Zeb

Zeb, who cleans the roads and pavements of Lissenden Gardens rain, hail or shine, is known by some Lissendonians as ‘the smiling street cleaner’ because he’s always smiling and loves to chat. 

Originally from just south of Krakow, in Poland, Zeb started work as a street orderly about 15 years ago, and his first two months on the job were actually in Lissenden Gardens. 

He loved the area from the start. He thought that the mansion blocks looked like the buildings in a Roman Polanski film. It meant that when he was asked to move to the Lissenden patch almost three years ago, he was very happy.

Coming back to Lissenden was meant to be. It’s not just the buildings, he explains. ‘People are very friendly and I’m out in the open all day and get lots of fresh air.’

It’s his ‘perfect’ job, he says, even though he has to walk about 20 kilometres a day. That adds up to about seven times round the globe, he says, if you take into account the area he’s covered in 15 years. It certainly keeps him fit and healthy looking, and you’d never believe he was aged 58.

 Zeb often listens to music on his headphones when he works, but he’s really happy when people stop him to have a chat. Why not say hello next time you see him?