A window into LandWorks

Troy says: “I have been working with Graham, I’ve been doing quite a lot of carpentry and stuff like that, yeah it’s been interesting, it’s work that suits me to be fair, being out and practical, and stuff, they’re pretty simple to make as well, it’s all pretty simple, you don’t realise, it’s just getting the bits and putting them together right…

The first time I went to jail was for 5 and a half months, and then the other time, I got 2 years, but I only ended up doing about 9 months, same place. The first time it didn’t hit me, because you go in there, it’s like a youth club, everyone’s just running around, having a laff and that, but erm the second time really hit me to be fair, I went in there in the summer, so I spent all summer in there, and then I was in there for Christmas, New Year and then I spent my 21^st birthday in there. I was inside when they were on about moving to Devon, mum said she wanted a new start for my little brother and stuff, and I weren’t originally going to come down, so I got put in a hostel, and then I was mixing with the same people, drug addicts in here and that, and I just couldn’t wait to get away from them…

It’s just the past, that’s why I come down here really to start a new life, but, it all just catches up with you, I’ve been down two and a half years, a big change from where I’m from. I just went on a bit of a mad one when I was younger, 16, out, staying in different hostels and that, and then I went in jail, and then the second time I went in, I just couldn’t be bothered with it no more, and I moved down here with my mum, I wanted to get away from it, but everyone’s sort of cliquey, you have to grow up here I think, it’s hard to get to know new people, everyone sticks to the same groups…

I don’t mind what I do here, I just enjoy being here really and just getting me head down, and just getting into something. I done a bit of the wood turning today, I made my own bowl, that was alright, it’s in there on the side, that was pretty good to be fair, yeah it’s hard, if you get the littlest bit out, obviously it was my first go, but I done it pretty good I think yeah, I’m going to take it home, yeah, to be fair it’s a lot simpler than you think though, if you had a machine like that at home you could do some like here, with a little stall and what not…

It’s nice being out here, to be fair I’d never heard of the place, if I’d have come out the first time and gone to a place like this, it would have probably stopped me going in the second time, it’s a really good little project…”