A large group gathered on Leith Leith Links today to say farewell to one of the area’s most well-known chefs.
Mike English has made Leith Links his home for the last 21 years and is regarded as a ‘Leith institution’ by many in the community. First opening his food van in 2003 he said he has made many lifelong friends over the years.
Opening his legendary food van for the last time today, Mike treated all his guests to a free breakfast to say thank you to all his loyal customers and friends from over the years.
Mike English has made Leith Links his home for the last 21 years and is regarded as a ‘Leith institution’ by many in the community. First opening his food van in 2003 he said he has made many lifelong friends over the years.
Opening his legendary food van for the last time today, Mike treated all his guests to a free breakfast to say thank you to all his loyal customers and friends from over the years.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 And there's an old saying, and you all know it,
00:02 you find a job you enjoy doing
00:04 and you'll never have to work for a living.
00:06 Well, I found that job.
00:08 I did find that job.
00:10 And a big thank you to you for the rest of it.
00:12 (crowd cheering)
00:15 ♪ There's only one way back ♪
00:27 ♪ There's only one way back ♪
00:30 ♪ And I'm gonna sing a song ♪
00:34 ♪ For all the people that I love ♪
00:36 ♪ There's only one way back ♪
00:40 ♪ There's only one way back ♪
00:44 ♪ And I'm gonna sing a song ♪
00:48 - Cheers mate.
00:55 - Enjoy your retirement.
00:57 - It's hard to put it into words, isn't it really?
00:59 Originally we'd expected about,
01:02 well, originally I planned for maybe about 15, 20 people,
01:06 you know, gathered together,
01:07 we'd have a couple of cans of beer
01:09 and a wee hot dog and all that and say goodbye.
01:12 But this has just been absolutely overwhelming.
01:15 Overwhelming indeed.
01:16 And as I said earlier on,
01:18 you know, the old saying is,
01:21 you know, find a job you enjoy doing
01:22 and you'll never have to work for a living.
01:24 Well, I've been the lucky man that found that job
01:27 and I was accepted by the members of the Leith
01:30 and it's been brilliant, it's been great.
01:31 It's been a road trip and more.
01:36 We've had ups, we've had downs,
01:37 mechanical problems, gas problems,
01:40 everything like that over the years,
01:41 but we got over it.
01:42 Freezing cold winters and lashing rain,
01:45 but it's been brilliant, it's been great.
01:47 Absolutely fantastic, fantastic.
01:50 - Been a regular, almost every single day.
01:53 He does the best rolls,
01:54 you get massive rolls,
01:55 lots of great big thick bits of bacon,
01:58 but he's the loveliest man
02:00 and the kindest man as well.
02:02 And he's the best around here for all,
02:07 even all the little cafes and things.
02:08 It's Mike, but he's a real down to earth guy,
02:12 lovely and we're just gonna sadly miss him.
02:15 Really, really miss him with all our hearts.
02:18 And I can't believe I'm looking at the grill
02:19 for the last time.
02:22 - I moved up to Edinburgh 16 years ago
02:24 and came here one day,
02:27 started chatting away to the guy.
02:28 From the minute I met him,
02:29 he was an absolute character.
02:31 Sort of similar people,
02:34 like a laugh, like a joke.
02:35 Food was tremendous as well.
02:37 So yeah, 16 years of good friendship since the day I met him.
02:40 I think the turnout speaks volumes about the man as well.
02:44 But yeah, we like to call it a mobile restaurant,
02:47 if I'm being honest.
02:47 If I don't call it that,
02:48 Mike won't be happy with me,
02:49 but yeah, it's been here since I moved up,
02:52 and I say, you see the same faces all the time,
02:55 getting the same food,
02:57 and new faces coming.
02:59 But yeah, he's been a mainstay here.
03:01 My kids went to school across the road
03:03 and he knows every kid by name,
03:05 which is absolutely crazy.
03:06 There's 600, 700 kids over there,
03:07 but he knows them all by name.
03:08 They all come on over,
03:09 "Hi Mike, hi Mike."
03:09 So I say, it just speaks volumes about the guy,
03:11 what he is, what he's about,
03:12 and what he's putting into the community.
03:14 - Fraser, would have loved to have been here, Michael.
03:16 Really sorry he couldn't be here,
03:17 'cause he loved you to bits.
03:19 I love you, mate,
03:20 but you're a big rag.
03:22 - Thank you.
03:22 - I knew it was gonna be busy,
03:24 because we all knew it was gonna be busy.
03:26 We're all gonna miss him.
03:27 We'll be gutted when he leaves,
03:28 but the turnout already,
03:30 honestly, it's unbelievable.
03:31 And yeah, there's still a few more bodies to come,
03:34 so we'll see what happens,
03:35 but everyone seems to be enjoying themselves
03:37 and getting their last roll from my dad.
03:39 So initially when I put the post up on Facebook,
03:42 was just to let a few of the regulars know,
03:44 like, "Hi, today is gonna be his last day."
03:46 And we didn't expect the response at all that we got.
03:50 My dad still actually doesn't really believe me.
03:52 I had like 700 plus messages, which is insane.
03:56 Just met so nice messages from so many people saying,
03:59 you know, "Thanks for what you've done for us,"
04:01 whether it be from the school teachers,
04:04 people that just come here every morning.
04:06 I had messages that met him like 40 years ago,
04:09 like from when he had the pub and Portobello and stuff,
04:11 and, you know, saying how much of a nice guy he is
04:14 and things like that.
04:15 And for me as a daughter to read that,
04:16 like, it's so nice.
04:17 I know it already, 'cause he's my dad,
04:18 do you know what I mean?
04:19 But it's just, it's so heartwarming
04:22 to see all those messages.
04:24 And when I showed my dad,
04:25 like, I don't even think this turned out today.
04:27 I don't think he quite believes really, like,
04:29 "Oh my God, all these people are here for me."
04:30 So he's definitely gonna be overwhelmed today.
04:33 I know it, but I couldn't have asked for anything better
04:35 for him today, 'cause he deserves it as well.
04:37 He does, he does.
04:38 He's done great.
04:39 And like what my dad says, he's beef and chili soups.
04:42 What's kept the roof over our heads,
04:43 that's what my dad likes to say.
04:44 So, and it has.
04:46 And I'm really, really proud of him.
04:49 I really come in here, sit and talk to him,
04:51 and you know, and you get a laugh with him.
04:53 He's a good guy.
04:54 He's a horse owner and all that sort of thing.
04:57 Just a good laugh.
04:58 He's a good, he's a good wind-up as well, you know?
05:02 Apart from that, he's a good guy.
05:05 As I say, if you were skint and you went to Mike,
05:08 you know, and, "Oh, I've no got my money with me."
05:11 There you are, just have it, you know,
05:12 and I'll see you when I see you, sort of stuff.
05:15 And I'll miss him.
05:17 It's only because, as you see, when you come down here
05:21 and you smell the bacon,
05:22 by the way, down at the moment,
05:23 the lights here, you get that bacon smell,
05:25 you say, "Oh, here he is, he's open."
05:26 Up to Michael for the roll.
05:28 Best bacon roll in Edinburgh.
05:30 And one of the best guys,
05:32 the cooks around here and all that sort of thing.
05:33 I'd say that one, he's a good guy.
05:36 And as you say, you see it yourself, the reason why.
05:39 You see the people that's there.
05:40 I think there'll probably be a lot more coming down lights,
05:43 but, no, no, he's a good, good guy, great guy.
05:47 I grew up with Mike, and the core memory of the film
05:50 is, like, getting bacon in a cup and stuff.
05:54 And if he leaves, it's, like, gonna be really sad.
05:59 We done a fun one, he gave us all free food at the end.
06:03 And on the leavers' party, we got free food,
06:06 and we were kind of...
06:07 And in our school, we've got an award
06:10 called the Mike English Award,
06:13 and it's people who show kindness and stuff,
06:15 and it's people who show kindness and stuff.
06:17 Good luck, good luck, Uncle Mike.
06:19 Smash that, fed us all the years.
06:22 Have another sausage, please.
06:25 Basically, I've been here since I was a school kid,
06:28 in school, and these rolls are just amazing, eh?
06:31 They just keep coming back.
06:34 I've probably known him about, say, ten years?
06:37 So you first met him was at school?
06:39 But when I was at school, at Leeds Academy,
06:40 we used to come along, see our mates, get a roll,
06:43 go to his shop, and all that.
06:45 And we've been here ever since, eh?
06:48 He's a very popular man,
06:50 because he's got a heart of gold, you know.
06:53 And that's just what he's like, you know.
06:58 I see him at school and everything over there,
06:59 they love him, the kids in the school,
07:02 because he looks after them, you know.
07:04 One day, my husband and I were sitting here,
07:06 and this wee boy came in,
07:08 and he says, "Any chance of a hamburger and a Coca-Cola?"
07:11 So he gave him it, and I knew the wee boy
07:13 didn't have any money.
07:14 And I went, "Oh," I says, "you do that,
07:18 you'll never make money, Michael, if you do that."
07:20 He says, "No," he says, "he loves me, his gran,"
07:22 and he says, "so I'll look after him," he says.
07:24 My gran always comes and says, "What's the deal with you?"
07:27 You know.
07:28 Mike is so lovely.
07:30 He is the best.
07:32 I mean, I've probably been coming for three years,
07:34 I think, in about, to be honest.
07:36 Yeah, he's just lovely.
07:39 Always have a leg tattoo.
07:41 And he told me when I first came
07:42 that it would change my life, and it sure has.
07:45 Every time I come now, I come to Mike.
07:48 And today, I've come specially for this,
07:53 from Darnleyshire, for this.
07:55 I've known Mike for about 15 years.
07:58 We first met Mike when we moved here,
08:01 and my son started St. Mary's.
08:04 And he used to say that he was a chip off the old block.
08:08 He's just a heart of the community,
08:11 when it comes to St. Mary's,
08:13 Leith football team, Leith Athletics, things like that.
08:17 He's great with the kids.
08:19 He's great with everybody.
08:20 He's just a heart and soul everywhere.
08:23 My daughter, Lily, she's grew up with him.
08:27 I know, everybody knows Mike.
08:28 Everybody.