One of the other things I'd like to say is how upset I was when the family dog Scruffy had to unfortunately be put down.

We first got her in 1994, when we were living in Hitchin. I remember at the time being all stroppy about being "forced" to walk the dog when I'd rather be playing computer games. But as I grew up and matured I realised what a special animal she really was.

She was a Berger de Picardie breed and everyone loved her. I have numerous memories of randoms walking up and asking what mix she was. When this happens in somewhere that attracts posh snobs it's fantastic to be able to say actually she's a pure breed from the Picardy region in France.

Scruffy was always good fun and when we moved to Southwold, despite massive problems she had with allergies and her skin, she was invariably happy. You could tell that running along the beach and sitting, watching the world go by at the beach hut, were her favourite things in the world.

But over the past months she developed a cancerous lump in her leg. It was successfully operated on with a fantastic recovery, despite her age of 13 human years. However it quickly transpired that we had caught the problem too late.

She began to have severe visible problems with things like jumping on to my parents bed every morning, or getting into the car and she was walking in to walls and sitting staring into nothingness as she fitted. Thankfully these symptoms were short lived.

Last Thursday she deteroriated badly and my parents made the heart crushing decision to call the vet and say it was time to end her life. At the vetinary surgery as Scruffy was put down even her vet James was in tears.

I went to up to Southwold last weekend to see my parents and we all went down to the beach hut to place a plaque where she spent many hours laying and observing the world.

Scruffy could not have had a more beautiful end to her life, though. In the last few weeks she had forgotten how to kiss (she always used to lick your nose if you asked her for a kiss) but just seconds before she closed her eyes for the last time she gave my Mum three kisses as if to say she was ready.

Thank you Scruffy, you brought many smiles and happiness to so many people, least of all your family. Rest in peace.