I moved to London in 1989 when I was 17, having decided to take a job as a management trainee at Sainsbury’s instead of going to university in Scotland. I had been visiting the city for years with my parents and brother throughout my childhood. Our parents loved London, and had worked there in their earlier lives, so they enjoyed coming back and showing us their favourite galleries, theatres and, most importantly, places to eat. One of my earliest memories of the city was its incredible energy and its smell, particularly the diesel from the trains pulling into London from Edinburgh. Even today, when I arrive at King’s Cross station, I can still imagine that distinct smell from my childhood visits.
On Windrush Day in June, I went to see the sculpture in Hackney by Thomas J Price to celebrate the contribution of the Windrush generation and their descendants in the UK, which reminded me of my early visits to the city. That generation contributed so much to the London we know and love today, and it was so evident to me from an early age that I wanted to live somewhere that represented a true melting pot of cultures.
