I was born on October 29th 1942 in Stoke-on-Trent a city of terraced-houses, factories and coal mines. There were pot-banks with bottle-shaped chimneys and, in those days, lots of smoke. Not so different from Huddersgate really.

But I was luckier than most. Our house was on the outskirts of the city. There were woods and fields nearby, and this was where I spent most of my time. I was happy at home but my Gran's house was more interesting. Gran lived not far away in an old wooden bungalow on the edge of the common. She kept chickens and pigs, and boiled potatoes in a big black pot on the open fire.