Echoing Voices by John Harris (John Murray, £17.99)

THE voice that echoes here is largely that of the author with delicious tales of his oddball upbringing, extraordinary life and lifelong love for the stately home.

His previous book No Voice From The Hall journeyed through a 1950s Britain of decay and ruin where one grand house was demolished every two-and-a-half days.

Here, his country house snooping progresses to homes still standing - both in this country and abroad - though by and large at odds with the purpose for which they were built.

At Hewell Grange, near Bromsgrove, once the domain of the Earls of Plymouth, marvelling at the bronze statue of Hermes and the lapis lazuli of the chapel floor, Harris and his party almost cause a riot with its now inmates - prisoners on remand.

At Coughton Court, near Alcester, he recounts with almost Betjemanesque glee, the story of the "Wardress" and her attempts at crowd control.

And at Hazlewood, Co. Sligo, Harris comes disturbingly face-to-face with the reason why its called The Chuckle House.

Savour this as you would a box of favourite chocolates and rejoice at Harris's anecdotal autobiography in which he can never resist a dig at the mighty Pevsner. As he says, the Blessed Nikolaus "missed so much".

David Chapman