What makes home, HOME?
We spent a morning at the St.Barnabas Church table-top sale, asking the question “what makes home, home?” What is it about the place where we live which makes it special, makes it ours, which goes beyond the bricks-and-mortar four walls? Lots of good conversations ensued, often prefaced by a wrinkled brow and “Oooo – never really thought…”. But the thoughts were good, when they came.
An obvious comment is that the responses varied wildly – for some people it was about the broader place. Whether that was about access – to the city centre, to church, to green space – or about specific local geography – the bike ride along the riverside or a safe, enclosed play space for young kids (and hence a stress-free place for parents). For some it was about location in respect of people. Home was being close to friends or family, or a neighbourhood where simply walking slowly (as you do with a small girl fascinated by front doors) often results in bumping into people you’ve met through organised activities but never previously realised were neighbours.
For some people it was about the outside space they curated or created – “the yarden” – an opportunity for creativity or to grow fruit, or a place for kids to play where there is immediate connection with shared space such as a back alley. For some it was one step broader – life in a cul-de-sac which somehow seemed to unlock sociability. Neighbours who went further than the annual awkward Christmas card and brought round food unprompted, or helped organise a street party.
And for some it was about the house or flat itself – in some cases just the security of simply having a home; not being home-less. There were specific indoor spaces – a place to cook while being sociable, a corner with books for kids to explore, or space to relax. But it could also be about a specific piece of furniture – “the broken-in sofa” which was a comfy place to be social or solitary and which travelled from house to house bringing continuity as life progressed, or the comfortable bed which you long for after a few nights away on holiday.
But the common factor amongst most responses was people. For someone, home was simply “my husband” (“you could be miserable in a palace but the right person makes anywhere home”), for one it was “a place with my daughter”, and for one child it was “people looking after me”. A dining table was key for someone, but only with “my daughters or friends”. For many, home was a place to bring people into – an essential component of building new relationships.
Homes do not simply happen – the worst places may sound functional on paper but somehow stand in the way of these additional layers of varied intervention which we put upon them so that they work for our varied human lives. Neighbourhoods too can succeed or fail through the opportunities they create for people to take ownership and truly live there – to make them personal enough to greet a stranger, or robust enough to stand a little discord.
YoCo’s aim is to build a community-led neighbourhood as part of the York Central development – a place where a range of people come together beforehand to build bonds and understanding, and by putting people first build a place which is shaped to enable their varied lives, and to welcome in the world outside. If you want to find out more, come along to the table-top sale next month (21st September, 9-12noon) where we’ll be running an event as part of York Environment Weeks ‘Introducing YoCo: York Central Co-Owned’ - a great chance to come and see what we’re up to and help us shape our next steps.
