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A refugee who fled Uganda in the 1970s before setting up a watch repair shop in Holloway Road is closing the business down after more than 30 years.

Bachulal Chotai has been a familiar face in the area but age has got the better of him and his eyes can no longer cope with the intricate jewellery and watch repairs.

His fascination with watches grew as a young boy in his father’s shop in Uganda.

“When my father was not there I would look inside the watches and see how to put them back together again,” Mr Chotai said.

The 72-year-old came to Britain as a young man. Fleeing Idi Amin’s rule in his native country, Mr Chotai was initially sent to Plasterdown Camp in Tavistock. He travelled at first to Leicester to be with other Ugandans but struggled to find work and so moved to London. A succession of low-paid jobs in watch repair factories followed before he opened his own shop.

“When I first came here I was looking a lot younger! It was a different area then – there used to be a market on the pavement and parking was free,” he said.

He has run the shop on his own apart from a couple of years at the start – his apprentice was scared off after a robbery.

“Most of the passing trade has gone but I’ve still got my regular customers. Some move away but they still travel to come to me.”

Mr Chotai has worked six days a week, commuting from Wembley, where he lives with his wife Anila. They have a son and a daughter.

“I’m retiring now for health reasons,” he said. “My eyes don’t see as well, I have two or three different pairs of glasses.”

Mr Chotai is currently waiting for the shop to be sold and says he is likely to continue repairing watches from home.

“I wouldn’t change this job, it’s lovely,” he added. “I just come in here and enjoy myself. I am still learning as new things come into the shop. I will miss it.”