I was born in Hemel Hempstead, most of which is a post-war New Town, full of box houses built within communities surrounding shopping precincts.

At the heart of the town is a beautiful old town, dating back centuries, named in the Doomsday Book as Hamelametede, owned by Count of Mortain.

According to Open Doomsday: “It had a recorded population of 23 households in 1086, putting it in the largest 40% of settlements recorded in Domesday.”

The Old Town is my favourite part of Hemel Hempstead, it is the destination of my regular walks with my baby when trying to get him to go to sleep.