Sylvia
and Len Robinson live
at The Old Inn, formerly
The Red Lion, at Lt. Thurlow
Green. They came to Thurlow
15 years ago and very
soon got involved in village
life. Sylvia joined the
Women's Institute and
her main interest within
that is music and drama.
Sylvia has been Suffolk
West's Chairman (a term
of three years) and is
currently president of
Thurlow W.I., a job she
has done for several years.
She also enjoys singing
in the church choir, travelling
and walking the dog.
Len
is currently chairman
of Lt. Thurlow Parish
Council, is Church Warden
and Treasurer of St. Peters,
Lt. Thurlow, and has for
many years helped to organise
Thurlow Fayre. He plays
carpet bowls and likes
watching football and
cricket.
Len
and Sylvia have traced
the history of The Old
Inn back to the early
1700s. It began as an
ale house and in mid-1800
Rebecca Webb, licensee
at the time, was granted
a spirits licence. Next
door to the pub was a
slaughter-house. The pub
also served the people
of Lt. Bradley, a footpath
from there coming right
to the front entrance.
During
the war when Stradishall
aerodrome was in use The
Red Lion was a very busy
place with all the RAF
personnel visiting. Apparently
the airmen wrote their
names on the
cellar ceiling, but all
trace of that was gone
when Sylvia and Len arrived.
The
pub closed in 1967 and
the house was modernised!
When Sylvia and Len arrived
in 1980 they quickly got
rid of the hardboard and
exposed all the beams
studs. They found
a small book belonging
to Susannah Webb who lived
there in 1800 and various
other small items lost
in the past between floorboards.
The
main change they have
seen is Lt. Thurlow Hall
being occupied
for years there were only
Mr. and Mrs. Chorley as
caretakers.