The street where I grew up: Rugby star Ben Cohen shares memories of his childhood in Northampton

I grew up on Greenhills Road, White Hills, Kingsthorpe – the road that leads all the way down to Birchbarn way.

I had some great times growing up on that road throughout the early 1980s. We were a close-knit family, my mother, father, brother Justin – who is five years older than me and my sister Sam who is seven years older.

We lived firstly in a semi-detached house and then moved to a detached house in the same road.

Around Greenhills Road there were loads of wooded areas boarded by wild hedgerows near Springhill park.

Back then, we were always playing outside – life was more of an outdoor adventure - very different to today.

My brother and sister used to have the same group of friends and I mainly tagged along – I was that annoying little brother!

We had some great times growing up – riding our BMX and motocross bikes in the woods and by the lakes, and playing football.

We also used to go scrumping - creeping into our neighbours’ gardens collecting apples off the trees.

Our lives spilled out into the Northampton town centre too.

My dad ran a car park behind the Grand Hotel in Gold Street, where I met so many different characters.

We had an Alsatian dog – an ex police dog. Once, when Michael Jones the jewellers on the corner of Wellingborough Road, was robbed, the thieves ran down Kingswell Street past the car park and my dog caught him - he was rewarded with a massive bone.

I started getting interested in rugby when I was 12 or 13 purely by accident. When I went to Kingsthorpe Middle School, rugby wasn’t on the curriculum. It was an add-on and we only used to play on a Saturday.

I had been placed in the wrong year at school - I had been put in the year above due to a mix up of my date of birth.

I went to Kingsthorpe Upper School a year early and finished a year early as well. As a student there, I saw an advertisement for the Old Scouts Rugby Ground in Rushmere Road, went there with my dad, played one game and we started going together.

Just before my 18th birthday I started played rugby professionally for Northampton Saints. Little did I know then I was going on to play for England in the world cup.

I loved my childhood – I had a very loving family.

Looking back the 80s were an incredible decade – carefree, outdoors, free from the grasp of social media characterised by the 90s and 2000s.

Fact file: Ben began his professional rugby career with Northampton Saints. He made a total of 57 appearances for England and was one of the top try scorers of England of all time.

At the time of his retirement, Cohen was third in the list of all time England try scorers behind Rory Underwood and Will Greenwood .

Ben was a contestant on BBC Strictly Come Dancing.

He founded anti-bullying foundation, Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation.

He is the co-founder of fitness and wellbeing centre Soo Yoga with his partner Kristina Rihanoff.