This memoir traces the first steps of Dirk Bogarde as a young actor before he became world famous as well as his childhood amidst the enchanting beauty of rural Sussex. Here is the delightful harmony of summer days spent fishing with his young sister, a hunt for an escaped tortoise, the discovery of the biggest mushroom in the world, and the quest to win a pet canary at the local fair. Then came the plays he and his sister put on in their barn, followed by forays onto the stage with the local amateur dramatic society. Finally, just as war broke out, came an audition for a scholarship to the Old Vic.