People often ask, where are you from? And I never know what to say. “Long story,” I say. I usually follow that with, “I lived in Thetford in Norfolk (UK) for a number of years.” Being “from” Thetford is sort of embarrassing, especially as no-one knows where it is, usually. So then it was often “Norwich”, the nearest big city, where I also lived for sometime. Norwich is also a bit embarrassing. However, when I was abroad it was more simple to say London, where I have also lived.
The reason it is complicated is I wasn’t born in Thetford. I was born in Nottingham. However, that is also a problem as I left there when I was less than 1 year old. I then went to live in Whittlesey until I was five (above my grandparent’s shop). Then to Thetford. I then spent years trying to get away from Thetford. Norwich being the first stop. Well, actually, India was the first stop in the Thetford extracting. Anjuna in Goa. I was there for six months, then London, then Goa again for six months. Then Norwich.
So I sort of got stuck in Norwich again in 1999. More, I got a decent job there in printing. I lived in Thetford, Diss and Norwich in that time. 11 years. I was desperate to escape and I did in 2011. I went to Ecuador to save the planet. Then I went to India and Indonesia to save the planet. Then I went back to the UK to save myself (note: the planet it just fine as it is). London again featured for three years.
I now live in the Scottish Highlands in an old church, been here since 2018.
Here is a website about the shop: JM&EGunn
