical milestones); the events in my parents’ lives culminating in successful accomplishment of my conception; details of my gestation, delivery and much else I have ascertained of those days in maternity hospital with Mother- enumerating involvement of staff, Father and visitors, with comprehensive reconstructed conversations; our homecoming to a farm cottage in the Cotswolds (shared with dog, cats, chickens, assorted rodents)- delineating our household sleeping patterns there, the training regime by which I mastered the potty, and early adventures through crawling to first toddling; fifthly, my progression to walking, acquiring basic but fluent, evocative speech (of which anecdotes abound!)
I now move on to describe nursery: the intense pangs of maternal separation (overcome); scholastic and competitive rigour (embraced); and my first dealings with extra-familial authority figures (problematic to this day).”
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