Between the ages of three and nine, the author lived with their family in a small semi-detached house on Crest Road, located in Neasden, a suburban area in northwest London. The residence featured a pebbledash exterior, bay windows, and a narrow garden stretching farther than those of neighboring houses. Many familiar landmarks in the vicinity remain unchanged, including a newsagent at the end of the road and a bus stop used by the author’s mother to catch the no. 16 bus to work. Other businesses have evolved over time; a charity shop where the mother once purchased silverware has been replaced by a bookmaker, and a greengrocer’s shop previously operated by a Cypriot man has vanished.

The Ox & Gate pub, opposite the house, continues to serve the area but now features more prominent signage and advertising for live sports under new ownership. The author’s family frequently relocated within a five-mile radius during their childhood, as the father, a clerk in Paddington, invested in modest properties nearby. He would renovate these homes and sell them over the years, prompting the family to move regularly. Property ownership formed a financial strategy for the father, who was part of the first wave of South Asian immigrants to the UK and sought stability after early experiences of overcrowded lodgings and job insecurity in the 1960s.

The author recalls weekends spent assisting their father with home renovations, such as wallpapering and lawn mowing, and recognizes that these efforts were not about the properties’ grandeur but about supporting the family’s way of life. Memories of Crest Road include intimate scenes from inside the house—watching a brother leave for school, the scent of a half-sister’s hairspray in the hall, and a childhood discovery of a sleeping pigeon in the garden. These recollections carry themes of transition, loss, and the passage of time.

Today, the author resides in cooperative housing in north London, sharing a community with families and artists who both rent and part-own their residences. This living arrangement contrasts with their father’s approach but reflects a similar desire for shared shelter and community. Following the father’s death in September, the author and their brother arranged a procession passing by some of the homes their father had owned, culminating in a final stop on Crest Road before the cemetery. There, the sight of a slightly open front door and children’s bicycles leaning against a garden fence stirred a sense of connection to the ongoing lives within the community.