| AdminHistory | An extensive oral history project inteviewing sea farers resident at the Queen Victoria's Seamen's Rest (QVSR), 121-131 East India Dock Road, Poplar took place in 1980s. This project was a collaborative venture by Peter Gibson and Alex Hooper. A key participant was interviewee Ezekiel Frederick Soudien, known as Fred Soudien. He was of Black African heritage who came over from South Africa to England after World War Two. He was a merchant seaman who stayed regularly at QVSR while his vessel was in dock.
After interviewing Fred Soudien for the project he became a close friend of Peter Gibson and Alex Hooper. They helped him reconnect with his family in South Africa. They also raised the necessary funds for him to return there for his remaining years. |