Thirteen years, one month – that’s how long I was at Marley Terrace. That’s the second-longest I’ve spent anywhere (to the 15 years and 7 months spent growing up in the family home). Add in the 5 years and 8 months I spent with Tracy at Woodlea Place and that’s the most I’ve spent in any one locality – going on for a third of my life.
What on Earth went wrong?
What I’ll miss about Beeston…
The Chippie. Nice people, and they also do spam fritters.
The views. Being on the top of Beeston Hill you get some great views across west Leeds from the field at the end of my road, or across the city centre valley from the Beeston Road / Cemetery Road / Tempest Road junction (especially from the top deck of the bus when pulled up at the lights).
Elland Road. Knowing who had scored by the sounds coming up from the football ground was fun. Weird during live games though; you’d hear the roar a full five seconds before the goal happened on TV.
… and what I won’t miss
Dog shit. What is it with these illiterate dogs not understanding the perfectly good notices?
Cars parking on pavements. They narrow the space available for prams, pushchairs and wheelchairs and inevitably push you towards the aforementioned dog shit.
Motorbikes. Nothing against them per se, but some people did confuse Beeston with Donnington.
Drug dealers. It’s so blatant, because they know they can get away with it.
Bendy buses. Why do we get them? Because First says that the students like them (I bet they don’t) and as we’re on a route that carries on past the Universities we’re stuck with them, even though they’re 14 years old and as noisy as it gets.
Bin yards. Mainly because, with the large number of people renting, hardly anyone looks after them.
Now, I’m not saying that the middle of Leeds will be all sweetness and light (it took me a week to find the bin store for this place), but as I write there’s two swans and three ducks in the river. A bit of an improvement to the former view from my window.
* I’ll still have to go there once in a white, for a haircut. And the chippie.