I was ten years old, and beginning to get curious about girls. I mention this in advance as a bit of a defence, as there’s no doubt that what I did on the occasion I’m recalling was very wrong indeed, and I richly deserved the punishment which followed.
It was the beginning of the long summer holiday and all my close friends had gone away with their families. Our own was booked for slightly later, so I found myself at something of a loose end for someone to play with.