An Ordered Estate

Simon Priddy lives in a small village and works on the squire's estate. He is brought up as 'almost' the brother of the squire's son, Matthew, who is the same age. Swept up, as is Matthew, in World War One as a Territorial soldier, he has a 'good war' and is commissioned and decorated. However, his forbidden love for the squire's niece, Celia, means that relations with Matthew, now squire, who is shellshocked, break down. This means Simon is unable to return to his job after the war. He marries Celia in the face of her family's disapproval, and moves to the nearby town, where he studies to become a solicitor. He becomes involved in Labour politics and is elected as town councillor, county councillor and finally MP. He is a member of the post war Labour Government when his family is wiped out in a car crash. Devastated, and also losing his sight, he quits Parliament and returns to the village. Memories of the war which had so changed his life and cost him many friends never leave him. Many years later he is persuaded to talk about his remarkable life to a local historian, who writes his story.