Trevella the farm in Truro, Cornwall owned by Gaga and Gagi, Poppas' parents. (Don't we have strange names for our grandparents?)  I remember this place well. We would all trek down here for our summer holidays, the drive from London taking all day. This would have been when I was around seven years old and attending Ponsbourne Park, a convent boarding school. I remember riding to church in the Rolls Royce, Gaga cutting the head off a chicken and it running around the yard spraying blood and it was here that I had an experience that has stayed with me always. The whole Bickford Smith clan would gather at Trevella for the holidays, the Cleggs included.

 Of the 7 children I was always the outsider, having only just arrived on the scene, and of course the youngest. As I mentioned I was attending a convent school and was very into the catholic faith at that time, including the rituals of holy water. We were playing down in the cattle sheds and came upon a bird stuck in the wooden slats, it wasn't moving and appeared to be quite dead. I took off at a run for my Holy Water shouting for the other children to bring the bird to the house. By the time I arrived panting on the patio where the grown ups were having their lunch time gin and tonics, the bird had been placed on the table and was still completely immobile.

I raced over shouting for everyone to move away from it, sprinkled some Holy Water over the bird and it flew away. Looking around I noticed a few genuflects being made and from non Catholics  too.

Just a stunned bird revived by water? To me it was faith and I still have it, though I have changed my religion.

CStGPA 20^th August 2005