Sorry to keep you waiting, welcome to my abode. My palace, so to speak. And you’re welcome here anytime. Clinton Horatio Jones, I was 70 on the 23rd of April. I’m from Jamaica, Seaforth, St. Thomas.

Well, in Jamaica, we had everything. We had a plot of land that we had, because my grandma was that… elder, she sort of sold some of the land to next-door neighbours, that sort of thing, because it was too big for her to look after. When I was a youth, I used to sleep on my mother’s grave, a stone, late at night. If I… Even now I could sleep in a graveyard without no fear.

And one day I was, you know, the doors, they’ve got knots in the doors. Knocked it out, looking down the – we’ll call it a gully, which is the river – and I saw a shadow coming up in white, all in white. So I said, ‘Mama, mama, mama, I saw mommy.’

So she says to me, ‘Next time you see her, don’t shout. She just come to say hello.’

Everything I’ve learned, I’ve learned it from my grandmother. She was a mother, a father, and a brother to me.

I was only nine. My grandma was getting on and she, she passed on. So my aunt sent for us, my sister and I.

We arrived on the airplane, on a BOAC VC10, it was a propeller plane. My grandmother told us that if we’ve stuck nutmeg underneath our tongue, we won’t have like, air sickness. That day I really was looking forward to it. I was just looking through the window, looking at some cars that looks like a matchbox. And I don’t think I slept. I was so excited. But when we landed – cor, like in a freezer. I was shivering.

We went straight to Brixton. It was cold and dark. I remember the Thames froze over in ‘63. And the… bus conductors used to walk in front of the bus with a lantern, because it was so damn foggy. I lived with my aunt, yes. 52 Geneva Road in Brixton. We had to use paraffin lamps in them days. There was no central heating. Electric bar heaters, yeah, but when you see the meter, it goes around – growls like a racing car – like Lewis Hamilton.

They used to have guys that wait until you’ve gone to work and then break into your house and break the meters. So we couldn’t have friends from school hanging around our gate. That is a no-no. No friend on coming overnight, not in them days. Because people used to sort of help themselves because it was quite free. You know what I mean? And also if you’re a Black person and you go into an area you will be noticed. They call them Neighbourhood Watch now. They used to have people just sitting on the window and just watching, for they ain’t got nothing else to do. They’re retired and that sort of thing.

When you, like, for rooms… When you wanted a room, I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this, they says, ‘No Black, no dogs, no Irish.’ I couldn’t believe what I’m reading. Because where we are from in the West Indies, if you’re not living anywhere and you’ve got space, they’ll put you up. If you are hungry, we’ll feed you. If you’re thirsty...

How it was then and now, it’s a big change. You’re going to school and they’re saying to you, ‘Have you had your coon flakes yet?’ So they’re calling you a coon. Or, ‘Where’s your tail?’ Because they’re calling you a monkey.

I’ve been living in Brixton for a very, very long time and I’ve seen things that most people only read about. Like, if you’re going home at night don’t get caught by skinheads. Greasers, skinheads, teddy boys. Those three. So what we do, we travel in in groups. We walk this one home, then walk the other one home and then last one, he goes on by himself – laughs. So it’s just like, ‘I’m looking after you, you’re looking after me,’ and that sort of thing.

I did sheet metal work, on welding, arc welding. I moved on from there and I went to British Rail on the tracks. Done two years there at Wimbledon. And then I left from there and went on the Underground to Morden and did the same thing. In the days and the nights, working along the electric rail at 6,000 volts. So it’s quite daunting.

We’ve got a thing called a Kango. We jack up the track, pump the old ballast underneath, put a level on it, make sure it’s nice and level. We was working one day… We’ve got a lookout man, he’s got a horn, he’s got a whistle and he’s also got the button to stop the camera from working. Anyway, that button wasn’t working that day. But I can see for miles down the track. It’s not like it’s coming on the curve, it’s coming on straight. So I looked round and I saw a train coming from Brixton, a hundred miles an hour.

I said, ‘Dave, train’s coming!’

But he, he stutters. He say, ‘It’s a tr-tr-tr-tr-tr-tr-’.

The train went, ‘Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-neeoooooow!’

[Sound of a speeding train]

If I did not call out, I would not be here making this story right now.

I was working at King’s College then, as an ambulance driver. It was a job I enjoyed, because I had to sort of, up in the morning at four, into my ambulance. Drive to either Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, wherever, get my patient and bring them back, on time, to King’s College. One day we had an emergency for Great Ormond Street from King’s College to the Great Ormond Street. And I think I’m the fastest ambulance driver that’s ever moved from King’s College to Great Ormond Street to take that child, to make sure that he’s all right.

Out of all the jobs I’ve had, I’ve really, really, really put the NHS in front. The joy that you see when the patient is better and getting better, and they remember you. That is, that is more than money. Mm. NHS – excellent.

A friend of mine, he’s passed on, he’s a mechanic and he gave me them lilies and it’s just been growing. But my missus comes up, she says, ‘CJ, you got to do this, you got to sort out your garden.’ I said, ‘Yes, I need to sort it out.’ And I’ve got mints as well also. In the morning, I just go to cut the mints, wash them off, boil them, drink them.

I’m old school. Laughs. I’m not… computer literate. They say, ‘Have you got online?’ I said, ‘Yes, the line I’ve got is a clothesline where I put my clothes on, that’s the only line I’ve got – laughs. You can call me on the phone – laughs – you could call me on the phone, send me a text or something, but the only line I’ve got is a clothesline, because I’m on the ground floor...’ Laughs.

I’m proud to see my grandchildren, my children, children can say, yes, they’ve got a good status. And they didn’t walk the road that I walked. Because it wouldn’t be good, they wouldn’t handle it. Because every day you go outside, you walk through that door, you don’t know what you’re gonna expect. Like you’re village auntie, you’re looking out for them. Skinhead, greasers, teddy boys. You have to be aware. I’ve been there, I’ve done that, I wore the T-shirt.

Yeah. So that’s why when you come and you ask me certain questions, I just give you the straight answers. And tell you the way it is, how I’ve experienced it. And that’s me, CJ.