Due to the fact that all our partners and staff, without exception, are Surrey and South-West London born and bred (two - Naz and Sarah - also gained their first degrees at local universities), all of us at Miles & Bird possess a deep-rooted emotional investment in both the area and within the community we're so proud to be a part of. We know how blessed we all are to be able to live and work in such a vibrant environment, so we felt the least we could do by way of showing our appreciation would be to share a few little slices of local life with you.
So, we despatched our intrepid young reporter Dariusz Bird (who doubles, by day, as an administrator at Miles & Bird) to venture out into Bridge Road to discover a little about the character and the history of the road from the first-hand perspectives of some of the traders, the entrepreneurs and the folk who run and staff the dazzling array of shops, restaurants, and cafes which combine to make even the briefest of visits to the road such a memorable experience. Dariusz's first port of call was Mada Deli - @11-13 Bridge Road, Hampton Court (Tel: 020 8979 7553) - run and owned by long-time local entrepreneur Steven Ashton. Here's how their conversation went.
Dariusz: Hiya, Steven. Great to meet you. <shakes Steven's hand vigorously> So, would you mind telling us what you like most about Bridge Road?
Steven: Hi, Dariusz. Great to meet you, too - and welcome to our road! Well, it's the people; the people who come here - especially those who come to the deli, of course - I love most of all. Such a diverse group: lots of cyclists, lots of ladies who lunch, lots of young mums who meet up for a coffee and a bite to eat with their pushchairs and their kids in tow. We have plenty of room here for pushchairs and we always give kids a big welcome.
Dariusz: Could you tell us a little about the history of your deli's connection with Hampton Court, Steven?
Steven: Well, Mada Deli's been operational for about 15 years now. We've been at Hampton Court since 2007, so we'll be coming up to our 10-year anniversary this year. We've had quite a few different sites here and there, but Bridge Road's the one we've finally settled on. Best site of the lot!
Dariusz: Congrats to you and Mada Deli! It’s certainly a very beautiful building.
Steven: Yeah, fantastic building. Used to be a NatWest bank in its previous incarnation, as a matter of fact.
Dariusz: If it were you conducting these interviews, Steven, who do you reckon you'd want to talk to next?
Steven: I think I'd probably… yeah, I think I'd go for the lovely lady in the florist's shop - Heidi. She’s really sweet. Or maybe Martin at number five. Really, really nice guy. Been here a long time, too. I think he used to have an antique shop on Bridge Road, but he runs a cafe here now. Different style to ours, of course, but it seems to get a big thumb's up from everyone who goes there.
Dariusz: That's where I'll be heading, then. Thanks, Steven: it's been a real pleasure.
