Peter was born in Barbados in 1943. In the early 60s, London Transport advertised in the Caribbean for bus drivers, and Peter applied for the job. He and 17 other young men were flown from Barbados to Gatwick in 1964. London Transport had arranged digs for them. They...

When Joyce was four, her mum gave her a doll. She then hugged her, said goodbye, and left Jamaica for England to look for work. Her mum and dad were separated, and Joyce stayed in Kingston with her dad.  In Joyce's neighbourhood, there were lots of Chinese and Indian...

Merlita is originally from Barbados.  She has worked most of her life as a nurse in South London. She has four kids, and her husband works on the buses. “When I was at the airport in Barbados, all the other nurses cried except me. My mother made me take two coats even...

One of Audley's first memories was at a funeral when he was just two years old. This was in Kingston, Jamaica, and Audley remembers seeing everyone standing around the grave. He asked his mum, "Why is everyone crying?". She replied, "Because daddy is dead." Audley's...

In 1961, 25-year-old Alicia came to the UK to work as a nurse. The fare from Guyana was £83. (About £2,000 today). Alicia's mum worked extra to help pay for her daughter's passage. The voyage took 2 weeks, but Alicia never felt seasick. While she got settled in the...

Richard came to the UK from Jamaica 70 years ago when he was just 5. His dad was a carpenter, and the family set up home in Birmingham. Richard still remembers his dad keeping chickens in the back garden like everybody did back home. His dad would put the chicken in a...

Esther came to England in 1964. She worked at West Middlesex Hospital as a ward orderly. For over 40 years, she turned the patients in the beds, dealt with the bedpans, and kept the ward clean. She spent much of her life living in Battersea, but now she’s retired, she...

In 1954, Victor came from Barbados to the UK on the 'SS Columbia.' He was just 20 years old. It was tough being black in Britain back then. He'd attend a job interview and be told, "The job has gone." He heard one of his prospective employers say, "Why'd d'you send...

Yvonne came from Guyana to the UK when she was 12 or 'Something like that.' She went to Overhill School in Plough Lane, Battersea. After leaving school, she got a job at the Decca factory in New Malden. She worked on the wiring for radar systems that would end up in...

Hector is 73. He’s originally from Jamaica but has lived in Battersea for most of his adult life. Before retiring, he worked for British Rail. After years of renting a place to live, he saved enough to get a mortgage on the house pictured above, where he has lived for...

Gloria is 87 and was heading to Holy Trinity Church on Clapham Common when I took this shot. She was born in Jamaica and came to live in Coventry when she was small because her dad, who was in the RAF, was based there. She worked as a clerical officer in the...

When his dad left Jamaica to get work in England, Stan was sent to live with his grandparents in St Elizabeth, to the southwest of the island. His grandfather passed away shortly after, so Stan was brought up by his grandmother, who owned a shop and his auntie, who...

When Isabella was born, her big brother said she was as pretty as a flower. The name stuck, and 86 years later, everyone still calls her Flower. Flower was born in Guyana. Her maiden name, Quain, is Irish—her great-grandfather was Irish but returned to Ireland, and...

John was born in Richmond, Jamaica, in 1935. He was one of 10 kids and had to share a bed with his brothers. His family lived close to the school, which was good because John loved school. Once he’d completed his 'Senior Certificate of Education', the same as A levels...

Betsy came to Britain from Jamaica in 1960. She was just 16 and travelled all by herself. She flew into Gatwick Airport and was put on the train to London, where her Aunty was waiting for her at Victoria Station. She got a job at a small factory in Old Street. They...

Manley was born in St Elizabeth, Jamaica, in 1950. When he was 8, his dad left for England and got a job working at a Lyons bakery in South London. A couple of years later, Manley's mum also left for England and got work in the ‘Tri-Ang’ toy factory in nearby Morden....

Gloria was born in Jamaica in 1943. She came to the UK when she was just 15 years old. She says she looks for good for a 76-year-old because she ’no smoke, no drink and no bleaching’ (bleaching means -staying up late). Gloria has had quite an eventful life. She used...

For as long as he can remember, Max has always wanted to play music. Max was born in Trinidad in 1929 and was one of 12 kids. His dad was a headmaster, and his mum was a teacher. They lived in a large house in the capital, Port of Spain. Neither of Max's parents was...

Stella has a great sense of humour. As I attempted to take her photo, she said, "Take your time and hurry up." She then told me in a whisper, "I'm 89 but don't tell anybody."  Stella came to England from Guyana in 1955. She enjoyed the journey across the Atlantic. It...

Phillip is originally from British Dominica and was a trained carpenter. He told me, "I can take a piece of a tree and turn it into a cabinet."  When he was young, many friends left British Dominica for America as soon as possible. Phillip stayed because his work was...

Thelma was born in St Andrew, Barbados, in 1932. She had five brothers and two sisters. Her mum died in childbirth when she was just 8. Back then, people didn't know much about contraception, and Thelma thinks that giving birth to all those babies eventually became...

Jess was born in Jamaica in 1938. Her village, Accompong, was created by runaway enslaved people who established a fortified stronghold in the 17th century. Known as the ‘Maroon people, ’ a name based on the Spanish word “cimarrones," meaning "wild ones", they...

Monica often gets the bus to Trafalgar Square to sit on her favourite bench. She loves the square because there is always something going on. It also gives her a chance to do her scratch cards. Monica is 77 and was born in St Lucia. 1960 when she was 18, she came to...

William Richardson was born on 13th February 1933 in Meten-Meer-Zorg, a small town on the Guyanese coast from which the famous Demerara sugar is derived. 'Richardson' is his grandfather's surname on his mother's side of the family. Richie's parents were very young...

Janet was born in 1935 in 'Kitty', Georgetown, Guyana. Her dad owned some land as well as the village shop. Janet did well at school. She was also sporty and loved tennis, athletics and cycling. She went on to work for a printing company called 'B.G. Lithographic",...

Princess Aldridge, AKA Blossom, was born in Trelawny in the Jamaican countryside in 1933 Her dad grew yams, bananas, cocoa, 'dasheen' (Taro plant), and another root vegetable, 'tyre'. Her parents had children from previous partners, so Blossom had a big family with...

Henry was born in 'Snell Hall' village in St Vincent, Grenada. The town was named after enslaver William Snell. 1720-1779. On June 15th, 1961, Henry took the boat to England. His mum was so upset that her boy was leaving that she couldn't bear to look when he got on...

Carmen was born in 1934 in Clarendon, Jamaica. She grew up in the countryside, where her father and brother managed the region's citrus production. The Lawson brothers (Carmen's maiden name) were well-known locally and among the leading employers in the area. School...

Violet is from Clarendon to the south of Jamaica. She came to the UK 60 years ago and worked as a nurse for most of her life. Dolly is 94 and from St Thomas, also in Jamaica. Before retiring, she worked as a dressmaker. The pair was on their way to church when I took...

Veronica came to England from Jamaica when she was 9. Her mum was just 25 and had given birth to Veronica when she was a teenager and still at school. Everyone knew Veronica’s mum as Pearl, and she was a talented seamstress. Veronica’s dad, Charlie, worked for British...

Agnes longed to see her big brother George again. He’d left Guyana for the UK when she was 11. So in 1959, when Agnes was 19, she boarded the SS Venezuela and set sail for England. Agnes remembers the boat was filled with people from all over the West Indies,...

Arnold Ebenezer Tomlinson was born in the parish of Westmoreland, Jamaica, in 1923. He grew up on a farm with his seven siblings. His dad grew sugar cane and kept donkeys; Arnold would help on the farm after school. He came to England in 1956. He remembers being...