Alison and Dean Smith with their children, Ryan and Nicola, have lived for eight years at Low Farm House, which is now one house but was two cottages at one time. Dean is the terrier man for the Thurlow Hunt; Alison is a housewife. The children are at school, Nikki at Thurlow school and Ryan at Parkway.

Gardening, football, swimming, basketball and circuit training are family leisure pursuits. The children also have recorder and piano lessons and enjoy horse riding.

Dean comes from Corby and Alison from London. They find Thurlow a healthy, drug-free environment after Corby; and they much prefer to live in the country. They love the views from their windows.

“It is brilliant living here, there are no negative aspects”, says Dean.

As they dislike change they are very pleased that the only changes since they came have been a few extra houses.