Shirley
Transcript
Interviewer: Thank you for participating in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Can you tell me your name, please?
Shirley: My name is Shirley. I come from Malaysia. I’ve been in London for nearly 20 years. I’m still working at the moment in New Spitalfields Market in Leyton. So we are one of the companies that does wholesale for vegetables and fruit.
Interviewer: Can you tell me your age?
Shirley: 50.
Interviewer: How long have you been a resident of Newham?
Shirley: Since I came to London, until now.
Interviewer: So, more or less which year?
Shirley: 2003, until now.
Interviewer: Which area in Newham?
Shirley: Near Stratford. But I go to dancing classes near the city airport. I went to a few classes to do the exercise. That is the one I went to, the city airport. Before it was one of the teachers teaching, but he’s retired already, so the center has nobody to handle it. So, they don’t have funding for the teachers. So, they asked me to be the leader, to start back the dance, so all the people followed.
Interviewer: Is it a community center?
Shirley: Yes, that’s right.
Interviewer: What dance was it?
Shirley: Line dance. For the elderly people to do more exercise and have a social life, not just staying at home. Most of them are alone, so it’s good to come to the center. They can chat with a friend, do some exercise. I also did a few parties for them. I just want to give them more happiness. Because money cannot buy happiness and health. So, this is the main reason I go to the center, to make parties for them. Every Christmas, or any special day.
Interviewer: So, how was it when you first moved here?
Shirley: It was a bit hard, because I didn’t know many people until I went to the center to do some exercise and meet some friends. So, I think my life is quite good. I’m a positive person, so I will help them be happy people. So, some of the people in the group with me are retired nurses. They always do volunteer work in the community center. Most of them come from the same country as me, so we are very close. So, when I do any party or organize anything, they all follow me. So, I will organize who does what, cooking, setting up this and that. They enjoy it a lot and are very happy.
Interviewer: And you were able to do these parties at community centers?
Shirley: Yeah.
Interviewer: How is it now, and how does that compare to before? Your life experience here, living in Newham.
Shirley: For me, it’s okay. I’ve got nothing to complain about. I have a job, I have good friends. I don’t have many friends, but they are all very good. You can’t find friends like that. When you need help, you don’t need to say anything. They will say to you, do you need help? I appreciate what I have now, so I have nothing to complain about.
Interviewer: Can you tell us a little bit more about your job?
Shirley: I work in New Spitalfields Market, since I came to london up until now. I love my job. It might be a bit hard for some people because we work at night. When you sleep, I have to wake up, and I finish in the early morning. But I’m happy with that time, because when I came to London, Malaysian time with London time is different by 8 hours. So, when I’m working, my mom is up already, so I can check on her all the time. So, she sleeps and I sleep. We are in the same time. This is what I like about this job. And when you finish work, still early, you can go shopping, you can go to the bank, you can do a lot of things. Charity work, or helping, or exercise – you can do anything. If you work in office hours, 8 to 6, you can’t go to the bank, you can’t go to any community center, or any part-time job, or volunteer. You can’t do anything. That’s why I like this job. I’m still working in the same company.
Interviewer: How many years now?
Shirley: 20 years.
Interviewer: What would you like to see for the future of Newham?
Shirley: I would like to see less people who don’t have work. But sometimes, it’s not that they don’t have work, they don’t want to work, even the young. I help in the food bank as well, Monday and Wednesday. I can see most of the people, they can actually afford their food, they don’t need to come and queue up. The food is for people who really need it, it’s not for the people who already have it. They just come and take it because it’s free, and some people really need it, they don’t have it. So, this is what I don’t want to see.
Interviewer: Anything else?
Shirley: More community centers, more things to let people join. People have nothing to do and nowhere to go. They just sit at home. A lot of people are not married, they are single. So, if there is nowhere to go and nothing to do, nothing is interesting. So they will just sit at home and have negative thinking. This is very bad for the person and for their health as well. So, the more they go to the centers, the more they can learn and see, they can play and join. So there’s not much time to just sit at home, so they can be more health and have less negative thinking.
Interviewer: So what you’re saying that maybe there hasn’t been so much of that happening at the moment, activities in the community centers…
Shirley: Yeah, not so much. I think a lot of centers don’t have funding, so there’s not much volunteer workers. Every class is canceled, canceled, canceled. They have no place to go and learn. Some people don’t have extra money to pay to learn something.
Interviewer: Can you recall any special memories of Newham?
Shirley: I don’t think there’s anything special, because everything is good.
Interviewer: If you do remember something later…
Shirley: Plus, I don’t have much time. I’m still working. So, when I finish work in the morning, I go to the center to help for a few hours, and then I have to go home and rest for work at night.
Interviewer: So, what time do you usually start your job?
Shirley: 1 o’clock, until the morning, around 10, 11 or 12.
Interviewer: What does Newham mean to you?
Shirley: I think it’s good. I have nothing to complain about. I just hope that more centers can open back up, and more activities, to let people join. That’s it.
Interviewer: How are you celebrating the Platinum Jubilee?
Shirley: I have one party in a church on the 2nd of June. But I’m a bit upset because our market is open. Fish and meat markets are closed, but our vegetable market is open. That’s why we are upset. Because we already planned what we wanna do and where we wanna go, but at the end they sent a memo out that they’re open. They didn’t even give us a single day. Everyone is not happy about that.
Interviewer: Because the other markets are closed?
Shirley: All the other markets are closed, but the vegetable market is open. They don’t give us one day.
Interviewer: Not on holidays, like the jubilee?
Shirley: No. I don’t understand. They are an English market, they should follow and respect. And this one day… And then they say, the people who want to open the shop- most of them are from Turkey, or Muslim, they don’t really care about the queen or celebrating. They just want money. So, most of them want to open the shop.
Interviewer: How have you celebrated any previous jubilee or royal event, like weddings or something like that?
Shirley: We’re only going to do it this year, because this is quite big and interesting. We’re going to celebrate in a church.
Interviewer: So, you will be able to attend?
Shirley: Yeah, I’m still going when I finish work.
Interviewer: Are there gonna be any activities on that day? How are you gonna be celebrating?
Shirley: They haven’t let me know what they have planned, but they just have asked me to buy all those things to cook for everyone in the church. They didn’t let me know if they’re gonna sing a song or something, and have a line dance for one or two songs…
Interviewer: And is this organized by the church?
Shirley: Yeah, this one is from the church.
Interviewer: And it’s free to attend?
Shirley: Yes. Most of the things we organize are free. You don’t need to pay anything.
Interviewer: Which area is this?
Shirley: Stratford. The church is on Brian Street, but I’m not sure what the name is.
Interviewer: Do you have any memories of the queen or the royal family?
Shirley: No, because I don’t watch TV. I don’t have one at home. When I come back home in the afternoon there aren’t any good movies, only at night. But at night I’m already asleep, so I don’t watch TV.
Interviewer: So, what does it mean to you to be celebrating the first Platinum Jubilee?
Shirley: I’m happy for the queen, that she’s doing well. So, we should celebrate, and be happy together.
Interviewer: Are there any stories you remember about Newham, or something you witnessed?
Shirley: Since 2013 I’ve been doing my charity work. I go to the hospital, I go to the center, I go to the home care to visit the elderly people. Most of the time I do parties for them at Christmas time. This is what I do all the time, actually, when I have time to do it. I do it every year.
Interviewer: It seems like you have a very strong community spirit.
Shirley: I think so.
