We had lived in our old house on the cliff top at Roedean for more than 30 years and it has been sad business moving.

But we are now in Hove (actually) and we will have to see how we get on.

It has been a traumatic few days. Nothing seemed to fit.

But our new-found friend Bob, from Bishops Move, and his team have been splendid and we were almost sorry to say goodbye to them.

The Bishops Move group is an interesting firm. Its yellow pantechnicons with the bishop chess piece logo are a familiar sight in Brighton and Hove, where it has offices opposite Preston Park.

It is a family business that started in 1854 in the time of the horse and cart. The present directors are the fifth generation to run the business and they can be proud of their company's success. Nationwide, Bishops employs 350 staff and operates more than 120 vehicles.

In the early Sixties, the chairman of Bishops Move did me a good turn. Young and brash, I did not appreciate the extent of his help. I was negotiating for the lease of an old farm building, surplus to Bishops' requirements. My offer was accepted but then the estate agent told me: "We have an offer from a national company, so we can't help you." "Why?" I responded. "I was first." "Their references are better than yours," I was told.

I wrote to Bishops' chairman.

Three days later, my offer was accepted. It's to my shame that I never thanked the company.

I have another reason to thank Bishops. The most splendid blackberry bushes grew around the old farm building. But, over the entrance grew an old vine that produced sweet, edible grapes. It was an old English variety, a Wrotham Pinot. I became interested and, as a result, planted an vineyard. It was never a money-maker but in a good year produced some fine wine.

For our move, my wife collected three estimates.

There was a huge variation in price but Bishops'

estimate was in the middle and seemed to represent the best value for money. And then we saw in The Argus a picture of Bishops' Brighton manager sky-diving. She was manager the month and this was her prize - Sadie Jane flying high.

We had made the right choice.

All the removal companies stated they didn't employ young people or untrained staff. In the Bishops' team was one young man who worked well and extremely hard. He was a nice lad.

"How long have you worked for Bishops?" I asked. Three weeks was the reply. "Before that, I was at the YMCA."