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There was mail for me the next morning. A hand delivered letter. I picked it up after I had closed the door of the outer eight by ten office, skirted the table and chair and pushed open the door marked “PRIVATE.”
Behind the door lay my office which was a bigger room than the reception office and I immediately made myself a black coffee with the small travel kettle I kept in the bottom drawer of my desk with the water from the communal kitchen. I parked myself behind my desk, sipped the coffee from the chipped mug, ordained with the badge of Arsenal Football Club and opened the envelope. With the letter was a cheque for my services. It was quite a substantial fee. I immediately read the letter:
OXMARKET ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY
87 CHANDOS AVENUE
OXMARKET
SUFFOLK
IP14 2NS
01445-752028
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