I was born in Newmarket – actually in Newmarket hospital in the days when it still had a maternity ward – and I've lived here ever since.
I loved growing up in Newmarket, from what I can remember. Everybody who lived in Newmarket all went to the same secondary school, so we all grew up and hung out together which was so nice. It's the same today; my sister's children are at the same primary school where my siblings and I went, and my daughter and nephew are at the same secondary school that we went to.
I have some great memories of the town. When we were growing up, my younger sister and I used to go to work with our dad. He always worked in the horse racing industry. We would help get the feed ready for the horses and make sure they all had fresh water. We really enjoyed going to the yard every weekend.
When I was older and at secondary school – and not wanting to go to work with my dad – I used to meet up with friends. We always had a big group of friends who lived close and we all went to the same middle and upper schools. We used to camp out in each other's gardens.
I really love living in Newmarket; everybody knows each other which is good. It isn’t a very big town so you can get around easily – unless you're stuck behind horses at the various horse crossings, making their way to and from training and the yards.
After a happy time growing up here I've also raised a family here. My husband and I have two children; our daughter is 12 and son is 10, so most of our time is spent working during the week and ferrying children around to football matches at the weekend.
How has Newmarket changed over the years? I actually don't think the town has changed much – the only thing would be shops shutting down. We used to have a lovely market on a Tuesday and Saturday, but that's getting smaller and smaller as the weeks go by. Lots of new housing developments are being built within Newmarket.
I have great affection for Newmarket because it's where I grew up, and even more so now as I can watch my children growing up in the same place that I did. My mum and her family all moved to Newmarket 44 years ago from London, so we have a big, very close family who have all settled here.
Newmarket is a great place for families to visit and spend some time. There's all of the history of the town and horseracing at the National Horse Racing Museum, and the excitement of Newmarket Nights on Fridays through the summer, when different bands – some really big names – perform.
One of my favourite things to do is the race meetings. I really enjoy the Guineas Festival and can’t wait for Ladies Day this year. The Newmarket Nights are always a hit, and now my daughter's getting older she'll enjoy these evenings with us. I made sure we had tickets to take her to see JLS after racing at the end of June.
Family race meetings during the summer are great days – picnics, bouncy castles, music, horses and Pimms. What more could you want on a summers day?The National Horseracing Museum organises family events throughout the year. Easter, Halloween and Christmas are some of the best times in Newmarket.
Can I sum it up in three words? Historic, lively, scenic.
