My brother John Sproson and I came to the Stiperstones in September 1968, the day a horse called Stiperstones won at 20/1 and we didn’t back it.

John has remained here ever since, always running his shop but also doing stints as landlord, chef, postmaster, and running other village shops.

I have left and returned to get a couple of degrees, teach at all levels from infants to further education, travel from Norway to Sicily and now try and keep the garden’s, and the recycling in order.

We have always liked to think of ourselves as athletes although the results pages of road running, orienteering, tri-athlons, fell running and mountain marathons may not back this up. And now with a combined age of over 150 we can still be seen in faded lycra cycling or shuffling across the hills.