Amid the ever-growing pile of spam (debt consolidation! static on your mobile? breast enlargement!), a couple of intriguing emails arrived recently on the same subject: good old 16th century Freston Tower. One from a lady in Devon - hi Helen! - who may be a descendant of Thomas Gooding, who quite possibly built the Tower way back when. Number two was from the local FM station:

We here at BBC Radio Suffolk are running a daily series called Secret Suffolk and were hoping to include Freston Tower as one of the items...I wonder if you are able to help us.

'Course, I gave them a ring, and explained that (a) it belongs to the Landmark Trust, not me, and (b) personal interest stems from my middle name. Fortunately some people from the Trust were due for a visit to the Tower on Monday 12th August - today! - and Radio Suffolk were good enough to invite me along (stick with it since events take a dramatic turn soon).

Being powered by pushbike, I'd wangled a lift with the lady from Radio Suffolk, so off we drove to rendezvous with the Trust at 2pm. Out under the Orwell Bridge, clear skies, up the hill and into the village. Then, as we turned into the track on the left hand side: whack from behind! Barely had time to take this in before our increased forward momentum was brought to a rapid halt by a metal gate post. Thank goodness for seat belts.

We walked away unscathed, as did the driver of the Co-op delivery lorry who'd rear-ended us, as did the lad desperately trying & failing to stop his little black Mini going into the back of the lorry. Poor lad had to call out his dad from the next village, who arrived as various insurance details were being swapped. Oops all round. Tomorrow lunchtime, might try a quiet cuppa coffee in town instead.

Be seeing you!

Ed