Greener Pastures

If you have ever wondered at the racial and ethnic diversity you encounter on the streets of London or any of the larger cities in the UK today, this book will give you an insight as to how and why this phenomenon occurred. What was life like for these people in their original homeland? What was the call of Britain to them? Why has Britain become their home? And introspectively, did the British not spread themselves across the globe so that one once claimed: ‘The sun never sets on the British Empire?’

Was the Britain of the 1950s a truly welcoming place for ‘Windrush’ emigrants? The fact that most of them stayed on to make their lives here is testimony to their resilience rather than the influence of an accepting attitude from the host nation. The Transport, Health and Construction industries certainly needed their manpower, but the influx of a non-white contingent of job seekers seemed to threaten the livelihood of the local working-class population. Racial prejudice reared its ugly head from time to time, and conflict resolution became a necessary tool in the building of harmonious relationships. This resulted in a changing attitude which enabled the formation of today’s modern, multicultural Britain.

Andrew Amann was born in Sangre Grande, Trinidad and Tobago, in 1936. He attended both private and government schools attaining, a Senior Cambridge School Certificate Grade 1, in 1952. After working briefly as a civil servant in the Sangre Grande Warden’s Office, he joined the teaching profession, becoming an assistant teacher (under training) at Malabar RC school in Arima.

Following in the footsteps of his ‘Windrush’ cousins, he emigrated to England in 1957 and studied at Westminster College while working in restaurants to pay his way. He was called up for National Service but volunteered to join the RAF. While stationed at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, he courted a West Country lass in the romantic city of Bath, married her and had six children. After serving as an electronic technician, air radar, for ten years, he qualified as a teacher after a two-year course at Bishop Grosseteste College. He was later to gain a MA (Ed.) degree from the University of Hull.

Having taught at both secondary and middle schools for a number of years, he left to take up an appointment in the Youth and Community Service in Berkshire. He took early retirement from the post of Youth and Community Education Officer and returned to Trinidad with his wife in 1992. In spite of enjoying the warmth and hospitality of the land of his birth, with the passing of family and friends of his age group, he and his dear wife have now returned to live in England, near to a daughter, son, and grandchildren. He can be contacted by e-mail at [email protected], or on Facebook.