Living in a £1 house
Lydia Fazakerley is a student at Edge Hill University and has spent the past four weeks gaining first hand experience in the Communications and Marketing Team. Lydia has told us what it’s like to live in a £1 house, one of Liverpool City Council’s innovative housing schemes.
I haven’t lived in Anfield for long, 18 months or so. I moved in with my boyfriend, who has lived in Anfield all his life. He actually took part in the amazing £1 house scheme and was successful! You find that people tend to say areas like Anfield and Everton are a bit rough, but all areas are rough if you look hard enough.
I’ve found that living in Anfield is second to non.
Our neighbours are the kindest people, who look out for one another, whether it be taking in parcels, sending Christmas cards or knocking to tell you the gossip from the next street. I mean, even our postman knows us all by name (and you can imagine how many names he sees on the post every day!)
With my boyfriend being part of the £1 house scheme, we are very close to his parents and his sister, who also managed to bag a £1 house! Our next-door neighbours’ son lives down our street on the same scheme, it is really one big family!
The council’s bid for the £1 house scheme to create communities has worked, exceptionally well.
There is constant work being done to improve the area, at the end of my street in particular. Blessington Road’s derelict houses have recently been demolished and now they’re being turned into paved walkways with trees and bollards to stop cars driving onto the land. The residents who live in the end-houses have also gained a driveway, which is great when you live in between two massive football stadiums and parking is a nightmare on match days!! Parking is one of the nuisances of living in the area, but at least it’s taught me how to parallel park!
Stanley Park, literally seconds away, is our little dog’s stomping ground.
It is such a well-kept, picturesque park. I don’t think I’ve ever been to the park and not seen the gardeners there.
When you’re stood in the middle of the park you can see Goodison, turn around in the same spot and you see Anfield. Also, the food in Kemps Bistro in the Isla Gladstone is lovely! As well as Stanley Park, Walton Hall Park and Croxteth Hall Park are not far at all and are just as nice! I don’t think people realise that there are other parks apart from Sefton Park.
All in all, living in Anfield is great.
I’ve been welcomed into the community with open arms.
Being able to see the growth of the area under my nose is wonderful and I can’t see myself moving from here anytime soon!
