Salisbury - The City That Owns My Heart

Salisbury is a small, quiet and quaint city in the south of England that is well known for a few things...

1. The Novichok attack.

Back in 2018, a Russian spy living in Salisbury was poisoned with a nerve agent. He, his daughter, and the police officer that arrived on the scene all became critically ill when the nerve agent affected them all. This attempted murder on the Russian spy, and the danger of the nerve agent, meant the entire city of Salisbury was shut down for a month.

Shops closed, people stayed away, local authorities were guarding the city and you could only enter the city centre if you were wearing a hazmat suit.

It was intense, scary, and the most popularity my hometown ever got. The story went world wide and Salisbury became a hot topic for a couple of months.

2. Stonehenge

I live roughly ten minutes away from one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Salisbury has small shops where tourists can buy Stonehenge inspires fridge-magnets and tea-towels etc. This little city is famous just because of Stonehenge, and I love it. I guess it’s not everyday that you get to see one of the Wonders of the World when you’re driving to get a McDonald’s!

3. Salisbury Cathedral

The beauty that is Salisbury Cathedral draws tourists from all walks of life. This gorgeous building, and it’s 123 metre spire, really does make my hometown such a special place.

Even though tourists can’t come and visit anymore due to COVID-19, that doesn’t mean nobody is seeing the great stain glass windows and gorgeous nave. As the Coronavirus vaccine starts rolling out in the UK, Salisbury Cathedral is being used as one of my hometown’s local vaccine centres.

Take a look at these photos by Tom Jamieson, shared on the New York Times Instagram page:

These photos are so surreal and breathtakingly beautiful that some say it looks like a painting. This is one of the main reasons my hometown truly does own my heart.

As well as the beautiful sites that Salisbury has to offer, Salisbury is also full of nature:

The main reason I love my hometown is because most of my family live here.

We’re a close-knit family and live around ten minutes from each other, so Christmases and birthdays always include large family gatherings!

My family is so important to me, and the fact we all live so close together is one of the main reasons I love Salisbury so much.

Soon, due to work, I will be moving away from Salisbury and it breaks my heart that I won’t be able to see my family all the time.

Despite that, I know that every time I return to Salisbury to see my family, I know I’ll be returning home.

I have so many good memories of my hometown that I believe no other place will ever replace it in my heart. (Unless I end up magically going to Bora Bora... then I may have to reconsider!)

Not only do I have good memories with my family in Salisbury, but I also have so many memories with my friends.

Growing up going to a small village school, the idea of going to a large secondary school terrified me, but I’m glad to have gone. I have made so many friends and created so many memories that I know I’m very lucky to have grown up in Salisbury. My friends are super important to me and I can’t have picked a better place to find people I’m going to be friends with forever.

As well as this, from fourteen years old I got the chance to perform at Salisbury Playhouse and Salisbury City Hall.

I’m so grateful for the experience I have had performing at these amazing venues, and I will never forget the opportunities that Salisbury has provided me over the years.

So yes, it’s true! Salisbury, my lovely little hometown, is the city that owns my heart.

Read here for some small independent shops you can visit once lockdown is over!