I have lived in Cardiff since 1987, much longer than I lived anywhere else. So it is very much "home".
Where are you from originally and what situation took you to where you are now ?
- Thread starter Dave7
- Start date
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I have lived in Cardiff since 1987, much longer than I lived anywhere else. So it is very much "home".
I love those kind of questions. Ones that, to answer honestly, you really have to think deeply about yourself; what's important to you and how you identify. As I mentioned, I was UK born but 'grew up' in New Zealand. For much of my time in NZ I considered myself English, because it was my roots. And it was something that I was often reminded of (by others) because of my accent. Being called a "pom" did kinda reinforce it!
It wasn't until I travelled back to the UK in my early 20s that I realised how much NZ had actually shaped me. I realised I wasn't at all English - whatever that might be. I spent all of a month in my 'home time' of Leicester before heading to London. I hadn't travelled half way around the world to base myself in a place like that (with no disrespects to the city or its inhabitants). Music was important to. As an avid reader of NME, I'd come to the UK to see all those bands I'd only ever read about. It was London or nowhere, that much was a no brainer.
London was excellent, just what I wanted and needed at that time. As a hugely cosmopolitan city, it didn't matter where I was from. Nobody called me a pom! I was an anonymous individual in a city full of the same. The question of where I was was from never arose in my own head even, there was just a freedom. It was only when I went back to visit relatives in Leicester that the walls closed in. I had many flats in London but none was home as such (I simply lived in them) BUT I will always consider London (more generally) to be 'a home' - not that I can afford to live there now!
France, and rural France at that, is my new home and is obviously radically different from London - except for that single aspect of freedom. Whilst I no longer have access to bars and restaurants, theatres and cinemas, etc that London offered, I have retained that sense of uninhibited freedom. (I should add that I've long since retired hence no need to commute, and I have no children). Each day is my own to fill as I see fit. I now see that home for me is pretty much anywhere that fulfils my hedonistic needs at the given time.
To conclude, I'd say 'home' for me is defined for me by how the place I live makes me feel within myself. In short, it's happiness. I can't be happy anywhere, I do have a reliance on any given place offering me something, but I 'm not reliant on identity or family to call a place home. (I added the previously unmentioned 'family' because I know that is hugely important to some people in their definition of home - and I clearly acknowledge and respect that) 'Home is where the heart is' is a simple answer but you have to ask yourself about your own heart.
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As you probably gathered from my earlier posts, I spent the first 19 years in Prescot/Lancashire etc. All my schools days, and the first 4 serious years of cycling were done there.
I moved to Kent with my parents, brother and sisters and over the years we've all grown families and live reasonably close. I've made new friends, joined new cycling clubs, so I feel at home here in Kent. But there is a huge chunk of memories from my early years that I miss.
I moved to Kent with my parents, brother and sisters and over the years we've all grown families and live reasonably close. I've made new friends, joined new cycling clubs, so I feel at home here in Kent. But there is a huge chunk of memories from my early years that I miss.
- Location
- Somewhere wet & hilly in NW England.
That seems very high. Tbh. Doesn't sound right or maybe my ancient recollection is off!
Would make more sense if it was £3000!
However, they used to get this bizzarre payment system for emergency call outs. So, on a Sunday they would get 24 hours pay at double time no matter how long the job took. Bonkers.
Nottingham origin but post degree finding work took me to Harrogate. Wasn't a part of the country totally unknown as relatives prior to that had lived in Wetherby and Scarborough.
Was possibly down to British Rail as returning to the railway station after the interview I found their to be total chaos. A train had broken down en route ftom Leeds but they had one which was meant to be driver training which they made into a Leeds train. I later found out no one else had arrived for an interview.
Was possibly down to British Rail as returning to the railway station after the interview I found their to be total chaos. A train had broken down en route ftom Leeds but they had one which was meant to be driver training which they made into a Leeds train. I later found out no one else had arrived for an interview.
gbb
Squire
- Location
- Peterborough
I mentioned Nottinghamshire up post, I only lived there from around 1970 to 76...and yet always think of it as 'home'
Why ? Because I was a teen there, so it includes your formative years, the times you remember best, the time when you (i) forged meaningful relationships and friendships...so it holds a special place i your heart, even if it was a relatively short time.
Anything before...I dont really remember. We'd have lived in Cornwall, I think N Wales and several airbase around Cambs and Lincs before Notts, I was younger so dont remember or really associate with them.
I also spent a long long time rueing having moved to Peterborough, took us decades to shake off the idea Notts was where we really wanted to be.
mistyoptic
Vintage
- Location
- A parallel reality
Born Sutton Coldfield
Went to uni in Cardiff, then first job in Peterborough, for Co-op. Fell out with them after seven years and moved back to Sutton Coldfield, working for Boots in Birmingham and surrounds.
Divorced. Left Boots and moved to Stafford with new partner where bought my own business. Retired now but still in Stafford
Went to uni in Cardiff, then first job in Peterborough, for Co-op. Fell out with them after seven years and moved back to Sutton Coldfield, working for Boots in Birmingham and surrounds.
Divorced. Left Boots and moved to Stafford with new partner where bought my own business. Retired now but still in Stafford
I lived on the Wirral 21 years and then Warrington for 58 years. This is my hone but I pine for the Wirral. Even Sue, born and bred in Warrington loved the Wirral. Ive lost count ot the houses we went to view over there but Sue was so close to her elderley parents and we had family/grandchildren here.
A young girl i know (her Dad was my best man) is from the Wirral and now lives in Yorkshire. Yesterday she sent me photographs of Thurstaston where she has gone for the day. It brought back such memories.
ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Widnes
Yes - lovely place
There is that massive sandstone rock that I used to climb all over when I was a kid
Then many years later I started taking my dog for a walk around there
the rock had significantly shrunk!!!!
but lovely place
and Hill Bark/Royden Park - my Mum and Dad found that before It was know about and the whole place was full of rhododendrons
It was like that for years until they started telling people that it was open
and over a few years most of the plant disappeared - apparently they don;t like being disturbed all the time or something
but still a lovely place
lots of squirrels that my dog used to protect me from!
TLW1
Senior Member
Born in Manchester in 72 but moved to sandbach at circa 2, then market Drayton at 10 - which I loved but unfortunately lost my younger brother to a cycling accident a couple of years later that unsurprisingly has had an impact on my parents ever since. Met my wife at school and via university etc, we now live just outside Shrewsbury
Both here and market Drayton feel like home
Both here and market Drayton feel like home
N0bodyOfTheGoat
Über Member
- Location
- Hampshire, UK
It's a lovely area, I lived in Heswall and attended Calday Grammar from end of my first year in '86 until end of A-levels in '92, after a few years in Dolgellau and moving a lot between Prestwich and Whitchurch areas. But then I moved to Southampton for uni in autumn '92, not too far from Brighton where I was born before a short time living in Mallorca. Nearly moved back to Wirral in '96, but changed my mind, because Southampton had far more accessible nightlife rather than having to get across to Bromborough in Wirral. Then met my better half in 2004, who has lived in Southampton all her life and been here ever since. Mum moved from Birkenhead to Prestatyn when she retired, so not been back to Wirral for ~8 years now, but where she lives now is a great area for cycling if you like rampy hills including Hillside that has 33% signs on the road summit.
I agree, it's a lovely area.
ebiker did similar to you ie born and went to high school..... Heswall I think, then moved to north Wales .
