A Moving Story

I live on Chatham High St and as I was walking back from training the other night I was struck by a thought. It was either that or some mild concussion had made me think of things that in a different way. See, the Medway Towns, where I live comprise of 45 principle towns, Chatham, Rochester, Gillingham, Strood and Brompton. For the most part it’s a working class city with all the attendant problems.

~However there are pockets of nice areas, of places that gladden and enrich the soul. As I meandered along the 3 n half mile walk, I thought upon how my favourite part of Medway, namely historic Rochester gives way to Chatham. The road I walk is a more or less straight one and Rochester High St changes into Chatham High St almost without one noticing. However, if you pay closer attention you can notice the gradual increase in the shabbiness of the buildings as you pass Rochester train station. You can almost taste the seediness in the air. By the time I get to my end of town, and I live in the penultimate building on Chatham high St, so I really am down amongst the dregs, then you almost ascribe a graph like drop in the quality of the area.

To give a few examples of what my end of town is like, I have opened the street door to find someone defecating the doorway on more than one occasion now. When I walk Milly, I have to keep one eye on the pavement as dirty syringes litter the sidewalk. It’s an unusual day when a beggar does not approach you for cash. As I write this post on a Friday night, I can hear police sirens screaming by. I have to dodge all the bodily fluids left on the road when out. In the last 2 months 5 people have been murdered in a 500 yard radius and for all this I pay £495 a month. it’s not that I don’t like the flat I live in, it’s a nice and big apartment however it is in a really shitty area.

I have joined a Credit Union with the idea of saving and taking out a loan in around a year for a kick arse holiday. However I have decided to save for a little longer and take a bigger loan in order to move out and head to my Rochester High St. How can you beat waking up to the peals of the bells of Rochester Cathedral or being able to wander into the grounds of the castle and plonking yourself down to read your paper?