00:00:01:23 - 00:00:29:22

ME

Cornershop to me is an essential part of my London living life from late night sugar cravings. The late realization you run out of toilet
paper,to the last minute night out I'm in need of the cheapest spirits as soon as possible. Cornershops are always there for you. It is not
rare that we see a street in London without a colorful library of food and drink, or at least one of its corners offering goods from across
the world served all the time by generations of the same family.

00:00:30:21 - 00:00:54:03

ME

The corner shops are also a cornerstone of popular culture. Over the years, this cozy setting has been portrayed in numerous soap operas,
sitcoms and trendy music videos as a social hub and often a spot for gossip. Arguably, tThe most famous British example was a classic BBC
sitcom Open All Hours, which ran during the 1970s.

00:00:54:03 - 00:01:19:02

ME

Britain's tiny island has often been branded a nation of shopkeepers. It's a phrase that was once believed to be a Napoleonic insult, though
it was positively declared by Scottish economist philosopher Adam Smith in his 1776 book, The Wealth of Nations. The staple British
Cornershop As We Know It, dates back to the Victorian Times. Crucially, nowadays, they provide livelihoods to generations of families across
the UK.

00:01:19:11 - 00:01:45:10

ME

But for the customers, it's about having a known face in the community, a person or family who are keeping an eye on things that one person
can always depend on, be it for a milk or a cup of tea or even a little chat and a smile when you're feeling down, particularly in London,
corner shop culture is something quite unique to the city.

00:01:45:10 - 00:02:16:15

In my shop, my customers are very polite, and very populated with customers in this area because this is central London Zone 1. We would
never complain about any customers, they would take anything and enjoy it. Most of the people are over 60, 70 years old. They’ll come to buy
a newspaper and they buy one, get one and stay here.

00:02:16:15 - 00:02:29:05

Speaker 2

And they talk to us because at home they are alone and they don’t talk to anyone. So they like to stay here for at least 10 to 20 minutes and
talk to us, like what did they do yesterday, how is the football match, politics, cricket, stuff like that. We all enjoy each other.

00:02:29:12 - 00:02:36:05

Speaker 3

When I came to this neighborhood, this shop was the hub as all corner shops are the hub of the community. And if anything happens, any
contacts, anything, if they need help, they all approach corner shops and the shopkeepers.

00:02:36:12 - 00:03:04:12

Speaker 3

Because they know they will be able to get some help as opposed to going to the big supermarkets.

00:03:04:15 - 00:03:45:11

Speaker 3

When I came here, I realized that this is a very communal area and everybody knows each other, everybody helps each other. And uh, gradually
I became part of the furniture. And they would come to me with their problems, to be able to help them in any way I could. And slowly,
slowly, trust was formed. And I became, well we became, my wife and I, an integral part and we decided, okay I really like this area, I like
the people, I like the shop. I might as well start having a family.

00:03:46:03 - 00:04:29:11
Speaker 3

And so because we have an accommodation upstairs, people have confided in us to tell us their personal problems. But funny enough,
shopkeepers are not only, um, shopkeepers, but they are psychiatrists, psychologists, doctors you know? It's all combined and finances as
well, bankers, there’s all roles for us. It's all varied.

00:04:29:11 - 00:04:36:23

Speaker 3

Minute by minute, what we’ve been able to do is to establish contact between local tradesmen and people who work within the community. And it
has been a part of me, I have invested a lot of my time and effort, and my life basically.

THE END