I grew up on one of the roughest estates in Leeds, Drugs Alcohol and constant fighting, Crime was at a all time high and all done in plain sight, people climbing though their neighbours windows and robbing their house middle of the day and then going door to door selling what they have just stolen to pay for their drugs, looking back now i laugh becuase that takes a huge set of go-nads. Me, My two brother and Mum and Her Partner and his 3 kids all under one roof living in a four bedroom house, Yes my mums parnter not my dad but i called him dad for as long as i can remember. Your probably wondering where did dad go? well he left my mum and moved away…Next door. YES he moved right next door to us with his new partner which actually was my mums partners sister, take about keeping things in the family. Anyhow my dad lived his life and had another 2 kids with the neighbour, at a young age been able to see your dad and watch him raise your two little half brother but not raise you was heart breaking and tough, a small edge between the house is what seperated us yet as a child i couldnt of felt further away from my dad.
Living in a four bedroom house with so many people in it you would think we would all be close and tight knit but it was the complete opposite, arguments over everything and anything, having to go to school and play out in hand me downs or clothes from the local charity shop or car boot sales and finding out your mum bought your best friends old clothes for you to wear! Now im not giving my mum a fair shout she had three of her own kids to raise plus 2 more from the new relationship which were both older than us and both girls, so three boys and two girls in a small house is tough on its own, she did a great job at keeping me alive but sadly we lost the value of relationships.
The roughest council estate in leeds – what a statement to make, yet im confident it was more like the roughest council estate in England. Leaving your front door stuck fear into your heart as you just didnt know if some local druggy was outside and going to beat you up, or if the local bullies were waiting for you to steal your shoes, yes they would punch you kick you black and blue just to take your second hand shoes, on that note i remember when my mum bought me my first ever skate board, i was so happy a brand new skate board not second hand new and its all mine, i went onto the street to play and show my friends, within 5 minutes it was stolen by the neigbours that lived 5-6 houses away, crying i ran into my house and told my mum and she was so mad, she stormed out of the house dragging me along to their house to demand the skate board back, mum confronting another mum and saying what had just happened all while the theif stood their holding my brand new board, his mum says NO i bought him that today and i have the recipt, well turns out she didnt but the threats of smashing all our windows was payment enough for me to lose the board.
Welcome to the Broadleas in the late 80s to early 90s
A journey though the life of an council estate raised kid! My earliest memories of my childgood was walking outside early morning to get to school early to play football with friends and as i pass my garden gate and look down the street to see who and what is about before i start my five minute walk i see a car on its roof spinning on fire, this was actually quiet the norm in the area i grew up in. One of the first things i learnt as a child was i have two options in life run or fight! and as a middle child wanting to protect my eldest brother and my younger brother i subconsciously picked fight. Learning how to throw a decent punch was way more important growing up on a couil estate than knowing maths and English.
We pass though the years and tramu that awaits me and see how my lifes shapes into the man i have become and at what price i paid to free myself from the shackles of drugs and prison
My Mind And Me 