I am 18 years old and started an apprenticeship three months ago in London. I made the choice to do this so I can gain experience and be able to get my dream job without having to pay the high uni fees. Apprentice wages as you would know are low but the experience I am gaining is valuable.

To travel to London on trains it costs me £18.80 a day, so as you would expect, financially, it is very difficult for me and every penny I save I need. This means I can’t afford to pay to park in the car parks in Beaconsfield. I found somewhere I can park for free which is a ten minute walk from the station, and then last week an unpleasant note was left on my car: “Will you please not park in this ‘passing bay’. The county will be putting yellow lines here – so unless you live in this cul-de-sac understand we are not a dumping ground”. I respect the residents, but I carefully thought about where I was parking, it isn’t directly outside anyone’s house so I believe caused no harm.

I live just outside Beaconsfield and it’s not safe for me to ride a bike.

I am writing this as I just want people to understand that it isn’t easy for people and now I’m really starting to struggle with the parking situation. This is affecting my work and completing my apprenticeship. I would love to be as fortunate as the people that can afford to live in Beaconsfield and have the convenience of being able to walk to the station, or be able to afford parking.

I don’t know who left this note on my car but this has left me feeling upset and even more stressed. I apologise if this upset the person but I didn’t do it to cause harm. I’m sure the others parking there aren’t either. I would just like people to have more respect and understanding as they don’t know what situation people like me are in and how much of a struggle it is. – Polly Millar, Wooburn Moor