Iwonder if it is wise to write anything down when one is quite young or to wait till life has taught a few lessons. We can only surmise in our early years and are not able to see things as they are; we only see things as we wish to see them. There is such a lot I would write about - even to the time when I was about six years old but not a lot happened then.

I think things began to happen for me when we moved from Elm Park Road - a house which had a great elm tree throwing it in shadows and sunshine by fitful turns.

But I was born at Herne Hill on 29 July 1877. It was a country place then, and we lived opposite Brockwell Park which had many trees and bushes all along the paths.

There was a beautiful house in the midst of the park where a family had their own residence and thereby hangs a tale. One day I was lost and found walking up Rosendale Road nearby, where there was a pond, and boys used to sail up and down with boards nailed together and fancy they were on their way to New Zealand or Australia.

I was about four years old when we moved to Lime Villa, Croxted Road, which was at the other end of Rosendale Road. My sister, Amy^[1], was rather in love with one of the Fraser boys who lived opposite Lime Villa. One was called Fattie Fraser - but I do not think that he was the one she had eyes for. They were a handsome family and went to Dulwich College where two of my brothers went. In fact we went to live there because my mother wanted her twins, Arnold and Walter, to go to the college which they later did.

My sister Rosie and I used to go along to the Dulwich Picture Gallery. I remember signing the book as we entered.  

Everyone had to leave their umbrellas and bags outside and sign their names. We being only children, the porters and the men who were in charge, used to smile at us and ask if we liked the pictures; we did love them.

I remember standing before Mrs Siddons and thinking that it was a beautiful picture. It was immense and as you looked down the gallery she looked so real. There was a family picture of Mrs Moody, also magnificent landscapes and seascapes. I knew them all so well - the Botticellis and Lelys.

Then, in 1881, we moved to a very much larger house in Elm Park Road - ‘The Elms’.

Nellie and Elsie Spence lived near and used to come in and have fun with us. There was Tappie Spence and two other brothers who used to be very good to Nellie and Elsie and give them money to buy hats with. They were always spending money which made us feel uncomfortable as we had none to spend. Then one day we heard that they had the bailiffs in who took all their furniture but they just laughed and draped curtains over sugar boxes and made the place quite beautiful.

Three Germans came to stay with us as paying guests - a Mr Phol, Mr Weiss and Mr Mottis. Nellie Spence used to come round in the evening and play while Rosie sang. Rosie had such a lovely voice and Amy was so jealous. Her own voice was contralto while Rosie had a soprano and she was so beautiful to look at, like an angel - so Amy used to strike the wrong notes and try to put her out.

Then one day we heard of a beautiful house which was to be sold at Addiscombe, near Croydon, and as my mother and father had some money in the Birbeck Bank, they decided to buy it.