use strict;
use IO::File;

my $directory = '/home/******/Mail/.family.directory/Browne, Bill & Ma
+rtha';

opendir(DIR,$directory);
my @files = readdir(DIR);
closedir(DIR);
foreach(@files){
  $f = new IO::File::open;
  while (<$f>) 
  {
    //.. something here... 
  } 
  print $_,"\n";
}
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For finding all files recursively, just use File::Find.

use File::Find;
my @found_files;
find( sub { push @found_files, $File::Find::name }, $directory );
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Thanks, the following lists only files, so that's a good start.

use strict;
use File::Find;

my $directory = '/home/******/Mail/.family.directory/Browne, Bill & Ma
+rtha';

my @found_files;
find( sub { push @found_files, $File::Find::name }, $directory );

foreach(@found_files){
  my $file = "$_";
  if (-f $file)
  {
    print $_,"\n";
  }
}
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I will have to have a read up on arrays, and see how to delete certain entries from @found_files.I see that grep can be used. Possibly best to load another array with the (unwanted) filenames.

Is this how to approach this ?

Maybe

Consider

Main( @ARGV );
exit( 0 );
sub Main {
    my @files = RecursivePathSearch( $path );
    for my $file ( @files ){
        SomethingHere( $file );
    }
}
sub RecursivePathSearch {
    my( $path ) = @_;
    use File::Find::Rule qw/ find rule/
    return rule(
        file =>
        not_name =>  [ '*.pl', ],
      )->in( $path );
}

sub SomethingHere {
    my( $file ) = @_;
    use Path::Tiny qw/ path /;
    use Email::Address;
    my $stuff = path( $file )->slurp_raw;
    return Email::Address->parse( $stuff );
}
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Thanks, just had to place a ";" on the 'find rule/' line. Then ran it and a msg appeared "Complex regular subexpression recursion limit (32766) exceeded at /usr/share/perl5/Email/Address.pm line 108."

There are only 3 sub folders though in that path.

Yes, my question would be - "How do I do the other 3 steps please" ?

Hmm :) 1) write some code or 2) hire a programmer

Which would you like to try?