just to name a few.

Kurt Vile. Oh Land.The War On Drugs.Jetpacks.The Vaccines.Band Of Horses.Beirut.James Blake.Radio Department. The Japanese Popstars.The Kooks.Razorlight.Hard Hi.Tame Impala.Yuck.Jamie Woon.Cage The Elephant.Bombay Bicycle Club.Foster The People.Mona.Louis La Roche.Forest Fire.Los Compesinos.French Horn Rebellion.Bob Dylan.Eva Cassidy.Titus Andronicus.

by steven taylor.

 

 

a little place for you and me.

In a small town called Cisniadora in the centre of Romania is a small home that cares for 6 children who in some way have no one. No one to care for them or feed them, mainly due to there parents not being able to fund them, or simply the fact they were abandoned. LJH is a non government funded orpahange, hence why there is only 6 lucky children staying there. The house relies completly on donations made by companies or the people who volunteer to work in there special summer school programme.

 the entrance to LJH.

 

Little John's House is not just a home for 6 children, but reaches out to touch the lives of many other children with special needs and disadvantaged children living in other care homes, hospitals and family homes in the local area. This is there summer school.

I was lucky enough to be able to get the chance to fly out there with a group of 8 others and two of our teachers and stay there for two weeks taking part in there summer school programme. 

This was taken in a city called Basov, where we went to stay for the weekend in the middle.

During the two weeks i was there, i became emotionally attatched to the children who i saw everyday. In total everyday from 9am to 2pm, the group of us had to entertain 36 children ranging from the ages of 3 to 21. The oldest person was Adi, and he was 32. He has been going to LJH since he was young and suffers from Autism. He is just one of many of the children suffering from a disability. You'd think that this trip would be life changing in some sort of way but i had no idea literally how much it's changed my thoughts and attitude towards life and how lucky i am to have the priveledge of going to school and having a family. Most of the children at LJH didn't go to school apart from a very lucky few. When you greeted the children in the morning they would run off the bus and come hug you straight away and give you the biggest smile possible. They were so happy to see us every single day. And it was amazing to know that we were the ones to make them that happy. We would play games including basketball and football, and also do painting, making things, stickers, temporay tattoos (which was a favourite with the boys) and also face painting and bracelet making. In the end a little girl called Sanda, who was the sweetest little 6 year old i have ever met, made me bracelet. Another boy called Adi who was 19 who suffered from autism, made me bracelet with both our names on. He seemed to take a liking to me and we spent most of the time just sitting there and he would ask for me to play guitar or simply sit there stroking his hand.

 

The two Adi's and I.

The one thing i was so shocked about was how easily amused all the children were. The littlest thing would make them laugh, the smallest thing would make them smile. And the feeling i got from that was something i don't think i'll ever feel again unless i go back next year, which is what i'm planning on doing.  

This is the link to the Little John's House website, please take a look and enjoy.

Little John's House Website 

a few from the weeks...

 

bored in english class.

When i sit in the corner of this classroom,

and see the vast difference in the people situated in this classroom,

i think of the lives they lead and the different paths they will all take.

You have no clue what they will do, where they will go, when they'lll start there lives as an adult.

Everyone is different, everyone has talents.

Nobody looks the same, nobody has the exact same opinion.

Leading your life means listening to yourself and listening to others only if you choose too.

The sunlight split by objects, dancing around like fire in the wind.

 Everyday i wake up to the feeling of the unknown.

walk.

went for a cigarette with my friend today after a lovely bit of exercise forced by your teachers. since smoking in my school is not aloud you have to take a walk through the lovely woods and find a covered spot where no one can see. it may be cold in Scotland but it's sunny and it was just so fucking pretty.

It's turkey time...

boarding school.

Yes, i go to a boarding school. No i'm not a posh little rich girl. I'm normal.
my school is in Elgin, a small town north of Scotland. The school is abandoned in a wood and the grounds are spectacularly beautiful. But the fact that the people here judge and criticise makes all that beauty go away. I came back for my last year this september with a slight chance i'd be aloud. That decision being my parents, seeing as they didn't want to "waste" there money on a education not being used to it's full advantage. I begged them to come back as i thought there was no point stopping half way through A Levels. But since i've been back all i've wanted is to see my friends and my family. This place is brilliant, but it makes you feel secluded.

 Gordonstoun School.

I can't wait to leave and have the freedom i always wanted. Being able to drive anywhere, seeing my friends Mel and Emma (who i've known since we were all tiny.)

Nearly 18 now... bloody hell