“extension to existing building” and thus get round the lack of building licenses. One hurdle down! Now Birkin just had to deal with inadequate headroom and no damp-course in the mill, but we had fortunately picked the most important architect in Suffolk, so we had faith in his power to overcome obstacles.

It was now time to negotiate a price for the mill and some land. We all agreed we didn’t want to be unfair, so in the end decided to abide by an independent valuation. A valuer was called in from Bannister’s in Felixstowe and he valued the mill building with half an acre of land, which was all we thought we could cope with as a garden, at £250. We rang Spikey who said her savings certificates would cover that, and the Felixstowe branch of Westminster agreed to advance us the money with her to back us. So as soon as we got planning permission the money would be paid over and the mill would be ours.

We tried very hard to buy the very attractive barn, cart shed and stables which would have given us road frontage, the lack of which might yet bring it all to nothing, but Yvonne had plans for these and wouldn’t sell, hoping one day to turn them into a studio.
While we waited we went to London again to see Peter’s parents in Bexley and tell them our news. Bill was there with his wife Betty and son, Little Peter, a couple of years older than Gale. We thought the name, Peter, unwise for a boy who was later to grow to over six feet tall, but he was stuck with it. I believe they all thought we were mad to take on something so nebulous, but they didn’t try to dissuade us, and we were quite sure that everyone must eventually see how eminently sensible our decision was.