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16 years or so ago we were living in a 1-bedroom flat in Greenwich, with a tiny baby and no parenting experience. This weekend for the first time in 15 years we went back to Greenwich for the first time - now with 2 girls and some parenting miles on the clock.
Greenwich is a special place for us, and appropriately given its chronological connections, a good place to think about the passage of time. It’s the place Emma and I met, where we both made lasting friendships and in 2009 where Violet was born. All in all I spent more than 10 years living there - so heading back to the market square and the winding streets around the park was an emotional experience.
In many ways Greenwich has changed quite a lot, it’s smarter, more affluent and a little more polished than when we left. But many things haven’t changed. So frustratingly for the girls, nearly every shop front and pub sparked a reminiscence about a fondly remembered night out or formative event.
Emma and I both lodged with ‘civilians’ whilst at university - an experience that today’s students probably rarely get to experience. Whist the house rules often felt constraining it did have the huge benefit of embedding us in the community and helping to give us to develop a deep affection beyond the student bubble. But in many ways we were also remembering a slightly simpler time - before the ubiquity of smart phones, and when for me at least work was simpler, my commute was a 20 minute bike ride and the biggest responsibility I had was remembering to wash my cricket gear before the next weekend.
The arrival of Violet on a stormy November evening changed my focus and professional motivations - and started us on the roller coaster adventure of being family. An adventure that we continue to figure out as we go. Like many British adventurers, our journey started out from Greenwich. Hopefully we will return a little more frequently in future.