TfL Fabric Of London: More Stories

Andy

‘I like to see the best in people. My spectacles help.’

Marble Arch Tube station. Fourth date. It was time. I remember saying, ‘Let’s make it a specs day.’ Rather surprisingly, she agreed. We hadn’t worn them around each other yet. I guess we were both extremely self-conscious. But we were going to see an art exhibition. So it was time to lose our inhibitions.

Time to see each other properly. Be totally accepting of who we are as individuals. Funny thing is, I remember really looking into her eyes, properly. Maybe for the first time. We made a real connection that day.

She must have liked what she saw because she didn’t turn and run. The art was good too. So surprising and challenging. There’s always a different vibe to catch in London. I love how it’s embedded with different cultures. It’s not limited to one type of person or race. And, yeah, everything looks better with specs.

Nursev

‘How my little Benjamin brought 18,000 fans to their feet.’

My Benjamin is a very happy, little eight-year-old boy. Particularly when he’s sitting in the front seat ‘driving’ the DLR train.

He loves meeting people and likes to be a bit of a show off. Which is also why he loves playing footie for Charlton Upbeats, the local Down’s syndrome team. I mean, he really loves his football.

So he was brimming with excitement when the whole family took him to see Charlton Athletic

at The Valley. At half-time, I took him and his teammate Ned pitchside. Benjamin just didn’t know what was happening. His whole team was then given a lap of honour for helping to fundraise for Charlton Athletic Community Trust. They help players with Down’s syndrome to reach their potential. Players like Benjamin. We were so proud of our boy. And he was lost for words. Well, for just a minute.

Of course, our Benjamin really played to the 18,000 people in the crowd watching him. He frantically waved to his new fans, as they clapped and cheered. It was amazing. He loved the limelight. ‘I did it,

I did it! Did you see me?’ he kept on saying to everyone he met.

Charles

‘Bus 185 to the cosmos, then I discovered a friend from another planet.’

My spinal injury left me disabled. And depressed. My recovery took forever. I was in a very bad place. One day, I decided to fix my life. Get out and see some lectures. I took the bus to Greenwich Observatory for a talk on physics. It wasn’t my crowd at all. To be honest, you wouldn’t have expected to find a bloke like me at a science lecture in the first place. But it was such a surprising experience. Turned out there was a really broad spectrum of people there. That’s a testament to London, I suppose. Because we’re all completely different people.

So I kept going to lectures. This one time, I connected with someone from a totally different world: Linda the goth. She was this quiet, eclectically dressed punk rocker. We couldn’t have been more dissimilar. Turns out we had loads in common. We were chatting away about Stephen Hawkin and how he’d unlocked the secrets of the universe just using his imagination. A real inspiration to all.

I really love the fact the two of us wouldn’t have been brought together in any other situation. London is like a good friend. Always there, introducing me to new and interesting people. It’s mad like that.

Ben

‘A smelly farmyard. The best place to cheer up friends.’

I have this friend who was feeling a little homesick. So I planned a surprise for her day off. We bused it to Vauxhall, then it was a short walk to the City Farm. When, wow. We were suddenly hit by this distinctive, earthy farm smell. Of course we had no idea what to expect in the middle of a city. But there were all sorts of fun animals there: donkeys, alpacas and bantam roosters. It was a real novelty. My friend was really enjoying herself.

So I’m chatting away as we’re feeding the baby lambs when I suddenly hear – crunch, crunch, crunch. I looked down to see this baby lamb trying to take a chunk out of my thumb. It had obviously taken a shine to me. I thought I could style it out. Act like it was nothing serious. But I did feel a bit of pain. My friend found it absolutely hilarious. We laughed all the way home. It was clear that the trip had cheered her up. London has everything you need to bring people together. Farm animals included. Job well done.

Gem

‘Pride. A time for togetherness and glitter. Lots of glitter.’

Every year, my family all show up at Charing Cross station covered in Essex sparkle and rainbow flags.

One year, Mum bought my new stepdad. He’d never been to Pride before. So I led him right to the centre of the crowd to watch the parade. And he just started asking these gay guys loads of questions about what Pride means to them. Is it okay that he’s here even though he’s straight? And they really took the time and effort to answer him. It warmed my heart seeing him getting so involved. By the end of it, he was dancing and having his photo taken with everyone. I felt a different sense of pride I had not expected to feel that day.

It’s always nice to see people learning from each other. I always feel stronger after Pride, as well as incredibly inspired. It also makes me feel comfortable in my own skin. Because London is a place where I can be myself. Feel safe.

Joanne

‘It’s all the different people that make London so beautiful’

I see London as this incredible and diverse patchwork quilt of people and places. When my vision started deteriorating, I was worried I might never see it again.

With a big birthday approaching, my sister suggested a walk to Kenwood House. It gives you all those great London views I cherish so much. It’s a special place for me, especially having enjoyed so many lockdown walks there. When I arrived, I found my friends had thrown a surprise birthday picnic for me. It was just perfect. The whole park was alive with amazing people just enjoying the day. Yeah, of course it lashed down with rain later. But that’s London.

Maryam

‘Meet the world on your doorstep. And dance with them.’

Ruby, Ruby, Ruby. Never Auntie Ruby. She was too cool for that. Ruby was always full of ideas for fun things to do. She used to weave these wonderful little stories as she’d take me and my siblings on amazing adventures.

Getting on a bus or Tube meant we were doing something exciting. I always remember the time we went to the Southbank by bus. (Front seats top deck, of course. We saw people there from all over the world. It was so alive.

This busker was playing the most uplifting music. So we just started dancing, which turned into this conga line. People were watching us, smiling. Some even joined in. It was an incredible moment. Special. We were just little kids but felt part of one big global community. It made a lasting impression on me. Now my big sister is having a baby soon. I wanna be an auntie just like Ruby. I’ll just be ‘Maryam’.