Shelia_building
Sheila
My story starts with a family who lived in Jamaica. There was a Grandma, Mum, Dad and some children, a big brother and a little boy and girl.
The little girl was a happy child who loved playing outside in the yard with her dolls.
Home is where you feel safe. Where you have Family and friends. It is where you feel comfortable however it is not necessarily a house.
One day the little girl’s Mum and Dad said they were going to England to work.
The little girl and her brothers had to stay behind and live with their Grandma.
Although they loved their Grandma the children were sad and missed their Mum and Dad.
One day a letter arrived in the post from England. It said:
Dear Mama,
We are missing the children too much. We want them to come and join us in England where we can give them a good life. Enclosed are tickets for their flight to England.
Your loving daughter
Violet
The children were so happy they would be going on a plane to England.
They said goodbye to Grandma and set off.
Arrival
We came to this country to help rebuild our motherland, we thought we were going to be welcomed but instead, when my parents were looking for a place to stay there were notices on the houses which said, No Blacks, No Irish No Dogs.
That is why a lot of the Caribbean families got together a Pardoner system, where everyone would put money in regularly and then take turns to have a lump sum back. That helped them to buy their own houses.
*A group of trusted friends or family members (The pardners) agree to contribute a set amount of money (The hand) into a common pot at regular intervals. In each interval member receives the entire accumulated pot.
The journey was very long, and they were very tired when they got off the plane in England. They looked around excited waiting to see their Mum and Dad. They waited and waited but nobody came.
The little girl does not remember how it happened, but the story goes that a taxi driver agreed to drive them from London to Bristol!
When they got to Bristol their parents were happy to see them, but not happy at having to borrow the money to pay the taxi driver.
In the 1970’s my college was in Exmouth in Devon. The people were very friendly, but some of them had never seen a Black person before. One farmer just stood and gaped at me wide eyed and followed me down the road with his eyes, he was amazed.
I wasn’t upset, he was just being curious, he had never seen a black person in the flesh before, and I did have rather amazing hair with beads in so maybe that was also a factor.
Contribution to Newham
First of all, for a long time, I was a class teacher, then I became a Deputy Head teacher and then I was a Head teacher.
Poem
Home is where you feel safe.
Home is where you have friends and family
Home isn’t necessarily a house,
Home can be anywhere that you feel comfortable.
