The Story of Hardie

In 2014, I moved to Oxford to take up my first job as a nurse. Working shifts can be very lonely and makes it difficult to make new friends. The prospect of whiling away my days off in my nursing accommodation, watching the hours slip by, did not appeal so armed with a sense of adventure and curiosity i sent off to explore my new town. Before now I had always been a fan of Instagram, but being on my own, I found that I had a new passion for taking shots on my smart phone and sharing them with some of the friends I had left back home. It became an online diary, a way to document and record all the things I had seen which was a welcome break from the gruelling shifts I endured. My feet still ached but I always came back with a smile on my face.

My confidence started to grow, I brought a bike and whizzed round Oxford, wandering along side streets, popping into colleges to see what lay behind those high stone walls, snapping at every opportunity so I could share what I saw. I met lovely friends and we explored Oxford together, resting for endless cups of tea and a slice of cake, but every now and then I need to restore myself. I am still a nurse but now living in London and some of the best days are when I am alone and like I did in Oxford, wander round the city, admiring all the little things people walk by everyday. An old car, beautiful door, facade or pot of flowers, all the littles things that bring a city to life, sometimes with a stranger to match! Each comes with a quote which helps to tell the story of that photo or simply just a pick me up to help me through the day!