It hardly seems like 13 years since Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen flounced on to our TV screens as part of the regular design team on Changing Rooms.

His latest TV outing, To The Manor Bowen, documented Laurence, wife Jackie and daughters Cecile, 12, and Hermione, 9, leaving London for a new life in the countryside.

They not only moved the family but also their business which, in addition to various TV shows, includes a range of designer products.

According to Laurence, things could not be better since the move, with everyone now well settled into their new way of living.

"I guess it's pretty much a case of happy birthday to us in the Cotswolds," he said. "It has been amazing to see everything go full circle right through the seasons. That was part of wanting to get out of London too.

"It was one of the things we wanted from moving into the country - making sense of how things change during the year. There's nothing worse than London on a wet, grey January morning.

"But here in the country, that wet grey January morning comes with the sight of snowdrops, a cosy snug in the local pub and a roaring fire at home. In lifestyle terms, it's a vast difference.

"We have not retired to the country by any means but we have relocated and our life is in Cirencester now.

"The pace of life is different but that's not what instantly strikes you. It's the attitude of the people and the sense of community. People here are interested in having a conversation in a nice way.

"I wanted my children to grow up in an environment where people know them and would look out for them. Something happening to a child can go ignored in the city but that's not the case, I like to believe, in the Cotswolds.

"And that is the reason why we are happy to get involved with charities and doing more than our fair share of ribbon cutting. We've probably notched up more fetes in this year than during the rest of our careers.

"The girls are both really outdoorsy, and they are very much settled here.

"Because of where our house is and because we have a big garden, it has become a bit of a social hub."

The new lifestyle is something the Llewelyn-Bowens do not take for granted and in return for the welcome they have received, they are happy to repay the community they've joined.

In recent weeks, Laurence and Jackie have put their names to the campaign against the closure of Post Offices in Cirencester, the nearest town to the family's 17th Century home in Siddington - and are not afraid of speaking out against the policies which have led to the proposed closures.

"At the moment, Siddington Post Office is not earmarked for closure, but Jackie and I got involved in response to the fact that everybody was saying this is awful'.

11:49am Thursday 27th March 2008

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