Marsland Road

This is a road I used to live on from October 2000-August 2003 and is the road which Walkden Gardens or the Maze gardens are.  The flat we lived in for 5 and a half years before moving to Marsland Road was in a lovely area but was itself not maintained.  It had no heating at all when we moved into it in May 1995 which was ok because that summer was a heat wave.  The winter was pretty cold and the lack of heating was very hard.  There was no central heating or fire of any description.  We used to cuddle our cats for warmth or switch on our small Baby Belling cooker (with two electric hob rings!) for warmth occasionally.  I got quite ill with flu which was bad enough to have to call the doctor out and I think the lack of heating was what made me so ill.  We finally got a fire when one was donated to us by our inlaws in the spring (yes the landlord didn't mind installing a fire if we got one for them to install first).  Moving to Marsland Road was complete luxury.  We had central heating which came on before we got up in the morning (never had that at all until Marsland Road), we were in a good sized Victorian house with a lovely long garden and best of all, it didn't have any damp or rot.  In our flat previous to our removal to Marsland Road, the damp was very bad.  One time I walked into our bathroom and my foot disappeared through the floor leaving a large hole, which the landlord patched up a few weeks later. 

Marsland Road, fine line pen drawing and coloured pencil, A5 (2015)

Marsland Road was an optimistic time where I was able to get on with my studies (MA and PGCE) and finally start my teaching career.  I still get a nice feeling when I go back around the area.