Samuel Johnson once uttered the oft-repeated line “when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”.

Well, our county disproves that theory. It proves he simply hasn’t lived in Kent yet.

Because the county is proving as attractive to folk in the capital as a jam sandwich to a wasp at a summer picnic.

But it has created a ‘them and us’ approach to anyone from London daring to want to move here – as if the county is ‘owned’ by those of us who are born and bred here. Brace yourselves, we don’t.

Down from London folk – or DfLs as we like to label them – are not the devil incarnate. More often than not, they are simply looking to live somewhere nicer than the busy, congested, concrete jungle that is our capital. And who can blame them? We shouldn’t resent them for discovering that we are fortunate enough to live somewhere nice.

I was speaking to a chap in Thanet the other day who always struck me as the epitome of ‘a local’ – the sort with the isle’s undiluted blood coursing through his veins; Kentish through and through. Or so I thought.

We were discussing DfLs and the pros and cons when he revealed he, himself, was originally ‘Down from London’ and only arrived when his parents moved here when he was a child.

He then proceeded to point out a who’s who of key people in the district – all of whom, again, you would assume had deep roots in the district – and all who had been born in the capital and then migrated out here. Second generation DfLs, if you like.

They would grow up here. They still live here, champion the area, run successful businesses and create bucketloads of jobs.

No one would doubt their credentials today. What’s more, they know the benefits of DfLs coming down here – wanting to invest, wanting to engage in their local communities.

They should be welcomed, not made to feel as popular as Gregg Wallace judging a beauty contest.

Whitstable, Folkestone, Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs, Hythe, Sandwich – as train journey times have shortened over the years, so those living in a London borough can justify moving to these places and commute into their well-paid jobs in the Big Smoke. We, as a county, then benefit from them spending here.

What would we prefer? Our seaside towns just rotting away? They are, after all, the towns made rich in the early to mid-20th century courtesy of a tourist trade emanating from London and then slumping when the holiday trade went elsewhere.

Then there are places like Tunbridge Wells – awash with DfLs, but we don’t mention that, because it’s already perceived as wealthy. But if they head to a sleepy seaside town we get on our high horse.

Now, don’t get me wrong, if all they do is buy up property as second homes or Airbnbs and they then stand empty for half the year while driving up house prices in the process, that’s not engaging in the community. That is abusing your host county. But the bulk don’t.

Most just want to enjoy what we’ve enjoyed for years. And if they bring money with them to invest, well, what’s the harm in that?

Yes, becoming popular makes house prices rise. Especially as we have a well-documented shortage of housing stock. That’s the supply and demand mechanic playing out before your eyes.

Yet the same people in these seaside towns resent new homes being built too which would ease the issue.

But that’s a topic for another day.