Wavertree Botanic Gardens [this is where I'm from]

"I was a resident at Damien John Kelly House for about 3 years in Wavertree. So part of Wavertree's role in my time there, was it being so close to where I grown up, um, I didn't realise until I came to DJK how close it was. So I’m originally from Toxteth, Lodge Lane, quite close by, and even in the first couple of weeks realising the “oh, this is where, this is where I'm from”, had an effect.

I’d moved about, always in Liverpool, but, em, never near where I was from, so Crosby was where spent most of my time. And, I suppose, I don't know if this is because of Wavertree or anything to do with Wavertree, but the experience that I had was, feeling like I was a member of the community of Wavertree, and what I mean by that is, um, I was very friendly with passerbys in the street, I frequented the local shops regularly – either alone or with other residents – to the point that I felt like really cordial with with those people. Um, you know, just going to the shop was sort of a new thing to be doing sober, um, returning, getting to know shopkeepers, that kind of thing.

Another thing about living in Wavertree, uhm, was how boss it was to to just walk around without like a much of a plan in mind, so we do a lot of these like photo walks or we'd be walking from like one place to another, and the Botanical Gardens is an example, or Wavertree Park, the Mystery park, so we’d be going up and down the main street quite a bit, and going around the back streets, and it was the back streets that were really enjoyed. It kind of woke up this, this love of just mooching about. And taking in the surroundings, and for me Wavertree has a lot to offer in that regard, um, we went on a history walk once, and a fella, I forget his name, took us around the area and pointed out loads of historic buildings, and told us a little bit about the history, and that really added to it. You know, just walking around, looking at, looking at all the decay, looking at all the old and the new.

Another thing that I really found positive about the area, and being in the area, was the diversity of people. So everything from like social diversity, age, gender, race, religion. It was… like walking out in the street, I felt like completely swept up in the hustle and bustle of the area.

It's like it always seemed busy, even though there wasn't really anything going on, um, and I think that really helped regulate me. You know, as someone who's been severely isolated for most of my life, absolutely bricking it at the prospect of stepping outside in case anyone sees me, um, I felt like it was, it really got that out of me, to be stepping out - people there, going anywhere - people there, so always engaging with people even when I didn't realise I was." (Transcript)