I was born and raised in a part of the city we knew simply as Liverpool 8, which became better known as Toxteth in 1981.

I found it a great place to grow up - a few minutes bus ride from the city centre with all its attractions, wonderful parks like Princes, Sefton, Greenbank and Otterspool Parks, and Otterspool Promenade all within walking distance, and on Lodge Lane a swimming baths and an excellent public library, as well as all the individual shops you could hope for.

And of course the people, the characters, the humour, which naturally created a lively community, before we had professional people employed to bang on about the need for community.

I, my wife Linda and our two children had 18 years of exile in rural Kent before returning to Merseyside in 1999