I was born in Nairobi and educated at Juja Road Primary and Eastleigh Secondary schools. The good times and pals were in Zambezi House, with Mr Hashmi, keeping goal in hockey and football. I remember clearly "Master Shant", Mr Mendonca, Mr Xavier, Mr JD Sharma, Mr AN Sharma (Narad and Nabh) & Mr Nanakchand. The students who stand out are "mac" Butt, Manjit Singh, Hafiz Khan, Waheed Cockar and Jeelo - Mohammed Jameel who were close mates. Mr. Mendonza called me "arsenal" and Mr Hashmi "mini Ramzan" because I only gained height after 1964!

After the apprenticeship at Colorama Studios, Nairobi for six months, I got a job at Elite Wholesale Photographers, Mombasa. In 1968, in the 'Exodus', I was packed off to the UK. I got a job in the 'movie' department of Dixon's at Oxford Street. I also worked and learned the manufacture of Ophthalmic Lenses. I married Anjum in 1973 and started my own shop in Beckenham, Kent in 1959. Six months later, we lost our son in a car accident in Thornton Heath! Our shop, customers, family and friends kept us sane and despite more tragedies and traumas, our two boys have made us proud. Feyez is an Oxford graduate with Honours and has a very good job. Jameel graduated from Kingston.

Having lost our business through recession, we now work for Bromley Mind as driver and carer and we are happy!

- As of May 2012