The other day my London Shoes ventured down to the Stratford E15 district of East London, for the specific purpose of checking out a new and unique initiative: – the “DIALOGUE EXPRESS CAFÉ”
Based in the Dennison Point Car Park of the massive Carpenters Estate – Stratford E15 – the ‘ Dialogue Express Café ‘ is housed in an old ex-museum exhibit – a 1969 built Mark 2 train carriage
The ‘Dialogue Express Café’ is part of the ‘Dialogue Hub’ community interest company – a social enterprise whose mission is to promote and champion social inclusion via various activities and initiatives.
The Dialogue Hub project quest is to provide opportunities where everyone, regardless of their background or abilities, can feel fully engaged, included and valued.
The Dialogue Express Café initiative, that only opened this year in July-2025 is just a couple of minutes’ walk from the Gibbins Lane entry/exit of Stratford station – and is situated within a community garden of the Carpenters Estate.
The main directive of the café is designed to raise awareness and a better understanding of different groups of folk within society, thus improving inclusivity and ‘connection’. More importantly, the Café increases opportunities for those folk who may be deaf or hard of hearing – making those with such disabilities, quite rightly, feeling both included and valued.
I believe that the Dialogue Express Cafe it is the only business enterprise in London that provides employment and skills training and work experience for hearing impaired and deaf people – it really is an impressive set-up.
The Dialogue Express Café is much more than just a place to grab a coffee and a cake – it’s a unique place that enables ‘customers’ to use British Sign Language’ (BSL) to order their food – and also learn to communicate in general with the deaf and hard of hearing…..it’s an education.
So – having read about this very impressive initiative on Facebook, me and my London Shoes, accompanied by my long-time mate Pete – just had to leg it over to Stratford to track down the Dialogue Express Café check it all out – and a very enjoyable time we had there too – even though our feeble attempts at ordering coffee and cake in BSL were embarrassing and disastrous – gawd knows what the good folk working at the Café must of thought of us 2 clowns!!
Even though the Café is located right next to the many railway lines servicing Stratford station – and in the middle of a massive housing estate and hi-rise housing complex – the atmosphere surrounding the community garden the train carriage café is in, is surprisingly tranquil and relaxing – as it is also, inside the Café.
The staff working there are friendly, efficient and extremely patient when dealing with someone like me, attempting (very poorly) to communicate in ‘sign’. There are interactive tools available to teach yourself how to order what you want via BSL – plus, there is always an interpreter nearby should a punter (or the staff) need to call upon someone for a little assistance.
As I’ve said earlier – this Dialogue Express Café initiative has only been up and running a few weeks – its very early days yet, there’s clearly a lot more that the organisation wants and need to do to improve and move the business forward to higher levels.
Inside the train carriage Café there were flyers promoting a ‘Stratford Loves Jazz’ event to be held in the grounds of the ‘Dialogue Express Café, and its events like this that will help raise awareness of the cafe throughout the local community and beyond.
If early evidence is anything to go by, then the Dialogue Express Cafe has all the makings of becoming a well-known and popular East London landmark in the not-too-distant future.
It has long been said that…“kindness is the language that the deaf can hear, and the blind can see” – and the intention of the Dialogue Express Café is for every customer to walk away with a greater awareness of inclusivity and understanding that even a simple little action like trying to use sign-language to order a cuppa or coffee, shows a level of kindness and understanding that can only make the world a better place for all.
So – should you ever find yourself down Stratford E15 way, whether you be shopping at ‘Westfield’ or you’re off to see the ‘Abba Voyage’ event – then why not check-out the Dialogue Express Café – they’d love to see you.
Address – Gibbins Road, London E15 2HU – Opening times Monday-Friday 07.00-18.00, Saturday-Sunday 08.00-17.00
Hope you enjoyed this little London Shoes blog and its accompanying photos
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See below the entire gallery of photos taken to support this blog article
The Dialogue Express Café – is just a minute or so walk from the Gibbins Road exit/entrance of Stratford Station
Even though the Dialogue Express Café is located right next to the many railway lines servicing Stratford station the atmosphere surrounding the community garden the train carriage Café is in, is surprisingly tranquil and relaxing
The Dialogue Express Café only opened in July this year (2025)
The Dialogue Express Café is much more than just a place to grab a coffee and a cake – it’s a unique place that enables ‘customers’ to use British Sign Language’ (BSL) to order their food – and also learn to communicate in general with the deaf and hard of hearing
Based in the Dennison Point Car Park of the massive Carpenters Estate–Stratford E15 – the ‘ Dialogue Express Café ‘ is housed in an old ex-museum exhibit – a 1969 built Mark 2 train carriage
The ‘Dialogue Express Café’ is part of the ‘Dialogue Hub’ community interest company – a social enterprise whose mission is to promote and champion social inclusion via various activities and initiatives.
The old 1969 Mark 2 railway carriage – that is now the home of the ‘Dialogue Express Cafe’ located in the middle of the large Carpenters Estate-Stratford E15
Me – alongside the train carriage that is now the newly opened ‘Dialogue Express Cafe’ initiative
The Dialogue Express Café only opened this year in July-2025
The Dialogue Express Cafe is the only business enterprise in London that provides employment and skills training and work experience for hearing impaired and deaf people
Inside the Dialogue Express Cafe there are interactive tools available to teach yourself how to order what you want via BSL
Another view of the old 1969 Mark 2 railway carriage – now the home of the ‘Dialogue Express Cafe’ located in Stratford London E15
The old railway carriage – now home to the ‘Dialogue Express Cafe’ – located in Stratford London E15
The ‘Dialogue Express Cafe’ – located in Stratford London E15
Me – alongside the train carriage that is now the newly opened ‘Dialogue Express Cafe’ initiative
Inside the old converted train carriage – now home to the Dialogue Express Cafe
Inside the old converted train carriage – now home to the Dialogue Express Cafe
Staff busy at work inside the Dialogue Express Cafe
Inside the old converted train carriage – now home to the Dialogue Express Cafe
Inside the old converted train carriage – now home to the Dialogue Express Cafe
The old railway carriage – now home to the ‘Dialogue Express Cafe’ – located in Stratford London E15
Another view of the old 1969 train carriage – now the home of the ‘Dialogue Express Cafe’ located in Stratford London E15
Me – alongside the July 2025 opened ‘Dialogue Express Cafe’ in Stratford London E15
Another view of the ‘Dialogue Express Cafe’ located in Stratford London E15
Staff busy at work inside the Dialogue Express Cafe
Events like the recent ‘Stratford Loves Jazz’ that was held in the grounds of the ‘Dialogue Express Café, will help raise awareness of the café throughout the local community and beyond.
Me & my mate Pete – enjoying a cuppa and a coffee inside the Dialogue Express Cafe – Stratford E15
I think the friendly, and extremely patient (with me & my mate Pete, anyway) staff working at the Dialogue Express Cafe – enjoyed my little London Shoes visit – I certainly enjoyed it
My London Shoes had a very enjoyable time at the Dialogue Express Cafe – even though our feeble attempts at ordering coffee and cake in BSL were embarrassing and disastrous – gawd knows what the good folk working at the Café must of thought of us 2 clowns!!
Thank you Mr. Shoes, I loved this read.
I have a postman who is deaf and I always say ‘thank you’ to him in sign language – other things I try and muddle through with a mixture of words and signs, probably the wrong ones but I get there!!
It is heart warming , well it is for me anyway!
Nice one Geoff Clements
I’m deaf and use BSL as well as English. Great you went there. The last photo you signed ‘thank hou’ 👏 👏 👏