Not surprisingly, this crumbling edifice was often home to our feathered friends, who could easily squeeze in through the gaps and recognised a cosy nesting site when they spotted one. We grew very fond of a couple of abandoned nests that perched in little recesses and on ledges in our second-floor office walls. Our architect promised conservation rather than restoration and, boy, did he mean it. Just as we prepare to move back into our newly repaired office rooms, look what’s reappeared in the wall and above a window:
