Other Lives Are Available

Sitting on a park bench contemplating life, Bob chats about when Wapping was all docks, the old ways of making ends meet and a changing world. "I've done many jobs, from a van boy to a physical instructor, to selling shirts in the market, to working in the London Hospital, to running a gym, to London Transport 'Mind the doors!'" #otherlivesareavailable #podcast #eastlondon #wapping #docklands

This chat on the riverfront starts with the good and bad ways to be a manager, and although Bianca chose 'authentic' to be her description, our conversation then moves on to how hard it is to feel authentically accepted as part of British culture, despite many years of living in London. "I'm a British national, I've got my citizenship, but I still feel like an immigrant. It do...

Standing by Shadwell Basin casting his line, Steve chats about fish, being a roadie for Motorhead, living abroad and his wife surviving cancer. "What makes a good roadie? I think it's like your sense of humour, character... you've got to prove yourself not to be a slacker, not to take the micky, and after that you're pretty much embraced". #otherlivesareavailable #podcast #eastlondon #fishing

This conversation started with the loss of a much-loved dog, then turned to serving your community on the magistrate's bench, and ended with family history. "We see things and hear things that normal members of the public wouldn't... I mean there are some photographs that I've seen that I can't un-see, so that is hard". #otherlivesareavailable #podcast #eastlondon #dogwal...

This chat starts with the difficulty of moving a career from one country to another for @azlam_photography - as much about the inner struggle as the practical challenges. Then we find out that Azlam gets a lot of positive feedback, which gives cause for hope. "I never dreamed about a lot of money, a luxurious life, I dreamed of a good life, a peaceful life... enough money, enough happiness&qu...

This conversation in a churchyard started with a book, and moved on to recovering from addiction and how Esther is weathering the storm. "When the fear hits me I never see it coming, I'm always caught off guard, and then I'm just like, OK now it's here, now what do I do? Then you have a choice - you decide how you're going to handle it". #otherlivesareavailable #podcast #eastlondon #addictionrecov...

Reading from paper not from a screen, a holiday with old friends, lyme disease and family dynamics were subjects covered with Tom while chatting under a tree. "I'm probably half way between wanting to change the world and the world changing me - we'll see which one wins!" #otherlivesareavailable #eastlondon #podcast #friendship

Sitting on the bank of the River Lea after a swim, River tells me about the draw of the water and how it has become central to her life. "I suppose it's a reflection of my truest nature, or maybe the bits of me I like the best... it's fierce, it's gentle, it's connected to nature, it's a bit spiritual, it's appreciating the seasons". #otherlivesareavailable #podca...

Growing up in both a council estate and a wigwam on a hillside, then living in squats and boats, Claus chats about his experience of alternative living, his family connection to the waterways and the history of canals in the UK. "One of the things I really appreciate about the boating community is the diversity... you can have a doctor or a teacher living on one side of you, and an artist or a stu...

From selling rose petal water at school to running an antiques shop and a cafe, with a modelling career along the way, the chat with Susie includes self-help books, being an entrepreneur and growing confidence. "I'm in touch with my vulnerability and I'm not scared to show it... as time goes by I feel less bothered by what people say". #otherlivesareavailable #podcast #eastlondon...

Saying 'yes' whenever a new opportunity arises in life has seen Craig Leo go from working the spotlight backstage to being at the heart of big productions which travel the world. "You’re always a cog in a wheel that brings something into being and that is your role... I've always been very shy, I've always been happy to be in the background, so it suited me". #otherlivesa...

The drive to create, encouraging confidence in an art class, how to observe before you draw, are all part of a chat with Kate (@katehardystudio) sitting outside Chisenhale Art Place. "It's hugely satisfying get to a place where you go 'OK this is how I want this painting to be'... it's not like I knew it was going to end up there." #otherlivesareavailable #podcast #eastlo...

The chat with Nkosi Stoole in a car body shop goes from being bullied at school to working in the family business to acting in Star Wars. "I'm thinking, 'you have got to be kidding me!' We make it all the way to the live semi-finals of Poland's Got Talent ... just all from being drunk essentially, in Weatherspoons of all places!' #otherlivesareavailable #podcast #eastlondo...

An impromptu performance in a woodland, how to interpret cover songs and write your own, overcoming self criticism, all are part of this walk and talk in a park with @marelli.guilia . "When you are performing on stage I can see people's reactions, I can feel that my feelings are received, there's a power in it, it's addictive!" #otherlivesareavailable #podcast #eastlondon #mu...

One year into creating a coffee business using a 3-wheeler by a canal, we talk music, moving country and learning to be an entrepreneur. "There is fear, there is the unknown... Somehow I use the fear to fire the moment - you still feel the butterflies in your stomach, but you try to be positive and use that energy to move forward." #otherlivesareavailable #podcast #eastlondon #barista

A chat about life, memories of the Kray twins, being evacuated during WWII, seeing her husband go from being a strong boxer to nursing him with dementia, Vera has seen it all. “I can remember us standing in the street, watching them fighting the Nazi aeroplanes, when they had them dogfights… if someone didn’t turn up for school the next day you’d think where’s that one gone? And they’d say ‘Oh she...

A freestyle fashion shoot beside a railway line on a Sunday morning. "With any artwork it's nice to keep the story quite abstract... to see what happens as we work on it together - you have an idea or concept in your mind but when you actually do it, it always works a bit differently." #otherlivesareavailable #podcast #eastlondon #photoshoot

Finding the way back to feeling balanced again after tough times. "It is unbelievable when you just sit and watch what your thought patterns can do, whether it's based on fearful imaginings of the future, or fearful ruminations of the past, or regret..."#otherlivesareavailable #podcast #eastlondon #mentalhealth

Swimming and walking the canals of east London, carrying a ball and scavenging for fish n chips. "He's cured cancer, he's found a shotgun, he's on many instagram accounts... and I think he spreads a lot of love". #otherlivesareavailable #podcast #eastlondon #dogwalker

A chat that takes in post-punk gigs with @Cracked_Lime, why making decisions is hard, and French attitudes to fun. "The first time I went on stage I had an awful time... I thought I'd made a massive mistake, the artistic life was not for me, I hated every moment of it!" #otherlivesareavailable #podcast #eastlondon #musician

Bringing a historic wooden RNLI boat back to life using traditional skills at Cody Dock, Canning Town. Tom along with joiners Anthony and Lucia talk boats, life and community. "This is home, I've always grown up in the Docklands... I wouldn't want to leave this area having not made a difference, because I do love it and it's where I'm from". #otherlivesareavailable #podca...

@LuaZerola, from Brazil via Yorkshire, with a fresh and light-hearted take on life. "I think we are too much over the top... we open so easy it makes people scared... In Brazil the moment you say hello, they're already in your house and sleeping with you wife". #otherlivesareavailable #podcast #eastlondon #youtuber

From carving tree trunks to community action, a business partnership called Citywood which is holding onto a creative space in a rapidly changing neighbourhood. "I'm hands on, if you give me a problem I won't write in detail about what should be done, I'll just get physically involved and make it happen... one day a week I'd move mountains". #otherlivesareavailable #podca...

A daily feature for the local area, the van is a meeting point, a place for chats, a part of the local community as much as a shop for dog and cat owners. "What I like about this job is direct feedback all the time, I'm having very positive interactions all the time, and it's really basically about interacting with like-minded humans". #otherlivesareavailable #podcast #eastlondon...

Trimming a tree beside a canal, Dan and his team were dropping branches onto the footpath in between people walking past. "It's a very physical job, it's quite hard on your body, you've got to have your wits about you". #otherlivesareavailable #podcast #eastlondon #arborist