"I HAVE CREATED A LIFE OF DUST, GRIT, THIRST AND ITCH. EVERY TRACE OF BEAUTY, FRESHNESS HAD TO BE EXCLUDED. IT HAS HAD THE EFFECT OF SMOTHERING ME BEFORE I AM DONE. I'VE GOT A GRUDGE AGAINST MY LIFE FOR NOT HAVING BEEN A DIFFERENT LIFE." - DAVE
"DO YOU KNOW HOW STRONG I AM? I HAVE MUSCLES OF STEEL! I ARRIVED BY BOAT WHEN I WAS A CHILD BECAUSE WE WERE ESCAPING THE NAZIS. WE RENTED A HOUSE IN KINGS CROSS AND THE OWNER SOLD IT TO US FOR £600. WE WERE THE FIRST IN THE AREA TO GET SOLAR PANELS. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN WILLING TO TRY NEW THINGS. I'M A HAPPY GO LUCKY KIND OF GIRL." - CECILIA
"THE BIGGEST LESSON I'VE LEARNED IS JUST TO BE KIND TO EACH OTHER. A LOT OF PEOPLE JUDGE ME AND I FIND THAT HARD. I JUST WISH PEOPLE WERE KINDER TO ME." -TAMMY
"CHARLIE WOULD ALWAYS LOOK AFTER ME ON THE STREETS, HE'D ALWAYS MAKE SURE I SLEPT WELL WITH MY BACK TO THE WALL AND HE SLEPT WITH HIS BACK TO THE STREET. AND HE DIDN'T REALLY SLEEP, HE ALWAYS HAD ONE EYE OPEN WATCHING FOR DANGER. AND THEN I'D WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND LET CHARLIE SLEEP FOR A FEW HOURS." - KIM
"AS KIMMY AND I ALWAYS SAY, 'EVERY DAY ABOVE GROUND IS A GOOD DAY'. WE JUST TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME. WE TAKE IT SLOW. WE'RE ALWAYS STRUGGLING, WE'RE ALWAYS BATTLING OUR ADDICTIONS FROM THE PAST. IT'S NOT EASY BUT WE'RE ALWAYS THERE FOR EACH OTHER, WE LEAN ON ONE ANOTHER." - CHARLIE
"I'VE BEEN HERE IN THE CROSS FOR 37 YEARS. THE ONE THING I CAN SAY IS THAT EVERYONE IS ACCEPTED AT THE WAYSIDE, ALWAYS." - DAVE
"I WAS BORN THREE AND A HALF MONTHS PREMATURE AND WAS GIVEN THREE HOURS TO LIVE AND NOW I AM 53 AND STILL HERE." - ELEANOR
"THE MOSST DIFFICULT TIME IN MY LIFE WAS WHEN THE DOCTORS WERE TELLING ME THAT I WAS SUICIDAL BECAUSE OF A DANGEROUS GAME I WAS PLAYING WITH THE RAILWAYS. I WENT THROUGH 12 MONTHS OF MISERY. I REMEMBER ARGUING WITH MY PSYCHIATRIST, I WAS TELLING HIM THAT I WASN'T SUICIDAL AND HE WAS TELLING ME THAT STANDING IN FRONT OF A TRAIN AND ONLY STEPPING OUT OF THE WAY 10 OR 15 SECONDS BEFORE THE THING COMES OVER YOU...WELL, IT IS SUICIDAL." - ALAN
"WHEN I WAS FIRST ON THE STREETS I MET ANIMAL. OH MATE, HE HAD A HEART OF GOLD. HE SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF ME WHEN I FIRST SAW HIM BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW IF HE WAS GOING TO BE A FRIEND OR AN ENEMY. AND HE GOT THERE AND JUST BASICALLY SAID 'RIGHT, STAY AWAY FROM THESE GUYS, THOSE GUYS ARE OK', AND HE SAID 'I GOT MY EYE ON YOU'." - TAZ
"I ATTEMPTED TO TAKE MY LIFE BY GASSING MYSELF IN MY CAR ONLY TO BE SAVED BY ONE OF MY HOMELESS FRIENDS. I WAS LIVING ON THE STREETS OF KINGS CROSS AND WANTED TO END IT ALL. I WAS LIVING A LIFE I COULD NO LONGER ACCEPT. FAST FORWARD FIVE YEARS AND I'M DOING BETTER THAN I COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED. AS GRAHAM LONG WOULD SAY, I AM VERY RICH. RICH WITH ALL THE LOVE AND SUPPORT THAT IS BESTOWED ON ME." - ROB
"I'M JUST SORTING OUT MY FEELINGS AND MY LIFE BASICALLY." LINDA
"I JUST LOST MY AUNTY AND I'M TRYING TO FIND INNER HAPPINESS. NO MATTER WHAT BRINGS YOU DOWN, NO MATTER WHAT STOPS YOU, IT'S NOT UP TO YOU TO BE DEPRESSED. YOU'VE GOT TO BE HAPPY AND MOVE ON WITH YOUR LIFE. HAPPINESS IS ALWAYS THE KEY TO KEEPING STRONG." - EMMA
"I FEEL MORE FOCUSSED AGAIN. WHEN YOU'RE HOMELESS IT'S REALLY HARD TO FEEL POSITIVE BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF NEGATIVITY AROUND YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO GO AND YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU AMOUNT TO ANYTHING. BUT AT WAYSIDE YOU FEEL HAPPY, LIKE YOU'RE HAVING FUN." - ALLAN
"I'VE BEEN COMING TO THE CROSS FOR TWO YEARS. NOW I'M STUDYING COMMUNITY SERVICES SO THAT I CAN SUPPORT MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY SUFFERING FROM MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES." - RICKY
"I WAS WORKING ON THE COTTON FIELDS IN 1967 AND THAT'S WHEN I MET MY MOTHER. I WAS THE WATER BOY. IT WAS HOT AND THERE WERE WOMEN EVERYWHERE. I ASKED IF THEY KNEW MY MOTHER AND THEY SAID 'SHE'S OVER THERE!' WE HUGGED AND BOTH OF US CRIED A BIT. SHE COOKED ME TEA THAT NIGHT." - WALLY
"I WAS HOMELESS AND MY FRIENDS BROUGHT ME HERE. SOME OF THE STAFF ARE LIKE FAMILY TO ME." - JAMES
"WHEN I GOT THE KEYS TO MY HOUSE AND WENT INSIDE FOR THE FIRST TIME IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. I HAD BEEN SLEEPING ROUGH FOR FIVE YEARS AND EVERY NIGHT I WOULD GO TO SLEEP NOT KNOWING IF I WAS GOING TO GET JUMPED OR ROBBED. STRETCHING OUT IN MY BED ON MY FIRSTS NIGHT WAS SUCH A GOOD FEELING." - TONY
"I'M HAVING MY BREAKFAST. MUM USED TO GIVE US HOT BREAKFASTS WHEN I WAS GROWING UP. SHE USED TO PUT THE POT OF PORRIDGE INTO THE FRIDGE AND SAY 'HOT OR COLD NOT 9 DAYS OLD!' WE COULD EAT THE PORRIDGE AS LONG AS IT WAS NOT OLDER THAN 9 DAYS." - RONNIE