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When
Austin Westcarr arrived in the county there were very few Jamaicans
living in Gloucester at the time and even fewer with their own homes.
He was able to purchase his home, and soon became a key figure in
the community.
Most
Sundays during the 60s and 70s, you would find a crowd of people
at his home in All Saints Road, maybe just talking about 'back-a-yard'
or their experiences here in England, or just seeking advice
and help to complete documents like the dreaded income tax forms.
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| Bernard
Westcarr |
His
son, Bernard, remembers:
"Most Sundays during the 60s and 70s you would find a crowd
of people at his home in All Saints Road, maybe just talking about
'back-a-yard' or their experiences here in England, or just seeking
advice and help to complete documents like the dreaded income tax
forms."
Partner
Austin
also ran a 'partner' (pronounced pardner) – the mechanics of
which are simple: 20 people 'throw' a hand of, say, £5 every
week. A list of names is kept by the banker, and each week one person
gets a 'draw' (ie £100). After 20 weeks, the process starts
all over again.
This
system of saving, a means by which a large amount of money could
be accumulated over a short period of time, helped numerous people
to send money to family and friends in Jamaica. This
in turn enabled others to make the journey to England and maintained
those who stayed.
It
was also the method by which many Jamaicans were able to acquire
the deposit to purchase their own homes. Austin's desire, like many
others, was to return 'home' to Jamaica on his retirement.
Sadly
this was not to be. After a long illness he died in 1984. More than
1,200 people attended his funeral. There are, however, many stories
of the kindness showed by white citizens of Gloucester, like Eric
Saxon and his wife, who housed Mally Hutchinson
and many others.
Another
such individual was Fred Bennett, of BennettÂ’s Coaches, who
lived in Tuffley Avenue. He not only provided accommodation for
a young Jamaican man, Eric Shaw and his family, but also allowed
the use of his home for the wedding reception of Mr and Mrs Hutchinson.
Eric
Shaw
Eric
Shaw arrived in Gloucester in 1952, and lodged at the Hostel in
Brockworth. His wife, Rose, and young daughter, Gloria, were to
join him in 1954, and he needed accommodation for the family.
It
was difficult to apply for places giving your address as the hostel.
He experienced much rejection, doors were slammed in his face, and
where there were signs saying 'Rooms For Rent', he was told they
had been taken.
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| Winston
Shaw was 16 when he arrived in Gloucester |
Mally
invited him to stay in his accommodation, sharing his room, which
enabled him to apply to an advert in The Citizen from a Gloucester
address. He was successful.
EricÂ’s
son, Winston, recalls the Bennetts as a “wonderful family”,
and says: “You could never imagine such a cordial relationship
that existed between a black family and that white family.”
On
arrival, EricÂ’s daughter, Gloria was aged fourteen years and
was almost definitely the youngest immigrant to Gloucester. Her
brother, Winston, who arrived in 1954, was aged 16.
Sending
for the children
In
most cases, the earliest immigrants who already had children had
left them in the Caribbean with grandparents or other family members.
They had not intended to stay for long but when their parents had
settled and it was clear they would not be returning, the children
were sent for.
When
I came here in the early years, even then I was doing community
work. I used to sit on a Saturday afternoon and practically
all day Sunday and write letters for the less fortunate. I
would write letters home and I would send the money home for
their wives. They would receive the letters in return, I would
open those letters, convey the contents, reply again.
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| Bernard
Westcarr |
As
an educated young man, before joining the Air Force, Winston became
involved in efforts to help members of his community. He takes up
the story: "When I came here in the early years, even then
I was doing community work. I used to sit on a Saturday afternoon
and practically all day Sunday and write letters for the less fortunate.
"I
would write letters home and I would send the money home for their
wives. They would receive the letters in return, I would open those
letters, convey the contents, reply again.
"Those
who wanted to have their wives join them, I would send the money
home to the ChinÂ’s Travel Service or to MartinÂ’s Travel.
I would make the arrangements for their wives to come. When it was
time for the children to come, I would make the arrangements."
First
community relations officer
In
1967, Winston Shaw became GloucestershireÂ’s first community
relations officer. Chosen from 26 applicants, Winston states the
post "was a challenge".
Set
up under the Race Relations Act, his role was wide-ranging. First
and foremost, he was a liaison officer, working with various organisations
and all departments of Gloucester City Council, and in Cheltenham,
to improve conditions for the 'immigrant' (by now also including
a large Asian population) in employment, education and socially.
»
See 'Bernard Westcarr's story'
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