I was growing up in Guangzhou City. After finishing Middle school, I went to the countryside. Living condition in those days was far from comfortable. So one day, together with several others, I crossed the border to arrive in Hong Kong. There I got married and subsequently came to the UK as a bride.

When I first came I didn’t know anyone here, I felt isolated and lonely. I stayed at home most of the time. I often asked myself how on earth I got myself into this situation. The surroundings were so unfamiliar to me. In October 1984, we found a takeaway shop and started our business. Even so hardships continued through our working life. There were lots of things we didn’t know how to deal with, and lack of money was constantly a problem. We had to borrow every single penny needed for the business.

In a way, my role was mainly child-bearing, child-care, taking care of their well being and so on. But I also had to help out in the kitchen. I had to carry very heavy stuff, like a whole sack of onions or a huge bag of rice and things like that. Later, my husband’s health deteriorated, he couldn’t continue working so we gave up the business. In 1999, after nearly 20 years in the business, a new owner took over our shop. My husband’s health worsened. He was on dialysis for 10 years until he passed away in 2018. During those 10 years I took care of everything for him, until the very last moment.

I came to Newham in the early 1980s. Newham looked rather rundown then. I still remember that there was a long channel beneath Stratford underground station. You won’t notice it if you walk above it. It’s a very narrow channel which was opposite the old shopping centre. People used to urinate there so the smell was terrible! Of course, things have changed for the better in Stratford these days, in particular since the Olympics in 2012.