‘Mishmash of people, but there was kindness’: ‘Cockney Sikh’ on east London

Suresh Singh has turned his memories of growing up in Spitalfields among diverse communities – and the far right – into a walking tour Suresh Singh never uses the word multiculturalism. “It’s nonsense to me,” he said. “What matters is your actions. What does ‘multicultural England’ mean, when we still build our little castles and don’t even ask anyone round for a cup of tea?” Singh, also known as “the Cockney Sikh”, has walked the streets of Spitalfields in east London for six decades. A teacher, architect, musician and author, he is often spotted in his three-piece suits and Lock&Co hat. This week he organised a nostalgic walking tour of the area, showing visitors its history. “I was really sick of these Jack the Ripper tours, talking about killing women,” said Singh. The tour also explored the area’s many immigrant populations over time. “Irish, Maltese, Hassidic Jews – it was such a mishmash of people,” said Singh. “But there was kindness. The Irish women would babysit me. The Polish Jews never got on with the Russian Jews, but they would always smile at my mum. Everybody somehow got on.” Born on Princelet Street, Spitalfields, in 1962, Si