When I was nine we moved to the street in Bury St Edmunds where I now live. My parents had bought a glorious Grade II listed house with lots of space, a large garden and outbuildings for curious children to play in and explore. We had a tennis court and could walk to the town centre and, after a couple of years, my grandparents came up from Surrey to live in a bungalow next door.

Sadly my parents divorced when I was 16 and we had to move out – but we didn’t go far. By now the tennis court had been sold off and a house built on it. My Mum bought the new house and we all went to live with her there. My grandparents were still living next door.

As time went on, my siblings and I grew up, moved out and went our separate ways. But when Granny died, my husband said he was very keen to buy her bungalow. Being an architect he thought it had enormous potential and that it would be a perfect family home.

I have to say I had my reservations. I just wasn’t sure I wanted to go back and live there with my own family. My memories of life in that street were definitely mixed and I also had pre-conceived ideas about living in a bungalow – I wasn’t ready to retire just yet.

But we did buy Granny’s bungalow and it has been great. We completely opened up the living space and put in lots of full height glass sliding doors. My husband was right – the layout works perfectly for family living.

Some find it strange that I have lived in three houses next to each other in the same street but I am glad I moved back. After all, life here started very happily and while there was a bit of a wobble in the middle, things are very different now. My family is happily ensconced and long may it continue.

As for moving away again – I’m not sure we will need to: our family-friendly bungalow will look after us well in our old age, too.

KS, Ipswich

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