This issue’s Featured Family is a young couple, Naomi Jones and Will Hudson. Will, from Barrow on Soar, met Naomi from south London in Aberystwyth. Both went to Aberystwyth University and found themselves placed in shared university accommodation for their first year. Naomi studied biology and Will studied criminology. They got on together so well, they ended up spending all three years living together and, other than living apart for a short time during their postgraduate studies, have been together ever since.

After Aberystwyth, Will moved back to Barrow whilst studying for his master’s degree in terrorism, security and policing at Leicester University. Naomi chose to study biodiversity and conservation at Nottingham Trent University because it was a good course and because it was close to Barrow. Both now work at Loughborough University.

Their first home together in Barrow was a rented flat on Chestnut Place and they jumped at the chance of buying a house on Warner Street when it became vacant. Both Naomi and Will think Warner Street must be one of the best streets in Barrow in which to live. They hadn’t met their neighbours while living in their flat, but the moment they moved into their house, neighbours knocked on their door welcoming them to the community. They moved in during lockdown last year shortly before Christmas and were invited to join in the street’s carolling session.

This community spirit was new to Naomi, but Will knows all about the hospitality of Barrow and he loved growing up here. His family has been in the village for four generations now. His great-grandfather moved here to take the job of head gardener at Prestwold Hall. There’s also, Will told me, a Hudson family tradition of working at The Hunting Lodge which he joined when he was younger, working behind the bar.

Nowadays, they are working on doing up their house and garden. Naomi is trying to bring a degree of organised wildness to the garden and is looking forward to growing vegetables. Will plays 6-aside football and Naomi used to do yoga until the sessions stopped because of lockdown. They love Barrow which they say has a bit of everything – particularly the range of good pubs which they enjoy visiting regularly!

Karisa Krcmar