Gerald Vinestock is an ex-headmaster, ex-failed orienteer. He has been happily married to the same woman for ever so long and surveys the activities of his children, and now his grandchildren with great pride. His knees hinder his descent from the various hills he climbs, but the pain is outweighed by the pleasure in climbing. He began writing while still at school and his short stories and poetry have been making readers laugh for many years. This is his first novel.