Pearly Queen Doreen, Londoner

Doreen Golding, who lives in Wanstead, is proud to be a Pearly Queen. Raising the profile of the Pearlies is crucial to their longevity and Doreen is quick to remind people their aim is raising money for charity.
In this film she recalls rubbing shoulders with Elton John and meeting the queen. She has endless stories of meeting celebrities.
1000 LONDONERS
This film is part of 1000 Londoners, a five-year digital project which aims to create a digital portrait of a city through 1000 of the people who identify themselves with it. The profile contains a 3 minute film that gives an insight into the life of the Londoner, as well as their personal photos of London and some answers to crucial questions about their views on London life. Over the course of the project we aim to reveal as many facets of the capital as possible, seeing city life from 1000 points of view.
www.1000londoners.com
/ 1000londoners
1000londoners
Twitter: @1000_londoners
1000 Londoners is produced by South London based film production company and social enterprise, Chocolate Films. The filmmakers from Chocolate Films will be both producing the films and providing opportunities to young people and community groups to make their own short documentaries, which will contribute to the 1000 films. Visit www.chocolatefilms.com
Transcript:
I'm Doreen, I'm Pearly Queen of Old Kent Road. That's my late husband's title, born South of the River, and I am by my own right a Pearly Queen of Bow Bells.
-Would you tell me a little bit about the, err, the pictures?
Oh right, well the famous wall of pictures really started just from the one photograph. You can only just see my profile there. The Duke of Edinburgh with my late husband, Ian McKellen, Michael Caine at a variety club event, Elton John's birthday party. It was absolutely terrific. I did leave the Pearly King tapdancing with Kate Moss. I think the last thing they were doing was tapdancing and singing to I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts.
Britons never ever ever will be slaves
Right so that's err This Morning, isn't it, This Morning the programme. Invited in the morning and it was, they were interviewing a gentleman who all his life had been alergic to buttons. So they had a psychiatrist talk to this man for half an hour and he was miraculously cured. He seemed to be fine in fact the first thing he wanted to do was wear the Pearly King's hat.
ringing
Yes Chris. I've got a young man here taking some photos, so he's going to come with us to Cheshire Street and photograph us all, and if he behaves himself he can have a salt beef beigel. All right see you half ten. Okay, bye!
Hello dear!
And actually there was no traffic today.
-Hello Ladies
Ladies and gentlemen, the man over there has come with me today... these are all my kings, I have to ay sicne my king passed away and the other gentleman there is quite poorly now, so I have a selection of kings.
It's very hard thing for people to understand that we don't earn any money out of it, that we do it because we want to put something back into the community. And it is nice to put your buttons on as we say, put on our work uniform, go out...
-Take your time girl we don't mind!
...and know that we are the original cockney Londoners... and nice to be with our friends as well and doing a good job at the same time.

[@BrendaCoyle]

Doreen you are a STAR!!! Always making people smile :)

[@jacklancaster6927]

My great aunt monica Rose was a pearly princess

[@1000secondhandrose]

i have just read a book called stepney doorstep society please read it it is all about the ladies in the eastend before and during the war ,what they fought for in their area how strong they all were living through the blitz and this lady doereen is mentioned in it .i found the book fascinating hope you will too . the author is kate thompson

[@missj.d9187]

It's a beautiful book. I can trace my family through this area for at least 150 years! I can't stop crying when I think about what they went through.

[@markwillmore4107]

My nan suffered with she'll shock with the blitz Which alot of londoners suffered silently God bless❤

[@bryonedwards6071]

This is Great,,, my Grandma used to tell me she was born within the sound of Bow Bells

[@sidsnot6952]

So was mine 👍👍

[@scotty20040]

A true cockney then...

[@missj.d9187]

I was and so was my entire past family on both sides. I would love to be able to move back.

[@nathanjedrej792]

Maybe it's coz am a lahndaner...that I am such a...love this stuff.

[@marksadventures3889]

Gawd bless yer

[@sidsnot6952]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@stover14]

Britain for the British.

[@arricammarques1955]

Oh, dear the boil family.

[@ibidydo]

Oh they went down to soho to meet the i tidle I tee I tee I, outside the ole can do knees

[@bababa3917]

The working classes. working class for a reason. Thank god for that. Wouldn't want them as my neighbours

[@missj.d9187]

I would