Anna and Andrew Dickson have lived at Trudgetts, The Street, Lt. Thurlow, for the past fourteen years. Anna is from Wisbech and Andrew is from Edinburgh. They have two children, Hamish who is thirteen and is at boarding school in Uttoxeter, StaVs, and Edwina who is eleven and attends Barnardiston, but will go on to Culford in September where she has won a scholarship.

Andrew is a chartered surveyor in Cambridge and Anna is a part-time food technologist at West Wratting.

When they came to Thurlow, “Trudgetts” was not as large as it is now. It had been renovated by Colin Atherton about six years previously, and since then in 1989 it was extended to make a large kitchen with bedroom-bathroom above.

They are a busy family, playing tennis, cycling, shooting, golf and cricket. Hamish also likes roller skating. Edwina is an athlete who trains with West Suffolk Athletic Club. She is also a musician ­ playing piano, violin and clarinet.

Andrew says Thurlow has everything a village needs ­ post office, shop, school, public house, an excellent recreation ground, lots of footpaths and a river running through. He says there is a good community spirit and particularly remembers after arriving getting involved in the Thurlow Revue to raise money for the play group. With his friend he played in a sketch of the Two Ronnies and a skit on Dad’s Army which was hilarious.

Andrew is involved in the Thurlow Fayre every September to raise money for the three churches and various other charities. He says this is a good way of bringing people together and to have fun.

When they first moved in most houses were lived in by estate workers or retired estate workers, but as they have gradually passed on the cottages are being let out on short-term leases making a much faster turnover of people.