Things seemed more community-based years ago. A lot more people used to brush their paths and wash their steps – even up until the last few years people would do their steps and you’d be able to have a little chat. Years ago there used to be church halls, so many church bingos. But all the church halls have been knocked down so there’s no community for all of the older ones now.

It might be because there’s a lot more people that have come into the area that I wouldn’t say were permanent. They seem to put people in my immediate area that do have quite a lot of problems. Sometimes the street is in such a mess I feel ashamed living here. Deep down people would come to the area and say ‘oh my god look looks rough round here’. But the people are lovely. One time there was trouble in the street and the police came and one said ‘they’re all no hopers round here, they’re all no hopers’.

Maybe I’ve used the wrong word saying I feel ashamed. Because I’m not ashamed of coming from where I’ve come from all me life, and it’s better for me because I’m not a posh nob and I don’t try to be one.

I think people could be having too much turmoil in their own head and within their own house to even care about the outside.