I'm sitting in front of the fireplace, reading a book which I received as a present in the Autumn of 2008. I was one of those children which would get most excited about receiving a good book, with a nice inscription on it. I used to imagine myself at old age, walking into my own British study, full of books covered in leather, all carrying a special story. This book was a bit more special than the rest. I got it from my mum not just as an idle p