FRAMLINGHAM might be a small town in Suffolk, but according to the readers of huntin' and shootin' magazine Country Life, it is one of the top ten places to live in Britain!As someone who went to school in Framlingham for five years in the 1970s, I can see why it would appeal to readers of the upmarket magazine.

By Paul Geater

FRAMLINGHAM might be a small town in Suffolk, but according to the readers of huntin' and shootin' magazine Country Life, it is one of the top ten places to live in Britain!

As someone who went to school in Framlingham for five years in the 1970s, I can see why it would appeal to readers of the upmarket magazine.

It has some fantastic pubs – especially the White Horse and the Castle – and carries on at a steady, undemanding pace.

Framlingham has changed since my schooldays, but as befits somewhere with a medieval castle, a historic church and a large public school, it's still very much the same place as I remember.

The main shops in the town have great names harking back to an earlier age – you won't find Tesco and Sainsbury in Fram (as it's always been known), groceries can be bought at Carley and Webb.

There's no B&Q, but Bridges and Garrard is a fine ironmongers and hardware store.

The biggest revolution in Fram over the last two decades has been the arrival of a Solar Superstore – but that's no out of town behemoth.

It's been cunningly built into the old Potter's Garage (which has moved down the road) and manages to bring modern convenience to the historic town centre.

I've often thought it would be nice to live in Fram again one day – but there is a downside.

It's a long way from the nearest cinema. There's little for young people to do there in the long winter evenings. And it you really have to have a car to get anywhere (not a problem for Country Life readers).

And, of course, you have to be pretty loaded to buy a house there – it's highly desirable so even a two-up two-down cottage will set you back well over £100,000.

Of course, if my lottery numbers come up on Saturday, then I might consider moving back there!

The top 10 best places to live in Britain according to the Country Life quality of life survey are: 1, Alnwick, Northumberland; 2, Midhurst, West Sussex; Joint 3, Fowey, Cornwall and Tetbury, Gloucestershire; 5, Crail, Anstruther, Scotland; 6, Presteigne, Welsh Borders; 7, Fakenham, Norfolk; 8, Richmond, North Yorkshire; 9, Framlingham, Suffolk; 10, Wimborne, Dorset.