Describe a possession that is important to you.

Well, the possession I’d like to talk about is my old acoustic guitar. It’s nothing fancy or expensive, but to me it’s absolutely priceless. It’s a slightly battered, wooden guitar with a few scratches on the side, and the colour has faded a bit over the years, but that actually gives it a kind of vintage charm.

I got it when I was about sixteen. My parents gave it to me as a birthday present after I’d been pestering them for months. I still remember my dad carrying this big, mysterious case into the living room and pretending it was something boring like school textbooks. When I opened it and saw the guitar, I was genuinely speechless; it felt like a dream come true.

I’ve had it for nearly ten years now, so it’s been with me through a lot of different stages in my life: high school, university, and now working life. Over that time, I’ve replaced the strings countless times and even had it repaired once when I dropped it. Despite all that wear and tear, it still sounds warm and rich, which is quite remarkable.

The reason it’s so important to me is that it represents more than just an instrument. It’s my outlet for stress and a way of expressing emotions that I can’t always put into words. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I just pick it up and play for a while, and it helps me switch off and recentre myself. On top of that, it’s tied to a lot of precious memories of singing with friends and family. So, in a sense, it’s like a companion that’s grown up with me, and I honestly can’t imagine parting with it.