Brian Wilson was born in 1924 in Penang, then part of the Straits Settlements (now Malaysia), where his Irish father practised as a solicitor. The book looks at his colourful early life, followed by an upbringing in pre-war Ireland and the UK. It was a way of life that largely disappeared after the Second World War. The present generation may be unaware of what life was like in those days. The book describes all this – early colonial life and the changes in lifestyle that took place, enlivened by comments and memories. Nothing too detailed and laborious; all charmingly expressed. Brian now lives in Western Australia where he divides his time between gardening and bird watching.