Cultureshock

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Video transcript

Did you ever have a place as a child that spooked you? The attic of my old family home used to spook me.

This is the home where I grew up - where I spent the first 23 years of my life.

I only used to go to the attic if I had to  - even then I would walk up the stairs and run back down again. Once I went up to one of the bedrooms, opened the door and a bird flew straight at me from eves of the house. I got the shock of my life and  I didn't venture up there for many years.

But the rest of the house had a great atmosphere - filled with people, laughter, noise, and chatting.  A second home to many - my friends, my brothers and sisters friends and anyone else who needed a bed in Newcastle for the night, week, month or even years!

The house was a venue for many parties - from a young  age I had all my children's parties there - picnics in the garden - party games in the living room and the family would come round each year for Christmas dinner.

Looking back its hard to believe that when I was young I was so scared of the attic as I spent most of my time as a teenager hanging out there with friends. On a friday night the door bell would ring repeatedly 'just go up' my mam would say to a random teenager, who would clump up the stairs. loud music filled the Attic. - We all had a great time sky diving off the slide like window sill- putting fists through the ceiling! The colour of the bathroom carpet changed each week with the colour of my hair dye.

It was a Saturday morning when the disaster happened. I was doing an excercise video in the dining room with a couple of friends when we heard a massive crash. We opened the door and were covered in a shower of dust and plaster. I found my mam in the kitchen ironing  'Is that the landing ceiling falling down Anne,' she said calmly and returned to her ironing. Years of my friends clumping up and down the stairs had gradually loosened all of the plaster. 

I still don't know how she put up with me and my mates, all our noise and mess - I suppose I have this all to come with my son.

Now we've all grown up - have moved out - moved back in again - then moved back out - started our own families - we're packing years of belongings into boxes ready to move on -it's time to pass on the house to another family -  who can hopefully have some great times, parties and create more memories. And I hope they enjoy this house as much as we have.