Roy L – What is it in my life that I can actually achieve?

'I never knew I was going to finish work but I knew that I was not going to stay too long until I started to get sick, as one of my colleages did, and died.'I remember the days before HIV, the good old days on Oxford Street. The way the car found its own way home: the one-night stands that I don’t remember and those I wish not to remember. Nowadays I feel I’ve passed that stage. I don’t feel I blend into Oxford Street. I just blend into the suburbs by doing ordinary and everyday things.

HIV has made me who I am. However, I don’t think it defines me. It’s certainly changed my outlook on life. I’ve turned it around and made things better for myself. Now I’ve got to that point I just get on with life. I’ll do the groups and discussions, but I don’t really let it define my life anymore. It’s still good to catch up with other people and find out what they’re doing and how they’re coping.

This photo is not only about leaving work and leaving the chaos behind; it’s also an empty room which represents departed friends.

• Our memories are important, we learn from them and can create something new.