by Sian Napier
snapier@thekmgroup.co.uk

THE uprising in Egypt and fall of its president Hosni Mubarak was seen at first hand by former Canterbury man Alisdare Hickson, whose father Tony lives in New Dover Road.
Since October 2007 Alisdare, 47, has lived in Egypt where he works as a sales manager in an hotel health club on the Red Sea coast and when the revolution started he asked his Egyptian boss to allow him to travel to Cairo to join the protesters.
“He said it would be dangerous but seeing my enthusiasm he allowed me to go,” said Alisdare.
Over the following three weeks he spent most days photographing the protesters in Cairo.
“In my photographs you can see the real happiness of the people when Mubarak went – smiles that came from deep inside,” Alisdare said.
Conditions in Egypt had been deteriorating for some time, he added.
“There is huge unemployment in the country and it is very hard for young people to find work,” he said.
“My hotel restaurant was full of graduates working as waiters for £70 a month and few graduates ever get jobs in the field they studied. Corruption is endemic. We have to bribe people just to get clean towels for the health club.
“The price of staple foods has gone up a lot and there has always been lots of routine police brutality.
“People work extremely long hours.
“I don’t want to put people off holidaying in Egypt as the Egyptian people are wonderful.
“I never had a feeling that this was a radical Islamic revolution but rather one of ordinary people joining together regardless of class, religion or any other identity to fight for freedom.”
Alisdare, who plans to return to Egypt on Monday , added: “Things can’t change overnight but I am hopeful that elections will help.
“Jobs are the real issue and they can’t be created quickly but I’d love to see lots of change and more rights for women.”

See this week's Kentish Gazette for full report and pictures.
To see Alisdare’s photographs of the uprising visit www.arabspring.net