This was the second house hubby and I bought and by far the best in my view. It was a bungalow set in half an acre in the village of Binfield (since swallowed up by and referred to as Bracknell)

We bought it for £68,000 in May 1985 – a real ‘snip’ as it desperately needed updating. There was practically nothing in the kitchen. Going through the door from the hallway there was a piece of worktop – triangular in shape! The other end of which was in front of a larder. Working round to the next wall was a double-drainer sink and then the back door. Next to that was the door to the dining room and an empty wall. Going round from that wall was an old-fashioned wood-burner type stove that was rather stuck out in the room and a cupboard the length of the remaining piece of wall with floor to ceiling sliding doors!

We pushed the boat out, so to speak, and had a luxury kitchen fitted (See Pics) and decorated the rest of the bungalow.

We bought the place because I fell in love with it at first sight but hubby was more than happy to buy it because it was next door to Sunbreeze kennels who were dog food stockists and greyhound trainers …. and my hubby had had three greyhounds with them for a couple of years. Sunday mornings, when owners came to walk their dogs, my hubby brought his round to the front door and they had a treat of ham from me. And, surprisingly, they never went to chase our cats and the cats didn’t seem to mind these big dogs pitching up each week.

The front garden had a crescent shaped In/Out drive with a hardstanding at one side of the bungalow for two more cars and the back garden was huge! With a variety of tree’s, a flower bed along the length to one side and the other backed on to a field our five cats were in Heaven.

So many people – relatives, friends, acquaintances and tradespeople – all remarked on what a beautiful property it was but I see it has been sold now to developers and they have extended it beyond recognition. Yes, I agree with the loft conversion (it was such a large loft) because I had plans to do that if we’d not sold up for an adventure abroad but as for the rest of it – well’ the word ‘corporate’ comes to mind and it’s lost all it’s charm.

As a friend of mine said recently ‘Well at least you were there for the best of it’. How true.