His country sent shockwaves across the globe after it voted to leave the European Union in a referendum in June. Those backing 鈥楤rexit鈥� said they wanted control back from Brussels, especially over migration.
"We have trouble filling in forms. They don鈥檛 like us putting English anymore. We have to put British. People from Scotland say Scottish and Wales say Welsh and yet we鈥檙e not allowed to say English anymore. ... There are so many of us but we鈥檙e getting to be a minority in our country now. 鈥�
"I鈥檓 from Southhall and I鈥檓 in Hayes now, which is west London near to Heathrow Airport. I鈥檝e lived there all my life since 1938. Even during the Second World War I lived here. I went to school when I was five, so from five to seven we had air raids and all that鈥�. Now I鈥檓 retired. I lost my wife eight years ago. I鈥檝e started going to all different places all around London so I know it鈥�. We鈥檙e lucky in London because at my age I get free bus and train passes. 鈥� When I go out on public transport and all that, everyone鈥檚 speaking a foreign language. To me, it鈥檚 not good or bad but it doesn鈥檛 make you feel at home. I feel the foreigner sometimes.
"I have nothing against these people. They鈥檙e doing their best in their lives like we all are but obviously living this long, I know what it was like when it was terribly different. All the shops, everywhere, so many places, it鈥檚 changing the identity of the country. That鈥檚 what we, the majority of people who are retired now think. 鈥�
"I might be wrong, but we seem to have more and more and more people ruling us. You鈥檝e got local people. My local people who look after the area where I live are very good. Then you鈥檝e got Westminster who are supposed to look after the all the country and all that. Then you鈥檝e got Europe. And how many people in Europe [are ruling us]? We鈥檙e not taking about hundreds. There are thousands upon thousands. Do we need all those sort of people to tell us how to run our lives? That is a big bugbear in this country."
