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'I won round racist customers and became a legend'

Richard TisdaleWest Midlands
BBC A man with short grey hair, a short beard and mustache is wearing a blue jumper with a grey shirt underneath. He is standing in an empty restaurant which is blurred in the background and shows a black stair rail and black chairsBBC
George Miah said he overcame racism in the 1960s to become treated as a local legend

The owner of an Indian restaurant has been preparing to celebrate 50 years in business but says it was a tough road to reach the milestone amid early racism - for which some abusive customers have since apologised.

George Miah came to the UK in 1968 from what is now Bangladesh. He was just 12 years old when he arrived on his own, and lived with his uncle in Telford.

In the 1960s, the government invited people from Commonwealth countries to come to Britain to plug labour gaps but they were not always welcomed.

"There was a lot of prejudice," Miah said. "When you were walking in town, you'd be getting names called." But half a century later, he said he had become a local legend to some people.

His journey as a restaurateur began at the age of 14, when he started working at the Shiraz Indian Restaurant on the Wyle Cop in Shrewsbury.

By 1976, and after learning his trade, he got the opportunity to open his own restaurant - The Simla on Beatrice Street in neighbouring Oswestry.

But he told BBC Radio Shropshire: "Even in my restaurant then, I would be called all sorts of names by people. It was part of living."

George Miah The image appears to be an older, slightly faded photograph showing two people standing indoors. One man is wearing a black formal suit with a white shirt and a bow tie, while the other is dressed in a bright red, patterned outfit with a decorative border. The setting looks like a domestic or reception room, with patterned wallpaper in the background and a chair partially visible to the side. The photograph has a vintage look, with noticeable grain and wear consistent with an image taken several decades ago.George Miah
George Miah met his wife-to-be while shopping in Woolworths in Dudley

"The worst way to tackle [abuse]," he said, "was to turn the same thing to [the abuser]. Two wrongs don't make a right. That was our diplomatic way of sorting out problems."

Miah, who said he took George as a first name to help his customers, said attitudes towards him and his family had since changed greatly.

"People who were bad or rude to us then are bringing their grandchildren here and they're even owning up to what they've done and saying to their grandchildren 'look this is what we did to George and he put up with us'. And now I'm a legend to them."

George Miah This image shows two people standing outdoors at a formal event on a grass lawn, surrounded by rows of folding chairs and small tables. One man is wearing a dark suit with a tie, while a woman is dressed in a teal, draped formal outfit. In the background, there is a large historic building with stone architecture and a domed roof, and several other attendees are visible, some holding umbrellas, suggesting unsettled weather. The setting appears ceremonial or celebratory, with organised seating and people socialising.George Miah
The pair have three children who all help to run the restaurant

Miah met his wife Julie in the 1970s when he was working in Dudley and walked into Woolworths, where she worked. "I went shopping there, she gave me a smile and that was it. And she's been an anchor in my life since then," he said.

They have three grown-up children, all of whom have had a hand in running the restaurant.

One of his proudest moments was in 2021, when he was presented with a British Empire Medal by the Queen for his services to the town.

This image shows a man standing outside a building entrance, placing one hand on a wall-mounted plaque. The plaque reads “Simla Tandoori Restaurant – Established 1976.” The person is wearing a blue sweater and collared shirt and is positioned beside a doorway. In the background, a street scene is visible with buildings, parked vehicles and road markings, suggesting a town centre setting.
In May, The Simla will mark its 50th anniversary

George said he could not have lasted this long without the support of his family, friends and staff and added: "The people who've come through the door over the past 50 years, for the respect they give now, more or less every night, at some point I come in tears of joy because of what they say to me. It touches my heart."

The anniversary is on 24 May and during that week the restaurant will be celebrating with regulars and hosting a charity night for local causes.

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