Sitting in an alcove on Blackfriars Bridge with a strong wind blowing, we chat about books, why grandmothers are great, and how you learn to be a trader on the financial markets. "Loads of people have potential and then they just don't end up fulfilling that potential for whatever reason... they just put some barrier on themselves, ' I can't do that, or I'm too old, or if I was younger'... I just think you've got to keep fighting for the life you want". #otherlivesareavailable #podcast #eastlondon #trader

How you feel as an older person, dealing with grief, faith, and the University of the Third Age are all discussed while waiting for church on a park bench. "Your identity ebbs away as you get older... it means, unattractively, that sometimes you think I'm not really important any more". #otherlivesareavailable #podcast #eastlondon #aging

A chance meeting on a rainy day at a tea shop in Whitechapel leads to a chat about the historical connection between Sylhet and Britain, the business side of immigration and how to make a proper cuppa. "50% of the Bangladeshi community are taking our services, and 50% Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Nigerian, Turkish... even from the British community... and contribute to the community, contribute to their business, and contribute to the country." #otherlivesareavailable #eastlondon #podcast #sylhet

Anarchy, learning how to fix things and what the boating life brings are all chatted about, as trains pass noisily nearby. "It's empowering to learn how to do DIY, as long you're in a good flow and you're calm and you go slowly... I've come at it at a different angle to when I was younger". #otherlivesareavailable #eastlondon #podcast #diy

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 doesn't matter what is written on my papers... they still see you as coming from somewhere else". #otherlivesareavailable #eastlondon #podcast #manager

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 #dogwalker

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". #otherlivesareavalable #podcast #eastlondon #photographer

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 #addictionrecovery