It’s Saturday 9th April and, after a slightly frantic start to the day having not woken up until 4.20am when I had planned to be on the road by then, I drive up to the crest of the hill in between Lindal and Dalton. As I check to the right before entering the roundabout, a pair of piercing eyes stare back at me. The eyes of a lioness.
Rather than taking the Dalton exit, I pull into the lay-by to take a closer look. She is still staring, surrounded by her pride, looking directly at me, maybe wondering what I am doing here.
You may be wondering what lions are doing in Dalton-in-Furness! They live in South Lakes Safari Zoo, just next. To the bypass taking you through to Barrow. As a little girl, for every birthday where I was asked to make a wish before blowing out the candle, I used to wish for a giraffe. And then, in 1994, my dreams began to come true as the park opened and it wasn’t long before giraffes, along with lions, tigers and bears (oh my!) were living in Dalton.
As I stood in the layby that morning of my 7th day back home as part of the Life Through Laundry project, it really made me reflect on what this project means to me. Even though I was born here, I have lived in the North East for the last 22 years and, just like the lioness and her pals, I could be seen as an outsider in this place. It has certainly been on my mind, wondering how people might feel about me coming back and noseying around and asking questions. But in this moment, it really struck me, more than ever, what is so special about this place. I have been so welcomed and met with such kindness with everyone I have met.
Whenever I am asked where I am from, I say Barrow-in-Furness and if people know of it, they often remark on there being one road in and one road out and that you can’t get there by mistake. This is true, the A590 often being referred to as the longest cul-de-sac in the UK. You have to want to go to Barrow, you won’t get there by passing by on the way to somewhere else and that is one of the beauties of it.
I spoke to Harry, who works in Risedale Rd Laundrette, who arrived here in 1967, having no knowledge of, “where the hell is Barrow!” He came and he stayed. Just like many of the people I have met through spending time in laundrettes in Barrow. They arrived, found their community, and stayed.
Community is becoming the heart of my discoveries on this project. Community, care and kindness seem to be what makes the washing machines go round. And everyone I have met has shown this to me.
When I come home to see my folks, family and friends, it is never by mistake and is always a joy to get to the end of the cul-de-sac. But with this project I am starting to see home through different eyes. Maybe not the eyes of a lioness, but the eyes of an outsider being welcomed in, and the more I go home for this project and the more new people I meet, the more I want to stay.
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| She was staring at me - honest! |
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