Aged 54 my life changed; I moved from the town of my birth, Bury St Edmunds, the place that I had always lived, to Norwich. I love Bury St Edmunds but I don’t plan to return to living there if I can help it.
Whenever I hear Gates to the Garden by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds I am reminded of my home town. I remember the first time I heard the track. I didn’t know what the song was about. But as soon as I heard it I thought, “Bloody hell it’s a song about Bury St Edmunds”, and indeed on looking at the lyrics it sure is.
For me its one of those songs that brings a lump to my throat. I have a love/hate relationship with my home town. I miss it terribly but in the end I couldn’t wait to get away from it. Now, within reason, I think I could live in most places in the UK.