While many East Londoners think of retirement as a time to slow down, for Raymond Calder, it means the direct opposite, getting up before dawn and walking for kilometres each day to earn enough to survive.
For the past three months, Calder, 72, has been back on the road on foot cleaning swimming pools across East London’s suburbs after losing his only means of transport. From Beacon Bay to Berea, Nahoon to Stirling, the Berea pensioner carries his equipment on his back, relying on determination, discipline and the loyalty of his clients to keep going.
“I get up at 5am. I leave for Beacon Bay at 6am and start work at Bishops Estates at 7am,” Calder said.
On a good day, he cleans between six and seven pools, moving from one cluster of homes to the next.
“I am lucky, my customers are together in groups. In Beacon Bay, Bishops Estates I do four pools, then two at Edge View, one at Hillcrest Drive, then Nahoon, Stirling and Berea.”
Until earlier this year, Calder used an old motorcycle with a sidecar to travel between jobs.
When the bike caught fire and was destroyed, he was left with no alternative but to walk.
“No work, no money,” he said
Despite his age, Calder remains in good health. He has never been hospitalised, except for a broken ankle sustained while playing baseball in the 1970s.
He also walks with a steel pin in his leg from a sports injury decades ago, an added challenge on long and hot days.
His workdays often stretch well into the afternoon, depending on the condition of each pool.
“It depends on the pool,” he said.
“My problem is that I have to pack my backpack with chemicals. I can’t carry all the extra pool products needed for more difficult work.”
One of Calder’s longest-standing clients is Carmella Trerise, who first called on him to clean her pool and soon noticed the lengths he goes to. “He used to have a scooter bike, and later, he was walking,” Trerise said.
“He comes past when he does Braelyn on his way to another client in Selborne and then to Berea. I often pass him on the road while he’s walking with his equipment.”
She describes Calder as passionate, committed and fiercely independent.
“He didn’t give up when his bike broke.
“He looks after his own well-being despite his age. He is reliable, punctual, friendly, very helpful and honest.”
During the busy December, Calder continued working despite the strain. Trerise confirmed that he was called out regularly over the festive season, adding that she remains one of the clients he has had the longest. But as temperatures climb, concern is growing for his safety.
“It is very urgent because it is summer,” Trerise said.
“The heat can affect his health, and it can be dangerous to walk.”
Calder says what keeps him going is simple: “my biggest motivation is my customers.”
Now, for the first time, he is quietly asking for help.
Community members who wish to assist Calder, whether by helping him replace his transport or easing his workload, can do so.
Calder’s story reflects a growing reality for many elderly residents, where turning 70 does not mean rest, but resilience, responsibility and returning to work to survive.
My problem is that I have to pack my backpack with chemicals. I can’t carry all the extra pool products needed for more difficult work
He didn’t give up when his bike broke. He looks after his own well-being despite his age. He is reliable, punctual, friendly, very helpful and honest
