Features

Sharing stories from my ‘village’

22 May 2022
3 Min Read

Jamila Wolf on why she launched a podcast to promote some of Tottenham’s most interesting personalities
By Jamila Wolf

Jamila Wolf launched her podcast 'Anybody Everybody Tottenham' last year
Jamila Wolf launched her podcast ‘Anybody Everybody Tottenham’ last year

I recently finished reading All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle. It is a touching story about our need for connection, our innate wanting to belong.

For my first seven years in Tottenham, I lived as a property guardian with 40 other people in one of

Haringey’s now-closed care homes. We were the most diverse group of people in one household you could imagine, spanning all nationalities, professions, and encompassing the whole spectrum on the cleanliness scale! It was an incredibly enlightening and exhilarating (or do I mean exhausting?) experience.

During the first Covid-19 lockdown, after I had just moved into my own place, I signed up as an NHS responder to call older people who had to shield for a check-in and a chat. It was during this time that I came across a podcast about a small Irish village that revived local radio to help their older villagers to still feel part of what was happening outside their homes.

The podcast stopped me in my tracks and made me realise how much I would enjoy listening to something like this featuring people from my ‘village’ – Tottenham. I sat with the idea for about a year and then went into action to launch a podcast interviewing long-term residents of Tottenham, about living in Tottenham.

Anybody Everybody Tottenham launched in May 2021 with three episodes – we have now published 20. Each episode is roughly 30 minutes in length and follows a three-part structure; firstly the guest discusses their connection to Tottenham, how long have they lived here and what changes have they seen; secondly they talk about themselves and what they do; and for the final part they share their top tips for Tottenham – what hidden gems might people overlook? I collate the top tips in a directory on my website, while I also transcribe each episode.

I have so far had artists, entrepreneurs, community activists, historians, religious figures and authors as guests. I am about to finish season one of the podcast and I am pleased with the reception it has got and that it has managed to showcase a real breadth of characters from the area. I don’t think season two will be much different, although I am particularly interested in people who work a bit more in the background; bus drivers, school lunch supervisors, postal workers, librarians. I think they have the best insights into the changing nature of our community, but might not always realise what a treasure trove of stories they are!

If you would like to feature in the podcast as a guest or know someone else who might be suitable, please get in touch. Anybody Everybody Tottenham is available on all the usual podcast platforms.

To find out more about Anybody Everybody Tottenham and get in touch:

Email [email protected]

Visit anybodyeverybodytottenham.com

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