Shamalha Zafir talks about her life in Yardley

by Shamalha Zafir talks about her life in Yardley

Mm, the neighbours, w, was… when I was younger, it was, like, different sets of neighbours to as we got older, ‘cause when I was younger, I think, we were one of two Asian families. Erm, and by the time I left there, I think there was about… ooh, the, the road was, the, the road had become mixed throughout my time, and there was less of a mix by the time I left.

When I first moved into Yardley, we moved, I got married and I moved in with my husband. So, that was my, reason for moving, him [Laughing]. Um … the impressions I had then, I remember coming to Yardley thinking, ‘This area and this community, is what it was like when I was a child growing up’, because it was that mixed, cultural, erm, environment, ra, like, how I was younger I grew up. And I said, ‘Yes, this is where I want my children because, there’s, there’s no limitations here. You’ve got, you’ve got your own community, you’ve got, different communities here, there’s no limit. There’s, different, erm, types, the, type of people in a working structure, you’ve got, you’ve got professionals, you’ve got… everybody there and I want my children, to grow up in an environment where they’re not just stuck to one type of person. They have to understand the differences out there, like we did. I think it makes them more rounded. And, that’s, what, I really like this area.

We’ve got more Asian community coming to this area now, which wasn’t so much then. Erm, I’ve seen a lot of the kids grow up and move out and… [child talking]. I’ve seen a lot of the children, they, grow up and move out and do better for themselves and it’s really nice to see these children do better. Erm, I think there’s, erm, the community spirit… is still there but it’s not as much as I saw it before, but … I, I don’t see a difference because anybody comes past, if I’ve got the door open, you know, y, they’re walking past, I give ‘em a wave or I stop them and I have a chat or I’ll go down and, you know, if they need anything.

, I think the community, community has just got a lot stronger. But I do find, that a lot of the people who’ve been residents here a long time, don’t mix in with the newer Asian community because the Asian community maybe keep to themselves a lot more.

I do, yes. I really, I think it’s brilliant. I, I don’t think… I mean, obviously, there’s all sorts of people out there but, I could go and knock on any of my neighbours’ doors now and have a conversation and stand there with a cup of tea. I could go in here and, and there’s other ones I could… just knock on the door, see how they’re doing because I know my neighbours. Erm, people’ll come down and… ‘cause we’re the corner house, anything happens, if parcels can’t be delivered, they’re knocking on my door, ‘Can you keep the parcels?’ [Laughing]. So…[swallows] I think most people get to know you like that ‘cause I’ve, we’ve always got a parcel for someone [Laughing], and they’re knocking on the door.

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