Hong Kong migrants to the UK open up about their hopes and their new reality as they begin life in northern England

Sarah Kong Siu-kuen’s laughter echoes around her white-walled flat in a smart suburb of Manchester where, with unopened packing boxes still piled in corners, she describes the day a 30-minute journey turned into a cross-England tour.

Kong, who left Hong Kong in May with her son and daughter-in-law – both 25-year-old graduate accountants now looking for work and willing to switch careers if necessary – was staying in an Airbnb when they ventured out for their first train journey to inspect a house for sale in Crewe, four stops and 45km away.

Everything went smoothly until they switched into MTR mode as they tried to disembark. “We counted every station on the way from Manchester Piccadilly to Crewe,” she says with an embarrassed smile. “When we arrived, we got up and stood waiting for the doors to open – and they didn’t.

“After a few minutes, we started getting worried, but there was no one around to ask. It was only then that we noticed there was a button to press to open the door. But we were too late, and the train started moving again. Then there was an announcement saying the next station was London Euston.”

Panicked at the realisation that they were on a 2.5-hour, 260km detour, Kong dashed from coach to coach until she found the supervisor. “I told him what had happened. I said we were newcomers to Britain and didn’t know we had to press a button to open the doors. He was very kind and said, ‘Go back to your seat and enjoy the journey. When we’re approaching London, come and see me again.’

“When we got to Euston, he accompanied us to another platform, told staff what had happened, and asked them to let us on the train back to Manchester without any extra charge. I thanked him very much. It was an unforgettable experience, and everyone was very nice to us.”