Damian, Londoner

Damian is a fruit and veg market seller in New Covent Garden Market. In this film he talks about the community of the market and the important processes involved in the selling and marketing of food.
1000 LONDONERS
This film is part of 1000 Londoners, a ten-year digital project which aims to create a digital portrait of a city through 1000 of the people who identify themselves with it. The profile contains a 3 minute film that gives an insight into the life of the Londoner, as well as their personal photos of London and some answers to crucial questions about their views on London life. Over the course of the project we aim to reveal as many facets of the capital as possible, seeing city life from 1000 points of view.
www.1000londoners.com
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1000 Londoners is produced by South London based film production company and social enterprise, Chocolate Films. The filmmakers from Chocolate Films will be both producing the films and providing opportunities to young people and community groups to make their own short documentaries, which will contribute to the 1000 films. Visit www.chocolatefilms.com.
TRANSCRIPT
(Damian talks on the phone and laughs) All the businesses around me are my competitors, but none of them would fail to help me out if I needed it. You know, if somebody has a shortage of a product, uhm I can go and borrow it from one of my competitors. There's a, a real sense of, of community here. It's nice, it makes it a nice environment to work in. There's a lot of banter, you have to be fairly thick-skinned. But, that's all part of the parcel. It's uhm, we smile a lot and that's what it's all about.
(Damian on the phone) Uhm would you have a turmeric there please? Could I borrow a box please? I'm gonna send young Paul down to come and grab it.
My kids sometimes ask me to bring something different, so I try and educate them along the way and, and take something for them to try. With a bit of red pitaya. It's very, visually it's very entertaining. It's not quite what you'd expect on the inside. But a very nice, fresh taste. That often ends up on some high end restaurants, on their fruit platters. So my kids particularly enjoy that, they might get that one today.
Unfortunately, I was very ill three years ago. Which meant I was unable to work. The support from this market, you know - not just my own company which was phenomenal - but to have customers, suppliers, you know, two or three phone calls every single week for four months, from people seeing how you are, anything I can do for you? Do you want me to pick the kids up? Do you want me to drop something around for you? That makes a very, very tough period in my life a lot easier to deal with.
My father came into this business when Covent Garden was based at its original location. He followed his father into the business and that was the beginning for me really. When I was old enough: uhm working here during the summer holidays, half terms, and just enjoying it, just enjoying the sort of freedom of working and the environment and the camaraderie that I mentioned earlier. It's been a, a nice way to grow into the business. With somebody that you can trust 100 percent has got your best interest at heart. If I can get halfway as good as he was, Uhm, then I've done well, I've done very well. That's the goals and the ambition is to uhm make him proud, make my family proud uhm and do a good job, you know.

[@speedyakakevin]

Used to work for Damien and his father many years ago
Great people to work for 👍

[@franceleeparis37]

Must say, that all these food suppliers and street market traders are the real heros … working in all weather, at ungodly hours and supply the food for life… 🙂