Wings World was one of 0ver 200 businesses that were destroyed as a fire broke out in Brent
A London woman lost physical memories of her dad, who passed away eight years ago, after a devastating fire tore through her shop and over 200 other local businesses. Megan Wing, 28, owner of Wings World in North London, also says she lost years of hard work when her thrift shop, which she started in honour of her dad, was engulfed in the Brent fire last month.
Megan started the business in her mum’s kitchen on Depop in 2020 while working three different jobs, before finding a permanent location at Oxgate House in Brent in memory of her dad, who “taught her everything”. But on June 11, a fire broke out at the business park and engulfed the building, leaving burnt-out buildings and over 200 businesses destroyed.
Megan now has to rebuild her business, but believes the owners of the space, Artistic Spaces, need to be more transparent about the site’s future and how they plan to compensate tenants.
“Things have been rough. I built this business, and it’s something I’ve done every single day,” Megan told MyLondon, “Now I have nothing; the fact that it’s all gone, like it never existed in a way – I’ve lost everything.
“I was 20 when my dad passed away, and this business was turning pain into purpose. I don’t know what to do with myself. My dad was one of the biggest wholesalers in the military game, selling all the memorabilia and uniforms at market stalls. I had so much memorabilia that he used that I can’t replace, and those things are irreplaceable, and it’s devastating. There’s been a lack of communication from Artistic Spaces. I’ve had about one or two emails updating us, but not much communication.
“We want to know what’s happening. I don’t know if I’m getting my deposit back or the month’s rent I paid.”
She continued: “I think it was maybe a technical issue, because the sprinklers didn’t go off [when the fire was happening]. When I moved into the unit, the bottom of my mezzanine was held together by sellotape. I spoke to the agency, which said they would also plaster the wall and get it fixed, but they never got around to it; then this happened.
“I wanted to open up my space to the public, but I needed liability insurance. As there were rough edges and raw concrete on the floor, I needed them fixed before I could get insured. I reached out again to ask when they would fix these things for me, but they were never done.
“I heard it’s going to be knocked down in the next couple of weeks, and it might become brand new flats or something, but then we’ve got to get on with our lives…[The person next to me] sells Persian rugs; he’s 70, but he wasn’t insured, and now all those rugs are gone. He’s 70, he can’t rebuild from that.
“The back of the building has no ceiling, no walls, and the water damage is horrendous. There will be some soft demolition, but we’re still waiting for an explanation of why the fire started.”
George Marnier, Co-Managing Director of Artistic Spaces, told MyLondon: “This has been a devastating incident for everyone affected.
“Our priority is supporting affected occupiers and working responsibly with the relevant authorities, insurers and professional advisers. We remain in direct contact with occupiers as matters progress.
“Our intention is to reinstate Oxgate House as a home for independent businesses.”
‘Hope for humanity’
Wings World offers people a chance to buy secondhand and unique finds, which Megan auctions off live. Megan sources clothes that were destined for landfills and charity shops, with a focus on zero waste. She’s now started a GoFundMe that has already seen donations from customers she has never met.
One woman reportedly sold her whole wardrobe online to raise money for Megan.
“It’s honestly been overwhelming. We usually do monthly charity donations where we raise money, and our community picks which charity it’s going to be. So now to be so helpless myself made me feel so vulnerable, but the way people have reacted, even people I don’t know, has given me so much hope for humanity in a way.
“I’ve had messages from strangers who were former customers saying that this has really affected them. I do live streaming as that’s how I sell the clothes and a lot of customers are saying they’ve missed not having their fix in a way of watching me. I’ve been very tearful this week watching how people have been so generous”, Megan added.
“I hope this will be the making of me. They say that through the fire, the phoenix rises from the ashes. Hopefully, in 10 years’ time, I’d look back and have gone through parental deaths, I’d have gone through the fire, I’d be prepared for anything, hopefully in the future.
If you would like to donate to Megan’s GoFundMe, you can do so here.
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