Interview 3
click on the play button to listen to the interview
A: Ok this actually was our uncle’s shop for many amount of years and then as soon as me and my brother basically turned eighteen, nineteen, they decided they didn’t want to carry on working here so they asked us “Would you be interested in opening a shop?
So just from there basically, so we decided to open up then.
Q: Right, so they kind of wanted you to take it on …
A: Take it on, yeah. I wasn’t exactly a shop at that point, it was a wholesale base for them, and then they wanted to sell it at one point and then they were thinking not to sell it and they wanted it to become a running business. And then, because my brother wanted to go into business, he was like “Yeah, let’s go and start a business”
Q: Right, right, had you decided at that point what kind of business you wanted it to be?
A: Yeah, well we’ve got, actually my Mum’s already got a business in Wolverhampton, it’s a clothes shop, a running clothes shop; it’s a material shop, so they sell more materials and stuff but we decided to go into more ready made; at that point there weren’t that many shops, that many ready-made shops in which you could just walk in and buy a ready-made suit.
So we thought that was probably the best thing to go for.
Q: Right, right, you thought you might get more business out of it
A: Yeah of course, definitely yeah, because there weren’t that many shops, so at that point I think there might’ve been about two shops and we were probably the third shop.
And being the biggest shop, it was just a bit more… we thought we would get more sales.
Q: And do you think you gained a lot of business from being something quite unique?
A: Yeah, definitely, yeah. It did take time obviously, for people to realize they could actually walk into a shop and buy a ready-made suit instead of getting material and sowing it, at that point.
A lot of the young girls were coming in and thinking, “wow we can actually buy a ready made suit with a lot more embroidery on and for a lot less“ because at that point, sowing a suit wasn’t cheap as well…
Q: Ah right, around what time would that be?
A: I think we opened up round about 1993. That was, quite, many years ago! (Laughs) So yeah, it’s good, yeah… Come in bride ailing instead of going to India or Pakistan and getting you bridle linger. At that point you could actually just come into this shop and buy you linger, you had choices.
Q: And what about the customers, were they women, young girls coming in?
A: Young girls and ladies; mostly we were selling to young girls. Beads and designs and stuff. But yeah, mostly young people, professional people; I mean at that point they had skills, ladies started to work and stuff so they had their OWN money to spend.
Q: Right, yes... and have you seen a change between then, in terms of your customers, do you think there are more women now shopping or do you think there are more different types of women shopping …
A: oh yeah definitely I think age is not a matter now, every age comes in! Young girls, young ladies, older ladies, they’re all different. They all want to look glamorous!
Q: Of course! Excellent! How have you seen Ladypool Road change I mean, how was it like in 1993?
A: I mean there was a lot more; there were a lot of Derelict properties at that point and not many people were working. But now, every shop is occupied and there are a lot more ready-made shops, and there a lot more restaurants as well on this road, so yeah, definitely a change. The change obviously on the road itself.
Q: In what way?
A: Because at that point it was a bit rough, the road wasn’t very nice to look at. People were coming but you know, it wasn’t as nice. But now, I think they’ve made the roads nicer.
Q: Do you think that’s to do with the City Council?
A: Oh yeah definitely the city council has helped out.
Q: And I noticed that even the shops are much more glamorous…
A: They are, definitely. I think that a lot of them are spending more money, and when we had our shop first it was just simple, so you had to like, make it look good.
But now you have to do it up, definitely, for getting people to come in.
Q: So do you think it’s because it’s more competitive now?
A: Yeah, definitely more competitive now yeah.
Q: Can you tell me how do you go about styling your window?
A: Just basically by keeping it simple, by keeping the colors the same, not mish-mashing the colors so just keeping it simple. Obviously the latest designs go into the window so people can look from outside and say ‘wow they got the latest designs”. People do want to have a look at that.
Q: And do you think there are more women now with businesses on Ladypool Road? Do you think it’s the same amount?
A: There are a lot more women but again a lot of men as well. I think there are, there are quite a few women doing businesses now…
Q: Have you ever had any opposition or any kind of remarks that you know… “How come there’s a lady who’s got a business”?
A: No not really, I think it’s better. People come because you’re a lady basically, a lady will know better what to serve a customer, than a man.
I think with a guy being here, I think it works well, because we do a lot of made-to measure now, so if you have a girl, they’ll actually tell you what you want whereas a guy will be like oh he won’t know anything.
Q: How about your own kind of experience of starting the business, I mean to have a lady or a young girl to start her own business, even though it’s a legacy from the family, have you ever had any challenges or people questioning why do you want to do a business…?
A: Yeah we do, and I even ask myself the same question as well! (Laughs) But no, it’s been good, I think being your own boss, I think that helps as well. And, in between, having kids, it is hard because you have go to do your chores at home, cooking, cleaning and looking after the kids but it’s good, I think it’s a challenge everyday! You come to work, which is good really! I mean it’s better than sitting at home and getting bored.
Q: Yeah, so you’ve managed both (family life/working life)?
A: oh yes, of course
Q: If you don’t mind me asking, how many children do you have?
A: I’ve got three, three boys, no girls!
Q: And so you have take care of the home…
A: …And look after the shop yeah.
Q: And how long do you work in the shop?
A: Sometimes, five to six days and we open around half past eleven till seven, so it’s a long day.
I think you need to have a good husband who understands everything as well
Q: That’s really important yeah, I mean, how does your husband feel about you having the business?
A: He’s happy, he just works as a retail shop manager, and it’s good yeah
Q: Do you think it’s important to have, I mean supposed you mentioned it but, how important is it for a partner or a husband to support…
A: Oh definitely, you need that, if you didn’t have the support, you wouldn’t be able to carry on working. Because even though I drop the kids off to school, he’ll pick them up and do whatever they need doing until seven, and so it is definitely important for them to help out, otherwise you can’t do it. It comes to more or less impossible. I mean I’ll be bringing the children after they’re a month old to the shop.
So yeah, it’s good because you can look after your children as well at work as well as being your own boss.
Q: Do the kids have any interest in your business?
A: No, not really, they’re doing their own thing (laughs)
Q: They don’t want to say “Come on Mum, we’ll take over your shop,”
A: No, not at the moment, they’re a bit young, so we’ll see what happens in the future, you never know.
Q: Would you like your kids to go into retail?
A: I’m not sure; maybe one of them would be nice, to carry on the family business, but just if they’ve got the interest, you need to have the interest. If there is no interest in clothes and stuff then I don’t think that he can do it.
Q: Is that what drives you?
A: Yeah I think because we were so young when my Mum had her shop. Since I remember, my Mum had her shop and we would always work there on the weekends after school, you know, serving customers and yes definitely that’s what led us into coming straight into it. And I loved designing, I love drawing at that time when I was younger so you know I used to pretend I was a designer and you know draw this and that, but yeh it’s good.
Q: Tell us about your mum, do you think she’s been your inspiration for something like this?
A: Definitely yes, she solely runs the shop there herself and still does and she’s definitely an inspiration.
Q: How do you think it was for her at that time in that generation?
A: It was hard, because they had kids obviously as well and I think it was harder then that it is now, because the opening time used to be … anytime. It was like basically, we used to live on top of the shop and people used to come at anytime and serve themselves, it was mad! The problem was that there were a lot less shops then when they opened. It’s been hard but good.
Q: In what ways has it been hard, like in you growing up or as family?
A: At first because we didn’t have so much social life as in going to people’s houses, it was mostly running around the shop so at the weekends…
We would have friends and stuff but they used to cone over to the shop and help us out
Q: So you’ve kind of known about, I suppose, business and how to sell since a very young age?
A: Since a very young age yeah definitely
Q: And that has played a part of course in running your own place?
A: Definitely
Q: What’s your biggest aspiration? For your business or for yourself is there an ambition you want to fulfill anything you really want to see happen?
A: I would like to make up some Bollywood stars! (Laughs) That would be really good!
Maybe have another shop, the same maybe yeah, have a “A Bazaar 2”. We did have a A Bazaar 2 for a while but then… that was on Stratford Road, but then this was going down because there was just my brother and staff here, so they needed me back… so I came back and we only stuck to one business.
We need more manpower I think if you’re opening a different shop and it’s good if you have family who can help you out because I think that family sort of understands the importance of selling, I mean the staff is good, it’s really brilliant, but I think I just need that one extra person with the same passion.
Q: And if there was another A Bazaar, would it be on Ladypool Road?
A: Not on Ladypool Road, no it would be somewhere different, somewhere maybe in London or somewhere different
Q: In another city?
A: Yeah definitely.
Q: If you didn’t have your shop in Ladypool Road, how different would it have been, in terms of customers, even in terms of your stock, I mean, how important is it for you to be here?
A: I think it’s definitely important. I think a lot of people know us now and Ladypool Road is a sort of road on which everyone comes onto. We find that a lot of people like, some people don’t know about Ladypool road, but I think everybody knows about Ladypool Road and being the first sort of road, one of the first roads to be important in ladies wear, it’s definitely important.
Q: And in terms of the people living here, are they all from the subcontinent, India, Pakistan?
A: Yes I think they are mostly, they’ve changed now, and we’ve had a lot of different type of customers, we have Chinese, English, we have African-Caribbean; we have all types of customers now. Not just one type of customer. They really love the Asian outfits and the embroideries and everything. We have loads of customers.
At one point it was obviously just Asian but now, because we make a lot of made-to-measure, everybody wants to be designed into these clothes.
Q: And do you live nearby?
A: No, I live in Wolverhampton
Q: Wow, you travel!
A: Yeah we’ve been traveling for the last twenty odd years!
Q: My goodness, how different then is it from Wolverhampton?
A: I mean Wolverhampton you have the same old people, it’s more like, even though it’s a city, it’s more like a village type, where the same type of people come, whereas Birmingham you have people who coming from everywhere, out of town as well, so you have people who come from London, Scotland, Whales, Cardiff, everywhere, all around in England. Even across, America as well, we’ve had Canada customers, American customers.
Q: You wouldn’t consider having a business in Wolverhampton?
A: No I don’t think so, now that we’re in Birmingham, we’ve started in Birmingham and we have a lot more different types of customers coming into Birmingham, I don’t think we would have the same clientele here in Birmingham…
Q: Really? Why not?
A: I think Wolverhampton is a bit smaller so a lot of people wouldn’t travel to Wolverhampton whereas they would travel into Birmingham, being a bigger city and stuff definitely… a lot more variety on this road as well compared to Wolverhampton.
Q: So if there was anything you would want to see on Ladypool Road change for the better or anything that you think would support obviously your business but also I think, the general idea of women working, what would be those changes?
A: I think it would be good to get more car parks! Everybody is always complaining about there not being enough car parks here! For women, I suppose more different types of restaurants, more stuff for women, maybe a bit more jewellery shops because there aren’t that many jewellery shops … I don’t know maybe more desert places maybe!!! (Laughs) or Coffee shops!!! So people, ladies can just chill out; so we get more clients people to come in!
Q: Do you get time to explore Ladypool Road yourself?
A: There aren’t enough months, many weeks go past and I don’t even go out! But yeah we do go up and down, we need to, if we need to, we do go up.
Q: Or would you shop somewhere else?
A: For clothes, obviously we’ve got enough clothes here; we don’t need to shop for anything else, but for jewellery and stuff yeah, we sometimes do go out and about. Yeah, just to explore…
Q: And just if I can ask you about the cultural set up of your own family, or when you were growing up, we’ve spoken to a lot of women now and there have been some issues with families where they think “why should women be working?” or “why do you want to have a business for yourself?”, “Is it even right to have a public face and be talking and dealing with customers?” and there have been some real women who have said it has been really, really hard but they have come out on the other side and they are proving a point to, whether it is to their husbands or their brothers or their uncles and it’s usually the men saying “No, no, no, you shouldn’t be doing this” and have you ever felt that there has been like a barrier or you feel that you’re not getting that support or you’re feeling that there should be more and more models like yourself?
A: No actually, within myself, I never have felt that at all because I think my Mum had already been there and done it. So for myself, something had already been there. I was just following into her footsteps I think in that sense.
Q: Did she encourage you?
A: Yeah, she definitely encouraged me, yeah, at one point I didn’t want to go into business. I wanted to become a designer more than getting into business as in selling clothes. She definitely encouraged me; she was like “You should do it”
Q: Why did she think you should do it?
A: I think that she probably thought that I would be more, that I would suit this more, trying to design clothes, whereas my sisters were more into, one’s a teacher and the other one did a computer science degree. They were more into that business whereas I was more into designing. She was like “You’ll do well”.
Q: She could see the talent
A: Yes definitely
Q: What about your sisters, how do they feel about you having this business?
A: Oh they love it! They want to buy it out! They don’t have to go anywhere, they can come straight here!
Q: Excellent. If there was a message for the new generation, the next generation of women or girls who feel that you know, they want to do something in life but there are barriers or obstacles or there are people who will not encourage them, what would be your message?
A: I would say definitely, if you have got the passion, definitely do it …it works. I think that people can see the passion in you. If you like doing something, do it. I wouldn’t let anyone get in the way basically. Especially nowadays I reckon.
Q: And do you think, obviously if they’re married, the husband should be supportive?
A: Definitely yeah! I mean that’s vital to have to be supportive, otherwise you can’t do it yourself! You can’t do everything yourself: Run a business and look after the children and look after the house. It is really difficult, it’s team effort.
Q: Excellent. Anything else you would like to add or think is really important for people to hear about your business or yourself or Ladypool Road?
A: I think definitely come on Ladypool Road if you haven’t come on Ladypool Road yet, there’s loads to see, loads to do and you get the latest fashion here, all the updates, it’s all here.
Q: Do you think it’s a flagship of Birmingham?
A: Definitely, Ladypool Road is a main thing in Birmingham; a lot of people come to Ladypool Road, to this “Balti Triangle” as they say to eat and to shop.
Q: Excellent. Well, thank you very much A and we’ll let you know when this is at the digital archive in the Library of Birmingham and it will go on our website so you can hear you own voice and other people will hear it and be completely inspired! So thank you very much.
A: Thank you very much.
A: Yeah of course, definitely yeah, because there weren’t that many shops, so at that point I think there might’ve been about two shops and we were probably the third shop.
And being the biggest shop, it was just a bit more… we thought we would get more sales.
Q: And do you think you gained a lot of business from being something quite unique?
A: Yeah, definitely, yeah. It did take time obviously, for people to realize they could actually walk into a shop and buy a ready-made suit instead of getting material and sowing it, at that point.
A lot of the young girls were coming in and thinking, “wow we can actually buy a ready made suit with a lot more embroidery on and for a lot less“ because at that point, sowing a suit wasn’t cheap as well…
Q: Ah right, around what time would that be?
A: I think we opened up round about 1993. That was, quite, many years ago! (Laughs) So yeah, it’s good, yeah… Come in bride ailing instead of going to India or Pakistan and getting you bridle linger. At that point you could actually just come into this shop and buy you linger, you had choices.
Q: And what about the customers, were they women, young girls coming in?
A: Young girls and ladies; mostly we were selling to young girls. Beads and designs and stuff. But yeah, mostly young people, professional people; I mean at that point they had skills, ladies started to work and stuff so they had their OWN money to spend.
Q: Right, yes... and have you seen a change between then, in terms of your customers, do you think there are more women now shopping or do you think there are more different types of women shopping …
A: oh yeah definitely I think age is not a matter now, every age comes in! Young girls, young ladies, older ladies, they’re all different. They all want to look glamorous!
Q: Of course! Excellent! How have you seen Ladypool Road change I mean, how was it like in 1993?
A: I mean there was a lot more; there were a lot of Derelict properties at that point and not many people were working. But now, every shop is occupied and there are a lot more ready-made shops, and there a lot more restaurants as well on this road, so yeah, definitely a change. The change obviously on the road itself.
Q: In what way?
A: Because at that point it was a bit rough, the road wasn’t very nice to look at. People were coming but you know, it wasn’t as nice. But now, I think they’ve made the roads nicer.
Q: Do you think that’s to do with the City Council?
A: Oh yeah definitely the city council has helped out.
Q: And I noticed that even the shops are much more glamorous…
A: They are, definitely. I think that a lot of them are spending more money, and when we had our shop first it was just simple, so you had to like, make it look good.
But now you have to do it up, definitely, for getting people to come in.
Q: So do you think it’s because it’s more competitive now?
A: Yeah, definitely more competitive now yeah.
Q: Can you tell me how do you go about styling your window?
A: Just basically by keeping it simple, by keeping the colors the same, not mish-mashing the colors so just keeping it simple. Obviously the latest designs go into the window so people can look from outside and say ‘wow they got the latest designs”. People do want to have a look at that.
Q: And do you think there are more women now with businesses on Ladypool Road? Do you think it’s the same amount?
A: There are a lot more women but again a lot of men as well. I think there are, there are quite a few women doing businesses now…
Q: Have you ever had any opposition or any kind of remarks that you know… “How come there’s a lady who’s got a business”?
A: No not really, I think it’s better. People come because you’re a lady basically, a lady will know better what to serve a customer, than a man.
I think with a guy being here, I think it works well, because we do a lot of made-to measure now, so if you have a girl, they’ll actually tell you what you want whereas a guy will be like oh he won’t know anything.
Q: How about your own kind of experience of starting the business, I mean to have a lady or a young girl to start her own business, even though it’s a legacy from the family, have you ever had any challenges or people questioning why do you want to do a business…?
A: Yeah we do, and I even ask myself the same question as well! (Laughs) But no, it’s been good, I think being your own boss, I think that helps as well. And, in between, having kids, it is hard because you have go to do your chores at home, cooking, cleaning and looking after the kids but it’s good, I think it’s a challenge everyday! You come to work, which is good really! I mean it’s better than sitting at home and getting bored.
Q: Yeah, so you’ve managed both (family life/working life)?
A: oh yes, of course
Q: If you don’t mind me asking, how many children do you have?
A: I’ve got three, three boys, no girls!
Q: And so you have take care of the home…
A: …And look after the shop yeah.
Q: And how long do you work in the shop?
A: Sometimes, five to six days and we open around half past eleven till seven, so it’s a long day.
I think you need to have a good husband who understands everything as well
Q: That’s really important yeah, I mean, how does your husband feel about you having the business?
A: He’s happy, he just works as a retail shop manager, and it’s good yeah
Q: Do you think it’s important to have, I mean supposed you mentioned it but, how important is it for a partner or a husband to support…
A: Oh definitely, you need that, if you didn’t have the support, you wouldn’t be able to carry on working. Because even though I drop the kids off to school, he’ll pick them up and do whatever they need doing until seven, and so it is definitely important for them to help out, otherwise you can’t do it. It comes to more or less impossible. I mean I’ll be bringing the children after they’re a month old to the shop.
So yeah, it’s good because you can look after your children as well at work as well as being your own boss.
Q: Do the kids have any interest in your business?
A: No, not really, they’re doing their own thing (laughs)
Q: They don’t want to say “Come on Mum, we’ll take over your shop,”
A: No, not at the moment, they’re a bit young, so we’ll see what happens in the future, you never know.
Q: Would you like your kids to go into retail?
A: I’m not sure; maybe one of them would be nice, to carry on the family business, but just if they’ve got the interest, you need to have the interest. If there is no interest in clothes and stuff then I don’t think that he can do it.
Q: Is that what drives you?
A: Yeah I think because we were so young when my Mum had her shop. Since I remember, my Mum had her shop and we would always work there on the weekends after school, you know, serving customers and yes definitely that’s what led us into coming straight into it. And I loved designing, I love drawing at that time when I was younger so you know I used to pretend I was a designer and you know draw this and that, but yeh it’s good.
Q: Tell us about your mum, do you think she’s been your inspiration for something like this?
A: Definitely yes, she solely runs the shop there herself and still does and she’s definitely an inspiration.
Q: How do you think it was for her at that time in that generation?
A: It was hard, because they had kids obviously as well and I think it was harder then that it is now, because the opening time used to be … anytime. It was like basically, we used to live on top of the shop and people used to come at anytime and serve themselves, it was mad! The problem was that there were a lot less shops then when they opened. It’s been hard but good.
Q: In what ways has it been hard, like in you growing up or as family?
A: At first because we didn’t have so much social life as in going to people’s houses, it was mostly running around the shop so at the weekends…
We would have friends and stuff but they used to cone over to the shop and help us out
Q: So you’ve kind of known about, I suppose, business and how to sell since a very young age?
A: Since a very young age yeah definitely
Q: And that has played a part of course in running your own place?
A: Definitely
Q: What’s your biggest aspiration? For your business or for yourself is there an ambition you want to fulfill anything you really want to see happen?
A: I would like to make up some Bollywood stars! (Laughs) That would be really good!
Maybe have another shop, the same maybe yeah, have a “A Bazaar 2”. We did have a A Bazaar 2 for a while but then… that was on Stratford Road, but then this was going down because there was just my brother and staff here, so they needed me back… so I came back and we only stuck to one business.
We need more manpower I think if you’re opening a different shop and it’s good if you have family who can help you out because I think that family sort of understands the importance of selling, I mean the staff is good, it’s really brilliant, but I think I just need that one extra person with the same passion.
Q: And if there was another A Bazaar, would it be on Ladypool Road?
A: Not on Ladypool Road, no it would be somewhere different, somewhere maybe in London or somewhere different
Q: In another city?
A: Yeah definitely.
Q: If you didn’t have your shop in Ladypool Road, how different would it have been, in terms of customers, even in terms of your stock, I mean, how important is it for you to be here?
A: I think it’s definitely important. I think a lot of people know us now and Ladypool Road is a sort of road on which everyone comes onto. We find that a lot of people like, some people don’t know about Ladypool road, but I think everybody knows about Ladypool Road and being the first sort of road, one of the first roads to be important in ladies wear, it’s definitely important.
Q: And in terms of the people living here, are they all from the subcontinent, India, Pakistan?
A: Yes I think they are mostly, they’ve changed now, and we’ve had a lot of different type of customers, we have Chinese, English, we have African-Caribbean; we have all types of customers now. Not just one type of customer. They really love the Asian outfits and the embroideries and everything. We have loads of customers.
At one point it was obviously just Asian but now, because we make a lot of made-to-measure, everybody wants to be designed into these clothes.
Q: And do you live nearby?
A: No, I live in Wolverhampton
Q: Wow, you travel!
A: Yeah we’ve been traveling for the last twenty odd years!
Q: My goodness, how different then is it from Wolverhampton?
A: I mean Wolverhampton you have the same old people, it’s more like, even though it’s a city, it’s more like a village type, where the same type of people come, whereas Birmingham you have people who coming from everywhere, out of town as well, so you have people who come from London, Scotland, Whales, Cardiff, everywhere, all around in England. Even across, America as well, we’ve had Canada customers, American customers.
Q: You wouldn’t consider having a business in Wolverhampton?
A: No I don’t think so, now that we’re in Birmingham, we’ve started in Birmingham and we have a lot more different types of customers coming into Birmingham, I don’t think we would have the same clientele here in Birmingham…
Q: Really? Why not?
A: I think Wolverhampton is a bit smaller so a lot of people wouldn’t travel to Wolverhampton whereas they would travel into Birmingham, being a bigger city and stuff definitely… a lot more variety on this road as well compared to Wolverhampton.
Q: So if there was anything you would want to see on Ladypool Road change for the better or anything that you think would support obviously your business but also I think, the general idea of women working, what would be those changes?
A: I think it would be good to get more car parks! Everybody is always complaining about there not being enough car parks here! For women, I suppose more different types of restaurants, more stuff for women, maybe a bit more jewellery shops because there aren’t that many jewellery shops … I don’t know maybe more desert places maybe!!! (Laughs) or Coffee shops!!! So people, ladies can just chill out; so we get more clients people to come in!
Q: Do you get time to explore Ladypool Road yourself?
A: There aren’t enough months, many weeks go past and I don’t even go out! But yeah we do go up and down, we need to, if we need to, we do go up.
Q: Or would you shop somewhere else?
A: For clothes, obviously we’ve got enough clothes here; we don’t need to shop for anything else, but for jewellery and stuff yeah, we sometimes do go out and about. Yeah, just to explore…
Q: And just if I can ask you about the cultural set up of your own family, or when you were growing up, we’ve spoken to a lot of women now and there have been some issues with families where they think “why should women be working?” or “why do you want to have a business for yourself?”, “Is it even right to have a public face and be talking and dealing with customers?” and there have been some real women who have said it has been really, really hard but they have come out on the other side and they are proving a point to, whether it is to their husbands or their brothers or their uncles and it’s usually the men saying “No, no, no, you shouldn’t be doing this” and have you ever felt that there has been like a barrier or you feel that you’re not getting that support or you’re feeling that there should be more and more models like yourself?
A: No actually, within myself, I never have felt that at all because I think my Mum had already been there and done it. So for myself, something had already been there. I was just following into her footsteps I think in that sense.
Q: Did she encourage you?
A: Yeah, she definitely encouraged me, yeah, at one point I didn’t want to go into business. I wanted to become a designer more than getting into business as in selling clothes. She definitely encouraged me; she was like “You should do it”
Q: Why did she think you should do it?
A: I think that she probably thought that I would be more, that I would suit this more, trying to design clothes, whereas my sisters were more into, one’s a teacher and the other one did a computer science degree. They were more into that business whereas I was more into designing. She was like “You’ll do well”.
Q: She could see the talent
A: Yes definitely
Q: What about your sisters, how do they feel about you having this business?
A: Oh they love it! They want to buy it out! They don’t have to go anywhere, they can come straight here!
Q: Excellent. If there was a message for the new generation, the next generation of women or girls who feel that you know, they want to do something in life but there are barriers or obstacles or there are people who will not encourage them, what would be your message?
A: I would say definitely, if you have got the passion, definitely do it …it works. I think that people can see the passion in you. If you like doing something, do it. I wouldn’t let anyone get in the way basically. Especially nowadays I reckon.
Q: And do you think, obviously if they’re married, the husband should be supportive?
A: Definitely yeah! I mean that’s vital to have to be supportive, otherwise you can’t do it yourself! You can’t do everything yourself: Run a business and look after the children and look after the house. It is really difficult, it’s team effort.
Q: Excellent. Anything else you would like to add or think is really important for people to hear about your business or yourself or Ladypool Road?
A: I think definitely come on Ladypool Road if you haven’t come on Ladypool Road yet, there’s loads to see, loads to do and you get the latest fashion here, all the updates, it’s all here.
Q: Do you think it’s a flagship of Birmingham?
A: Definitely, Ladypool Road is a main thing in Birmingham; a lot of people come to Ladypool Road, to this “Balti Triangle” as they say to eat and to shop.
Q: Excellent. Well, thank you very much A and we’ll let you know when this is at the digital archive in the Library of Birmingham and it will go on our website so you can hear you own voice and other people will hear it and be completely inspired! So thank you very much.
A: Thank you very much.
Sonia Sabri Company, 202 Moseley Street, Birmingham B12 0RT UK