Singh

In an arts centre in West London, a boy is sitting with an ex-colleague mopping up the remains of some mashed potato.  He has a diamond stud in his left ear and chains around his wrists.  When he smiles I notice that his front four teeth are replaced with silver.  Interrupting neat stubble is what looks like an old scar on his upper lip.  His hair is clean and his face is young.

He tells me that all male Sikhs are given the same middle name.  For girls it is 'Kaur'.  My ex-colleague expresses surprise at his friend's religious background.  'We've talked about this before', he says, 'I just don't do all the beard and turban stuff'.