0:25

so I'm joined

0:25

today by Melvin Anderson. melfin

0:28

is an antique dealer by trade.

0:28

Melvin was born in the East End

0:32

of London. He has lived in the

0:32

US for the last 15 years and

0:36

he's about to leave the US. So

0:36

Melbourne welcome. asked to be

0:40

here. To give the listeners some

0:40

context, perhaps you could tell

0:45

them a little bit about your

0:45

childhood.

0:48

Well, I was

0:48

born in Stepney in East London,

0:51

and was born in the London

0:51

Hospital. I went to school in

0:53

the East End, we've stayed in

0:53

the East End of London, up until

0:57

the age of approximately 18. I

0:57

left school early, or how early

1:03

15.

1:04

For our US listeners who don't really understand this story, bits of

1:06

London was was set near a

1:10

wealthy place. Now far from it.

1:10

Describe it to the Bronx in New

1:15

York. Okay,

1:16

describe it perfectly.

1:18

Tell us something

1:18

about your education.

1:20

My education, I

1:20

took the 11 Plus, obviously,

1:24

when I was 11 past it

1:25

for our American

1:25

listeners, the 11 Plus used to

1:27

be an exam that people took at

1:27

the age of 11 to establish

1:32

whether they go to an academic

1:32

school or a non academic school.

1:36

Yeah,

1:36

I was I went to

1:36

a grammar school, which was

1:39

opposite where I lived. Right.

1:39

It was called Rhines foundation.

1:43

God knows if he's still there. I

1:43

took an eye level photo and I

1:46

was always good with numbers.

1:46

And after that I wasn't I just

1:49

left. My parents said pubs at

1:49

the time. Okay. And I used to

1:54

help out for my dad in a bar. I

1:54

used to come home in short

1:58

trousers, put long dresses and

1:58

start selling beer. Okay.

2:01

And you do that?

2:01

What are 14? Yeah, so a bit of a

2:05

shock for Americans to find a 14

2:05

year old could be selling.

2:08

Wow, yeah. When

2:08

I got to 18, my father had

2:12

bought a pub in in Essex, which

2:12

is on the outskirts of London

2:18

and moved out and the other the

2:18

had the tendency of a great big

2:22

pub called the white hotel in

2:22

clapped and 85, which was a

2:27

tough area he had with the

2:27

brewery, which was past chairman

2:31

to the other year's lease left.

2:31

And he said, Why don't you go in

2:34

there and run that role? It was

2:34

a tough.

2:38

So you did that? Yeah.

2:41

I was 18.

2:42

So you ran your

2:42

own pub? Yeah. The age of 18.

2:45

Okay. And then you said it's a

2:45

tough area. What did well,

2:47

there was very

2:47

violent, and there's often

2:50

fights and things. I mean, if

2:50

you're under police, they

2:53

wouldn't come so you had to

2:53

solve any trouble. So,

2:56

so how did you do

2:56

that? Well,

2:58

I had to go

2:58

around whack a few people that

3:00

okay.

3:02

And by wack you

3:02

mean hit them as opposed to the

3:05

mafia description of what yeah,

3:07

he would say

3:07

that. Yeah. Okay, which was

3:09

anyway, after I was only there

3:09

for about six or seven months,

3:13

while running the pub, which are

3:13

totally disliked, was long,

3:18

grueling hours, but I earned a

3:18

lot of money for somebody with

3:21

no academic brines at 18 years

3:21

of age after six months.

3:25

What was your first can you remember your first job? You said you left

3:27

school at 15? So

3:31

yeah, I went on

3:31

a building site in in London,

3:36

and said I was 18 as a laborer,

3:36

and I got 25 pound a week, which

3:41

was a fortune then, right? Yeah,

3:41

average wage was a quick but it

3:44

was longer than ours. And then

3:44

after that, I got a quick job as

3:50

a milkman really managed to go

3:50

in there. So for

3:54

American listeners, again, it's less common now. But certainly when

3:56

we were growing up, people used

3:59

to get their milk delivered to

3:59

their door every day. Yeah,

4:03

nowadays, most people buy it in

4:03

a supermarket once a week. Yeah,

4:07

but then we used to get, you

4:07

know, one, two or three pints

4:10

every day delivered by a

4:10

milkman. That's right. And

4:12

that's early hours, isn't it?

4:14

I used to come out of the nightclub. I was always heavy drinker and go

4:16

straight to work. I was still

4:18

pissed when

4:19

you could have been the first person ever to get done for drunk driving of a

4:21

milkflow

4:25

most definitely

4:25

yeah. We used to have cages on

4:28

the milkflow because where I

4:28

delivered which was in

4:32

Walthamstow, which is also in

4:32

the East End of London. Tommy

4:35

went up a block of flats and

4:35

come back everything OB GYN, so

4:38

we had to lock everything it was like

4:40

so wouldn't base

4:40

just steal the milk from

4:42

people's doorsteps as well.

4:45

Yeah, they did.

4:45

Yeah, there's lots of things

4:49

like that mean to me. It was

4:49

just a job error. I ended up

4:51

doing that.

4:52

So from about 15

4:52

through to 19. Then you just

4:57

took the work where you can find

4:57

it. Yeah, well just running the

5:01

park your work. So milkman you

5:01

did a whole range of things. And

5:06

then you met somebody in the

5:06

antiques trade.

5:09

I did. Yeah. He

5:09

was a guy that used to come into

5:12

the farm have a girlfriend I

5:12

mean, are still speak to him

5:15

regulate. He was explaining to

5:15

me what he did. He just had some

5:19

leaflets saying, you know, we

5:19

buy our clocks and pocket

5:22

watches and things like that.

5:22

And he was explaining all this

5:26

stuff. And he used to go down to

5:26

South Bend south end was the

5:29

nearest seaside town and it was

5:29

like the beach resort for the

5:34

stamp each result for the Yeah.

5:38

It's a bit Porsche now, isn't it?

5:40

Well, I should

5:40

hope so. Yeah, it definitely

5:43

wasn't in them though. So well,

5:43

whilst we was driving down

5:46

there, I said, Well, what he

5:46

said, I'll go and put the

5:49

leaflets in the doors go and

5:49

have some breakfast and go back

5:52

knock on the door. Because

5:52

originally it was marked I off.

5:54

I only had one day off a week, I

5:54

said, we dropped me at the pier,

5:57

I'll just go and have a few

5:57

beers and something to eat and

6:00

pick me up later. But I got

6:00

interested. So I said, Well,

6:03

I'll come and put these leaflets

6:03

in the doors with you and our

6:06

deed. And then we went back was

6:06

very unprofessional and then

6:10

days and knocking on the doors

6:10

or remember, I got into an

6:14

awesome, you know, always been

6:14

good with my mouth. And a lady

6:18

said to me, she had an envelope

6:18

car table Edwardian thing I'll

6:22

never forget it. She said, Oh,

6:22

she said well, don't use this I

6:25

could do to get rid of this. I

6:25

said, you know, I forget what I

6:28

said. But I said I will I will

6:28

monitor nothing. He was going in

6:32

the trash that thing and was

6:32

just laughing anyway, the result

6:35

came that my friend come back he

6:35

bought the table we bought like

6:38

a long guard Jojen gold chain,

6:38

and a couple of bits of silver

6:44

and stuff. And that was it. We

6:44

you know, we had a day doing

6:49

that. Then we stopped and had

6:49

some drinks and he dropped me

6:51

back in the meantime and I was

6:51

going back I got quite

6:55

interested. And I said well

6:55

where'd you sell all this junk?

6:58

So he said I'll go to Burma the

6:58

antique market which was on a

7:02

Thursday. I believe this was

7:02

Monday or a Tuesday and I said

7:06

well pick us up to go as we went

7:06

over there he gave 12 pounds to

7:11

this lady for this table long

7:11

and short the VSL for 50 pounds

7:15

which I thought that the URL is

7:15

an awful lot of money. But bear

7:20

in mind the average wage was

7:20

like 30 pounds a week. Anyway on

7:25

the way back he said come on

7:25

over baby give me 50 pounds she

7:29

will say for he said well you

7:29

found a woman and blah blah blah

7:33

under that. You can have half I

7:33

saw that neither I'm running the

7:37

permanent you know, I've learned

7:37

something anyway he insisted so

7:41

which was all very good. And

7:41

from that day I got interested

7:44

never read a book in my life but

7:44

I started reading antique books

7:48

and did you

7:48

continue working with him or did

7:51

you went

7:51

out it rang me

7:51

dad I said well you have to get

7:55

someone then he gives you a

7:55

nobody else would take this job

7:58

so he gave the license but it

7:58

went back to bed chair and then

8:02

you know I couldn't stand that

8:02

anymore. I witnessed murder and

8:06

you know two guys come in and

8:06

one done the other one either.

8:09

No, no, I was pleased to be out

8:09

there. The antiques day there

8:13

was an Irish man who had lost

8:13

his losses always drinking and

8:17

driving. He'd lost it again. So

8:17

went back to Ireland and he lost

8:21

his license for six years. He

8:21

actually lives in Liverpool now

8:26

in that time I just took the

8:26

bull by the horns and tried

8:29

doing it on my own I didn't have

8:29

a clue what I was doing. I just

8:32

went and read some book every

8:32

Saturday instead of going out

8:36

with our friends I used to go to

8:36

the antique fairs and pick

8:39

little bits of Carnival glass

8:39

was were five and six pounds and

8:43

and you must

8:43

have made a lot of mistakes.

8:45

Oh my god, hundreds of them but I made a lot of money as well. Maybe got

8:47

some

8:49

stories about a couple of mistakes you made

8:53

well, I mean

8:53

the first week I bought a

8:56

Georgian Bureau today it'd be

8:56

worth the 500 pounds back in

9:01

that day. It was worth a couple

9:01

of grand but I'll give a woman

9:04

60 quid I drove it down to the

9:04

market and he always says to me

9:08

if you don't know just ask three

9:08

times as much our sister guy

9:13

I'll see there it's 150 pounds

9:13

he's gone I'll happy

9:18

if you made that mistake and you

9:21

90 pounds I

9:21

mean that was a lot of people

9:25

didn't learn that in a month. I

9:25

saw that Bureau go on six

9:28

different cars. And then you

9:28

that well overnight 1000 pounds

9:34

so I've never been greedy money

9:34

means nothing to me and are just

9:38

so I've learned something and

9:38

I've earned some money. And I

9:42

don't know what I'm doing. So

9:42

I'm not that stupid. If that

9:45

makes any sense.

9:47

No, that makes

9:47

complete sense. So you made some

9:49

money every day that you wish to

9:49

go out. Yeah, that I used to go

9:54

steal the same thing. You put

9:54

envelopes through people's

9:57

doors.

9:58

I used to call

9:58

the You know, the time my

10:02

parents were living in the

10:02

countryside now the pub called

10:06

the white they also just called

10:06

it white also antiques and if

10:09

the phone rang, which of the

10:09

ever happened my mum used to

10:12

answer it and I didn't live

10:12

there and I used to just go out

10:15

every day, buy a few bits, wait

10:15

till Thursday and then go down

10:21

there and knock the bloody light

10:21

or whatever, I'll go off but

10:23

that's okay. Okay, and if it

10:23

made a profit it didn't if it

10:26

didn't, so be

10:28

so over a period

10:28

of months and years then your

10:32

knowledge got better. You knew

10:32

what the value of things Yeah.

10:36

Oh,

10:36

yeah. Yeah, he

10:36

got to the extent that I would

10:39

say there's no one in the whole

10:39

of America knows as much about

10:42

antiques as me and I don't mind

10:42

put that on the air because it's

10:45

true. He can get some of his any

10:45

of them that ring up. Yeah. Oh,

10:48

no, I'm talking about that. I

10:48

was living in London, I had a

10:51

girlfriend at the time.

10:51

multiscale we parked the company

10:55

and I went down to Brighton,

10:55

which at the time, and probably

10:59

still is the the antique center

10:59

of the world because most of the

11:03

antiques come from from England,

11:03

because of our history. When I

11:08

was in Brighton, our thought

11:08

there was only made during this

11:12

there was 2000 guys down there.

11:12

Oh, we valve our states and roof

11:18

racks on going out every Monday.

11:18

And it was a big business. And I

11:24

just kept learning more and

11:24

more. And I started working with

11:26

a few of the guys in Brighton. I

11:26

went to Brian for the day stayed

11:30

there for seven years. Okay, the

11:30

girlfriend went and I was at

11:34

bay. And I don't mean because

11:34

she went but I liked it down

11:37

there. They made a lot of

11:37

friends and always carried on

11:41

knocking the doors until at the

11:41

age of I can remember 24 I said

11:46

to one of my friends CO we work

11:46

we used to work all over the

11:50

country. And I had a map on the

11:50

back of my bedroom door. I've

11:56

just threw a dart in there

11:56

landed in how high to double

12:00

that. I remember saying to him,

12:00

I've never heard of it. They've

12:02

got football team up there. We

12:02

drove up there before the end 25

12:06

etc. And after a while we never

12:06

get our say can we can't do this

12:11

or whatever atoms we went up

12:11

there booked in a hotel called

12:14

the Center hotel. And it was 25

12:14

pounds a night which was a lot

12:18

of money. But anyway, we worked

12:18

in hell for a couple of weeks

12:21

and and I liked it out there.

12:21

When we was walking, knocking on

12:26

some doors there was an estate

12:26

agent and that market one and I

12:29

went in now just said look, have

12:29

you got any apartments in this

12:32

city? The best one you got? She

12:32

said we got one but it's very

12:36

expensive. It's 44 pound a week,

12:36

a month? I said I'll have it.

12:42

She said Well, you haven't seen

12:42

it. I said well, it's got two

12:44

bedrooms in it. And so it was in

12:44

a country club called the

12:48

Westfield Country Club. And I

12:48

was in my element out there we

12:53

booked into this club. When I

12:53

went to look at the apartment. I

12:58

remember lady says I'll show you

12:58

around the flat I said Well

13:02

forget the flat we'll have that

13:02

charged around the cloud. That's

13:06

where I started and went to hell

13:06

that was in 1979 and I still got

13:13

up just as Mrs.

13:13

Thatcher came to power yeah

13:18

would have been yeah between

13:18

sort of a whole and coming to

13:22

the US did you do anything else

13:22

significant during that period?

13:25

Well I stayed

13:25

in Hull all them years and I

13:27

traveled Yeah, I went to it. I

13:27

went to Italy to chase a debt

13:33

some of the

13:33

some so that that

13:33

happened a lot in your business.

13:36

Yeah,

13:37

yeah. And there was an Italian guy he's come over I mean, he's dead now

13:39

personalized for him. So what

13:42

happened you give us like a

13:42

string of checks I had four

13:45

checks five grand apiece and I

13:45

was on the uppers and by this

13:49

time I'd opened the warehouse

13:49

right become like a dealer

13:52

instead of just a NACA ovary

13:52

they call them Rams in America

13:57

it's the same sort of thing

13:57

either manager at the time and

13:59

he said that this guy's bounced

13:59

a check and that I say get him

14:04

on the phone so I said to him

14:04

that well I'm coming over there

14:07

where I and he said I'm in

14:07

Florence so are threatened him

14:10

to say the least you know I mean

14:10

I say keep the money the money

14:14

don't matter anymore. Just gonna

14:14

come over there in caves already

14:17

then I went over there met him

14:17

there anyway. He served for took

14:22

him down the bank and so we

14:22

ended up I got paid from while I

14:26

was our fault. Wow, what a

14:26

lovely place. And I bought an

14:29

apartment there for 125,000

14:29

Euro. Okay, it was a brand new

14:34

build. Yeah, true. Is that and

14:35

how long did you stay there?

14:36

I stayed in

14:36

Florence. I never lived there

14:39

permanent it was only two hour

14:39

flight with Ryanair from

14:42

England. I had that place for

14:42

about three and a half years

14:45

when all over Italy I thought it

14:45

was fantastic. But in the end I

14:50

always struggle with the

14:50

language. Um 100 mile an hour

14:54

they're all in a coma are worthy

14:54

enough for this. So

14:57

any other places

14:57

that you bought up? Property

15:00

just on spec. We went to America

15:05

well, about on

15:05

spec, we're filming a mountain

15:08

that went down to the boat show

15:08

we got there was a verse went

15:12

from leads down to Southampton.

15:12

And they're all gonna buy boats

15:17

all this mob are sore about down

15:17

there and it was from Brighton

15:20

not so much at red boat and it

15:20

was 175 grand. So I'll have it's

15:25

only down the Brighton. I'll say

15:25

well, I'll put down an American

15:29

address. And I tried to do it so

15:29

that I didn't have to pay the

15:32

VAT. So I'm sure millions of

15:32

other people do say, anyway, I

15:36

bought the boat, shipped it down

15:36

to spine and stuck it in Fangire

15:41

over near Malaga. I used to go

15:41

down and I lived on the boat.

15:45

The three bedrooms it was called

15:45

the Beneteau 37. And it was

15:50

yeah, it was good. I didn't know

15:50

I didn't even know you had to

15:52

have a license to drive them.

15:52

Right? So it was in Brighton

15:58

Murena and assessor vote Come

15:58

on, let's go. And he said, Well,

16:02

you can't go out you haven't got

16:02

a license. I said nobody

16:04

mentioned that. So he said,

16:04

Well, there's a skull on the

16:09

Murena that teaches you about

16:09

boats and that knots and all

16:12

that stuff and read in Maps. And

16:12

so I went in to go in there. So

16:18

I said hey, I'll give you 500

16:18

quid, just give us the tickets

16:20

out and drive that boat and he

16:20

did so that was that was a

16:24

captain stuck on that on and we

16:24

went out wrong around Brighton

16:28

Pier getting placed in England,

16:28

there's nowhere to go. No went

16:32

down to Portsmouth to our fish

16:32

and chips cost about 300 in

16:36

petrol. This was in our seven

16:36

arming Ankara, remember, ran

16:40

that time of our lives on the

16:40

boat in Spain and I like Spain.

16:44

So obviously this

16:44

podcast is about all things

16:47

American. So tell me the story

16:47

about how you came to

16:52

come to America

16:52

in 1980. With a friend of mine,

16:57

I used to work on the NACA with

16:57

an art dealer from how and that

17:01

was in Palm Springs up in

17:01

California. And I thought it was

17:06

it was different class. It was,

17:06

you know, everyone was a

17:10

millionaire. And I'll fit in

17:10

quite well out there and I

17:13

enjoyed the people I thought

17:13

lovely but I was only there for

17:17

two weeks or the girlfriend at

17:17

the time. And I'll remember

17:21

though, we went to went out with

17:21

some car dealer and then dies.

17:26

He says to me, would you come

17:26

and work for me I'll get you a

17:30

green card and give you a free

17:30

$100 a week. So the in cars I

17:34

said well I know nothing about

17:34

cars I said. He said we don't

17:38

have to know and I think it's

17:38

just your accent he'll sell them

17:40

we only sell Rolls Royces in is

17:40

it there there or something up

17:44

there? And I said, Well, there's

17:44

a all sounds great. I said, but

17:49

I can't just drop everything.

17:49

I've got family and friends

17:53

girlfriends. So I had two weeks

17:53

anyway, that was it and never

17:56

come back to America. You

17:58

were very positive about America from Oh, I liked it. Yeah.

18:01

But you know, it was a long way away. The years went by just never come

18:03

back to America. And then I had

18:07

no plans of coming back to

18:07

America. Certainly no plans I

18:10

live in here. And then I went to

18:10

a stag do in Dublin in Ireland.

18:16

And I'll share the room with a

18:16

pal of mine, a businessman and

18:20

you know, done lots of

18:20

properties and old leisure and

18:23

different things. We're all

18:23

drunk and then I couldn't get to

18:27

sleep. I've got heartburn and

18:27

we've had caries and bottles of

18:31

vodka and, and I was talking to

18:31

him in the bedroom. And he

18:35

showed me a picture of a

18:35

property that he's about to

18:38

purchase near Clermont in

18:38

Florida, Central Florida, not

18:43

far from Orlando. And when he

18:43

showed it to me, I said oh much

18:48

he said it was like 8000 square

18:48

feet and must be a million

18:51

dollars with a marble. And he

18:51

said, I've just added a deal.

18:55

And I think it was something

18:55

like 1.1 or 1.3 million. I said

18:59

it's peanuts that I said so as

18:59

we're talking, I said what

19:04

you're gonna do with the one

19:04

you're in? So he said, Well,

19:07

I'll put it up for sale and all

19:07

that stuff. Civil Law. No, yeah,

19:10

I said it a beer. That'd be a

19:10

nice house and long and short of

19:13

it. Before we went to sleep. I

19:13

bought that. Okay, he's old ass.

19:18

Which Have you

19:18

ever bought a house and seen it

19:20

before? You

19:21

know can't see

19:21

the point. I mean, you know as

19:24

long as he's got a bedroom and

19:24

it all these people around so

19:27

you bought that property? Yeah,

19:27

I'll just bought the car the

19:30

smell within England, I would

19:30

say you know, I mean all that.

19:33

tire kickers and stuff. It's not

19:33

my you know, if you want to go

19:36

there. Okay,

19:37

so you've bought

19:37

this place in the US and then

19:39

you thought I better go and live

19:39

in it. Yeah.

19:42

Yeah. But yeah,

19:42

I agree to it. And I'll say it

19:45

and and to be fair, the guy who

19:45

sold it to me, you know, I

19:49

trusted him and he trusted me.

19:49

We had a very good, strong

19:52

relationship.

19:52

And I think that's true in your industry, isn't it? Yeah. All the people

19:54

that you

19:57

deal with

19:57

people are now so fast. That It

20:00

does. Yeah, it's all very much

20:00

so he says. He said it's an Ask

20:04

not a diamond ring. He said like

20:04

artsonia saw it before you can

20:07

ask him Well, I haven't got to

20:07

go America. Right. So I'm busy

20:11

over here. And anyway, it got to

20:11

a cold spell it was either

20:15

November II time or February in

20:15

England, which, as it is today,

20:20

like freezing are so there.

20:20

Let's go and have a look at this

20:24

gap in America. And he booked up

20:24

a couple of tickets in the class

20:31

being on Virgin Atlantic. We got

20:31

off the plane bit tipsy in that

20:39

and everyone smiled, and we left

20:39

in the morning and we you land

20:42

there in the afternoon. It's

20:42

boiling. Our houses are like it

20:46

building picked me up in some

20:46

big flash car. And we've gone

20:50

down to say the house when we

20:50

got to the property. There's big

20:55

fan ins and gates and people. So

20:55

I said, I'll Bill I'll have you.

21:01

He said, we ain't seen the house

21:01

every time that I've seen

21:04

pictures of it. So we drove down

21:04

and we pulled up outside. I said

21:08

I left the house. So he's gone.

21:08

We aren't being in there. So I

21:11

said, they said Look, we've been

21:11

drinking all day. We go to my

21:15

house tomorrow, the no one that

21:15

he's both. And they've got a

21:18

club. So he said we'll have

21:18

lunch and then discuss it as a

21:21

good. I'll say let's go in front

21:21

of the bags. And we'll go down

21:24

the pub and and when I walked in

21:24

there, it was fantastic. It was

21:28

just show of 5000 square feet.

21:28

Wow. So huge. Yeah, for me, I'm

21:34

young, but I had visions, I fill

21:34

up with hammer, do the antiques.

21:38

And why pop over here. You know,

21:38

I mean, I had five containers

21:42

sent over there on the driver.

21:42

so big that was the garage was

21:46

and all the all the rooms

21:46

upstairs are all full of

21:48

antiques, I couldn't even get

21:48

any. And and I was happy in

21:51

there for some, maybe 12 years,

21:51

15 years or that now. Okay,

21:56

remember,

21:57

so when let's

21:57

just talk about so you, you

22:00

decided just to move your

22:00

business and your expertise from

22:03

the UK to the US now

22:05

at that time. I

22:05

like the house and I want you to

22:08

have somewhere outside the UK.

22:08

And there was one or two reasons

22:12

I want you to move out the UK,

22:12

which I'd rather not go into, in

22:17

so on. And so to an either good

22:17

relationship with the guy that I

22:22

was buying it from we agreed a

22:22

figure. I said look, leave

22:26

everything in it knives and

22:26

forks. I'm not running around

22:28

getting curtains and beds and

22:28

all that. And he was true to his

22:32

word and, and everyone was

22:32

happy. What he never told me is

22:36

all this Fiza you have over here

22:36

you can just move in. And there

22:40

are several you know, which I'm

22:40

not blaming him, it's up to me

22:44

to find that. But suddenly, I

22:44

was happy when I saw it. I

22:47

thought well, I'm gonna get rid

22:47

of England and move over here. I

22:50

think it's a bit of a better way

22:50

of life in America than England.

22:54

What were the weather? I like

22:54

the people they're all gonna

22:57

speak English, you know, which

22:57

they in Spain and Italy always

23:00

had a problem. I'll just fit it

23:00

in. Well here

23:03

but you've run a

23:03

business here for the last

23:05

Yeah, well I

23:05

did in terms of at the time, it

23:08

was like you can come in for 90

23:08

days, which I think it still is.

23:12

Or you can apply for a green

23:12

car. Well, I didn't want the

23:15

current I didn't want to stay

23:15

here forever. Our phones are

23:19

like America. Somebody

23:19

introduced me to an immigration

23:23

lawyer that still mates with

23:23

that. And I said yeah, there we

23:26

go. He said, Well, you know, you

23:26

can buy a business area so I

23:30

don't want to buy one I got one.

23:30

So in England I called me so

23:34

Melvin Anderson antiques, we

23:34

opened the company called Melvin

23:37

and so now they'll say which I

23:37

still run to die they stopped

23:43

that are sent sent over in them

23:43

days and that was three or

23:46

400,000 pounds and like you know

23:46

the Americans was qualified that

23:51

our knew what I was doing and

23:51

going to employ some people and

23:54

they just want to know that

23:54

you're not coming over here and

23:57

so you basically

23:57

got a visa through the fat

24:00

you're bringing your business Yeah, because

24:02

are closed in

24:02

England down and opened America.

24:05

What are the key

24:05

differences between running your

24:08

type of business and well, okay

24:08

versus the US?

24:11

The key thing

24:11

is, is the space and time

24:16

because and if you're not on the

24:16

internet, you starve. I mean,

24:20

the nearest neighbor to me was

24:20

like 100 miles an hour. I'm a

24:24

trader remember, I'm not a

24:24

retail man and all that. I mean,

24:27

I'll sell anybody anything but

24:27

Well, I went down to Palm Beach

24:30

owns a shop down there, but then

24:30

I'm moving driving down there

24:34

and then at the time I tried to

24:34

sell that big house and I

24:38

couldn't sell it

24:39

because it was

24:39

the property crash at the lake.

24:42

Yeah, and all

24:42

that stuff. And well, I could

24:44

sell it if I wanted to do

24:44

$300,000 In my makeup so you

24:50

know, I stayed there. I employ

24:50

the capital of people. We've

24:52

done all this internet stuff,

24:52

and done it like that, but it's

24:56

a different way of doing it. But

24:56

it's easier said than done. I

25:00

like to like I'm looking at you

25:00

now and that's the way that I

25:04

like to deal with if you want to

25:04

ever watch a show I love it you

25:07

give me the money and I'll give

25:07

you the watch. That's the way

25:09

that I like to do it all this

25:09

put it online and give them

25:12

their money back if they don't

25:12

like it well

25:15

either. And the

25:15

customers different here

25:19

with it day was

25:19

or the sign because near where I

25:22

live, I found a place that's

25:22

like an anti male type place.

25:28

But to be honest, everything in

25:28

there is a pile of crap. You

25:30

know? Yeah, as I'll do the

25:30

heavyweight stuff. So when I

25:34

went down there, look at me like

25:34

it's other bits in there that

25:39

are made. I met some paper and I

25:39

did some try, but it was out of

25:42

work. And and as I got older

25:42

since I come to America, I

25:46

didn't want to work anymore. I

25:46

have plenty of money. And well

25:50

enough to live on. I've had more

25:50

cars over here than you can

25:54

imagine. And I've had a good time.

25:56

What do you like

25:56

about the US then? What I like

25:59

about it?

26:00

The main thing

26:00

is the weather and the space. I

26:03

could get a cars on me drive in

26:03

England. I can't get one out. So

26:07

the apartment. I'll give 400,000

26:07

pound for an apartment in Brian,

26:12

it cost me 25 pound a day on a

26:12

mate. That's about me Ankara. So

26:16

I mean, I can't deal with all

26:16

that. And there's a lot to do in

26:21

America. You know, I went to the

26:21

spice place. You know, I've been

26:25

on 30 crozes. I've never been on

26:25

the cruise and I'll just drive

26:30

up there are a bucket on Friday

26:30

and jump on Saturday. don't cost

26:34

a cup of tea and you meet

26:34

people.

26:36

When you came to the States. Did you have any culture shock? Do you remember

26:38

anything? You know, which was

26:41

something? Wow, this is?

26:42

I think they had a culture shock when I met. Imagine

26:46

that your time in

26:46

the US? Is there anything that

26:48

you haven't liked?

26:49

No, I can't say

26:49

that there is a you know, I've

26:52

traveled about a bit I've been

26:52

down to New all lanes within the

26:56

French Quarter down there walked

26:56

into a shop. Everything in there

26:59

and the antique shop was

26:59

English. And he was a nice

27:02

American guy. Still good friends

27:02

with him. He's called Harris

27:05

antiques, if anyone's listening,

27:05

although they recommend that

27:07

guy. I looked on the website he

27:07

spent 11 grand just flashing

27:12

through some pictures. I've sent

27:12

the gear down he paid me and

27:16

that's our I used to travel

27:16

about if our cell with a clock

27:20

in, let's say 10 or so in

27:20

Nashville. I thought I'll drive

27:24

out myself. So the FedEx dropped

27:24

the clock off, get the check or

27:28

whatever it was, and then have a

27:28

look around there. So when I

27:33

came to America, the only reason

27:33

if it wasn't for the visa, I

27:37

wouldn't have done antiques in

27:37

America. They're just done them

27:39

back in England. I don't have to

27:39

see them anymore. I can just buy

27:43

and sell them from where I am.

27:45

Was there anything you missed about the UK? Yeah, friends

27:50

and family.

27:50

I've got a sister and you know,

27:53

I've got two nephews and a niece

27:53

and you know, a lot of friends

27:56

are quite well known over there.

27:56

And coming over here, where are

27:59

they if there's not many expats

27:59

or whatever you call it, and

28:03

that is the only reason why I

28:03

think it's time now my next

28:06

birthday. I'm seven years old.

28:06

Well, I've had enough of it

28:09

here. It's been great. I'm not

28:09

going because I ate it or

28:12

anything. I don't have to go.

28:12

But I'm looking to move back to

28:16

the okay.

28:17

So when I

28:17

question I was gonna ask is,

28:20

obviously in the UK, we have a

28:20

very famous class system. Which,

28:26

undoubtedly, you know, being a

28:26

British person you understand?

28:29

Do they have something similar

28:29

here or or not?

28:33

I don't really understand what you mean.

28:34

In Britain. There

28:34

are people from different

28:37

classes on there. There's you

28:37

know, like the aristocracy and

28:41

you know, the people who went to

28:41

the right type of school and

28:44

then there's now working class

28:44

lad and some people say it's

28:47

difficult to move between class

28:47

echelons I've never

28:51

found it class

28:51

don't mean anything to my heart

28:54

just don't beat the zone as I

28:54

find right. They take me as you

28:58

know with me what you see is

28:58

what you get. Run that pub back

29:02

in Clapton in a five I have more

29:02

black friends and white friends.

29:06

I mean, I don't look at black

29:06

people as black people. I look

29:08

at them as people.

29:10

So here, it's

29:10

very similar, isn't it?

29:13

Yeah, well now,

29:13

I mean, I've stayed in Claremont

29:16

and I know lots of people and I

29:16

would say that I've got lots of

29:19

acquaintances in America but not

29:19

a lot of personal friends.

29:24

Right. You know, I've got a few

29:24

obviously, you know, mostly

29:28

affected, you know, in my

29:28

business. You may have a few

29:34

deals and then you get to know

29:34

and yeah, I mean, America is

29:37

great, but I've just had enough

29:37

of it and I think it's time to

29:40

move on. I'm not gonna live

29:40

forever. I want to I went to

29:42

India once and I loved it. I

29:42

just want to pack it all in.

29:45

jump on a plane go to Indian if

29:45

I like it stayed for three

29:49

months and that's the way I live.

29:50

But you recently

29:50

bought a place in in Spain.

29:54

Yeah,

29:54

what I did there I just went I've got a good friend of mine who I bought

29:56

the boat off in was a boat day

30:01

though, and we've stayed good

30:01

friends and he now sells houses

30:04

in our county catch a part of

30:04

our daily law. It's called the

30:08

place and I went down there and

30:08

liked it. So I'm looking to buy

30:12

a place there.

30:14

And then you're going to do a bit of traveling. Yeah, we'll do

30:17

Yeah. And the

30:17

reason I Allah Canty, I would

30:20

think it's the best climate in

30:20

the whole Europe. It's mine

30:23

lounge by, I could drive there.

30:23

Not that I want. I'll just go

30:26

down there by little car. And

30:26

it's two hours on applying. I'm

30:30

going back on the fifth of

30:30

January to England. I've got

30:34

land on the sixth. I'm wiped out

30:34

for two weeks. All that jet lag

30:38

in the rain, and I don't want to

30:38

do that anymore.

30:42

And what are you

30:42

doing with your Rolls Royce?

30:45

I just learned that on the ship and it's going back to England. Okay, but

30:49

are you going to

30:49

keep it? Yeah, I am. Yeah. Oh,

30:51

excellent. I'm gonna drive that

30:51

down to Spain. I'm gonna

30:53

keep it. I've

30:53

got somebody who's made me a

30:56

good offer for it. But let's get

30:56

it over there. I'm not It's not

30:59

there yet. So I'll change your

30:59

mind like the wind. I wake up in

31:03

the morning. Get rid of that and

31:03

buy helicopters.

31:07

What's a good

31:07

luck for that for the future? So

31:09

I've got some general questions

31:09

now. Ask me anything you want.

31:13

Football, basketball or

31:13

baseball? Football? No, no, no

31:18

American football, basketball or

31:18

baseball,

31:21

or any of them.

31:21

I went to that American

31:24

football. I've been here for as

31:24

you know, 15 years I don't

31:28

understand what they're doing. I

31:28

just don't jump on each other

31:31

and put silly big ol mitts on

31:31

and pads and it's not a company

31:34

that if I was American, I would

31:34

like it and I prefer soccer

31:39

where they go right which is

31:39

English football.

31:42

So you're going

31:42

for soccer. Okay, yeah. What

31:45

underrated place should people

31:45

visit in the US? will place Have

31:50

you really liked and thought

31:50

wow, this is really something

31:52

special.

31:53

Oh, I like that

31:53

Nashville. But you got to

31:55

remember I'm coming from country

31:55

music was never something where

32:00

you listen to England and Johnny

32:00

Cash and I think it's fantastic.

32:06

I think it's

32:06

fantastic. It's actually modern

32:08

country music.

32:09

We went around

32:09

now the girlfriend at the time

32:12

she was black girl from Chicago

32:12

and we went up to them and we

32:16

had a fantastic time in that.

32:16

Because it's all no to me. But

32:20

you know American people listen

32:20

to country music all the time.

32:24

So they you know, I thought that

32:24

Nashville was good. I like know

32:29

all lanes. I wouldn't want to

32:29

live there. I think that's

32:32

probably a really dangerous spot

32:32

down there. Especially with

32:35

Marvel. You know, the way I'll

32:35

carry on I'm not getting

32:38

involved with the Romans down

32:38

there. But although you have

32:41

stopped drinking, I've stopped

32:41

drinking. Yeah, I mean, I can

32:44

tell you that people talk about

32:44

money I've drunk well over a

32:47

million banned. I mean, that was

32:47

my life. I mean, back in the day

32:51

I was earning the ground when

32:51

Pete was earning 100 quid and

32:54

spending 12 Just bows in girls

32:54

and all the rest of it clubs and

33:01

then a good merry go around.

33:03

What is your

33:03

favorite brands name us eatery.

33:07

Something you find by the side

33:07

of the freeway? You know what?

33:10

Oh, what the

33:10

Chinese restaurant?

33:12

Yeah, what's your favorite one?

33:14

I like to eat

33:14

steak. And and I think that long

33:17

arms is as good is anything I

33:17

really do? And are you know,

33:20

I'll take that off to them. And

33:20

then sometimes if I just like at

33:24

the moment, I'm on the salad. I

33:24

think they're all good. Yeah, I

33:27

like to go to the Olive Garden.

33:27

If I can run the diet, I think

33:31

soap and salad in there for

33:31

around $10 Is is fantastic

33:35

value. And it's nice. And Alfie.

33:35

If I was boson, I'd go out and

33:40

go down somewhere like Denny's

33:40

and just over bacon and eggs and

33:45

all that. And yeah, I mean, it's

33:45

we don't have like the chains in

33:50

England. Do we go to privately

33:50

owned places and then you get

33:55

your favorites?

33:56

Where do you

33:56

stand on Waffle House?

33:59

Loads of crap. I couldn't get away in there. Once we were my mind flew over?

34:00

Well, I've just left it and

34:04

walked out. I don't get that at

34:04

all when we come out there and

34:08

went into another one.

34:09

So question four

34:09

is some America still the land

34:13

of opportunity? Oh, most

34:15

definitely. If

34:15

you want to be a billionaire,

34:18

you can do it here. And if I

34:18

want to make tons of money, I

34:21

could overtake Trump and you got

34:21

a chance here. You can't do that

34:25

in England.

34:27

And then next

34:27

question, do you support the

34:29

second amendment? The right to

34:29

bear arms?

34:32

Now? I think

34:32

it's a terrible thing all that

34:35

gun stuff. If they didn't have

34:35

any guns, I mean, look at these

34:38

lunatics running about. I've got

34:38

some English friends of mine.

34:42

They've got kids and they're

34:42

frightened taking them to

34:44

school. They drop them off. They

34:44

put them in the classroom, they

34:48

have to fingerprint each other.

34:48

Lock them in the room and all

34:51

that so that'd be nonsense. And

34:51

you got some that walk in there

34:55

and machine gun and wiped them

34:55

out so much show they're

34:58

frightened them Moving back to

34:58

Europe. Okay, you know, and that

35:03

should never you should never

35:03

say that. I mean, I think guns

35:06

are think if you got a gun,

35:06

you're going to use it. I know

35:09

certainly if I was pissed,

35:09

someone started on me, I'll just

35:13

blow their head off. I wouldn't

35:13

think twice. You know, I mean, I

35:16

don't care who's listening.

35:18

Okay, next

35:18

question. East Coast, West Coast

35:21

or somewhere in the middle.

35:22

I've been on

35:22

I've felt the best beach I've

35:24

ever been in. But she's not far

35:24

from here. And I haven't been to

35:27

beach. Yeah, but was Clearwater.

35:27

Yeah, it's like, great. Snow.

35:32

I've been all around the beach.

35:32

You know, I've been to a lot of

35:35

countries once

35:35

near us are a

35:35

little bit gray. But as you go

35:38

further up the coast and rewrite

35:38

it completely for the sandy

35:42

beaches. I've

35:42

never seen that. videos up

35:45

there. So anyway, back to my

35:45

boyfriend. But I've got friends

35:49

of mine on Cocoa Beach on the

35:49

other side. And I'll like

35:53

overlay, and I've not been to

35:53

any but there's no beaches are

35:56

there, right? No, no, as long as

35:56

that sounds, it's great. And

36:00

what about California? Oh, when

36:00

to California, as I said in that

36:04

Palm Springs, it was all like,

36:04

you know, I remember going to a

36:07

pub and there was a boxing ring

36:07

and girls in there in a mud

36:13

fight in each of our assets.

36:13

I've never seen anything like

36:16

it. And that was back in 1980.

36:16

And then we went to Las Vegas,

36:21

where it was only there for two

36:21

nights. I can't remember a lot

36:24

about it was pistol all the

36:24

time. But we went to see a show

36:28

and all that and it was great.

36:28

Well, last year, I've got a

36:32

friend who, who lives in Las

36:32

Vegas, and I went up there. I

36:36

had an hotel for two weeks and

36:36

he stayed there six nights. I

36:40

thought it's great. But and that

36:40

California, you know, I would

36:45

prefer to be in Florida,

36:45

American or British TV. Oh,

36:49

watch both really? I mean that

36:49

the best films in the world you

36:52

got to say or America that they

36:52

are watching up for that Netflix

36:56

and what's the other one prime

36:56

Amazon Prime most of its

37:00

Americans, but they've got

37:00

britbox a thing called Brit box,

37:05

which are subscribed. That's

37:05

only five bucks for manful.

37:08

zoic. And I like to watch the

37:08

old fashion things of my era

37:12

like minder and the Sweeney was

37:12

it and all that type stuff in

37:18

a final question.

37:18

You're stuck in an elevator with

37:22

somebody? Would you prefer them

37:22

to be a Democrat or Republican?

37:25

Guaranteed

37:25

Republican? Okay, I'll do it.

37:28

Right that Democrat stuff. I

37:28

mean, I don't recommend that

37:31

President to sentence him.

37:31

Really. I would follow Donald

37:36

Trump money written? Yeah,

37:36

guaranteed. I've read some of

37:39

his books because he's like an

37:39

entrepreneur. He's like, in my

37:43

opinion, yeah. They can say what

37:43

they like they say he's, he's

37:47

been he's this rather he's not

37:47

in that league, you know, the

37:50

main and in the small time that

37:50

he was the president. I mean, he

37:54

started building a wall, he

37:54

stopped a lot of stuff. You

37:57

know, he's got O'Brien in these

37:57

don't the older car companies

38:00

was gonna go to Mexico, but none

38:00

of them went because it brought

38:03

up a tax and that and got Andrew

38:03

1000 jobs in 10 minutes in

38:07

Michigan and all that. And he's

38:07

a businessman. The current

38:11

president, isn't my my opinion.

38:11

He's an idiot. You know, whether

38:15

I should say that or not. I

38:15

suppose the Democrats will all

38:18

disagree, but

38:19

any questions

38:19

you'd like to ask me? Not

38:21

really,

38:21

I've just got

38:21

out the car traveling a bit

38:24

punchy. When we think of

38:24

anything else, you can add a bit

38:27

uncommon.

38:28

Yeah. melfin.

38:28

Thank you very much.

38:30

Thank you,

38:30

Jason. Yeah, it's been totally

38:34

different. You know, I didn't

38:34

even know what was meant for

38:37

coming in. So anyway, we'll see

38:37

how it ends up.

38:43

Excellent. Thank you very much.