Or you can read Abs’ story below:
I used to work in Royal Bank of Scotland at 80 Bishopsgate. I didn’t know much about East London and the history of East London. I used to live in North London those days. And then I travelled daily taking a train for an hour after that move to South London, which was nice. But same thing, the distance is far and until one of my colleagues decided, oh, I just got a lovely flat near it to the bank, just around the corner near to Petticoat Lane market.
“Would you like to share the place with me? It’s not far away, it’s like five minutes walk from work.” I said, I’ll save money on the transport. Plus maybe it’s for the best, even though I, I didn’t really like much the area.
So I moved there like within a week, start enjoying being there from feeling comfortable. And then one day I finished work, on my way back home. I said, oh, maybe you need a haircut. So the first hairdresser I see was in a place called Galina Hair Studio. And I looked around this good looking lady just smiled. And I smiled back to her and then went to open the door and she came in, opened the door. I said, do you have a space for a haircut? And she said, yes, please come in.
Going in there and I noticed so many elderly people in there having a cup of tea and a piece of cake. Look like local people. She said to me, they helped me to settle here. They’re nice people. She had a beautiful smile. Her hair was not long, was short. She told me lots about herself. Told a bit about myself. I did offer if you want to come for a drink the next day? And she said yes.
The next day we went to a place called Fat Lady Square, which is just behind Liverpool Street Station. We chat, chat, we got to know more, more about each other. And then the weather was good. So we ended up walking, walking and walking and talking. We find ourself in London Bridge.
We met each other again and again until we decided to move together. We moved together 2005, the month of August and we end up living in Poplar. We back here to Aldgate and 2014. My wife, not only she’s a hairdresser, most of her client when, especially like she look after pensioners, you know, working in the city, everything is expensive.
You know, rent is high, the rate is high, but she still find a way to look after the local and not charge them too much money. Just little money. She’s very kind person, very kind, very caring for others, people, her clients, they come in with all kind of problems. When they leave, they leave really smiling. Wow. And you know how good she is then most of her clients, we don’t come just for the hair colour or cut just to see Galina and spend time with her.
While I was living in Aldgate, especially during the pandemic and after the pandemic, people were suffering financially, you know, with all the prices of the goods and the prices of the power is on, up and up and up and up. So facilities are killing people, you know, especially if you’re a pensioner with little money, what you going to do?
So, a gentleman called Paul Wilson started a food bank and I was part of East End Home. We started just opposite to Toynbee Hall. Couple of elderly asked me to, please, can you bring our food for us, because I cannot bring it ourself. So I said, no problem, I’ll do it for you.
So I start going to this food bank and I got to know some lovely people like Paul Wilson, Helen, and Michael. I see Michael is struggling sometimes to lift stuff. And Helen is very petite, but very sweet woman. And she was helping and moving. And when I looked at them and I said, you know, if I don’t have anything to do, I come and help you. From there, I start doing it regularly. I see people like daily and, understand how they’re struggling.
I also discovered, you know, that okay, the area is a very cosmopolitan area. You know, you find people from all walks of life and from all countries, but they all like United as one area is called Britain. Unity makes power.
