LANDLORDS 2
ROSE:
I arrived from St Lucia in 1962 and stayed with family in Hackney and Edmonton. I was 17 years old. I moved to North Kensington in 1964 to Ashmore Road with my brother. He met his wife so I had to move out. A man I knew from the Caribbean ... we went out together for a while and got married here and our home was a room in Talbot Road. We got married in St Mary of The Angels church and then I had my first son.
IT WAS A TIME OF TREMENDOUS RACISM SO IT WAS DIFFICULT TO FIND A PLACE TO RENT.
We rented from a horrible Jamaican landlord. He called me 'Small Island ' as an insult. He divided the one room into two and he lived in the front section and we at the back. He had access to our room all the time. We asked for another room and got a room in the basement; he charged us double rent, we found hard to pay. We went to the tribunal the court reduced the rent. The landlord didn't like it.
I came back one day from work. They ransacked the room, took everything, wedding dress the head dress, presents, gold chain and my savings stamp book even from under the bed. We were sure it was the landlord and his friends that stole everything. They played dominoes all day. The little six pence meter was broken and they spread a few sixpences on the floor ...they spread black pepper all over our room to frighten us. Eventually they got their wishes and we left. The whole house was black people only.
I arrived from St Lucia in 1962 and stayed with family in Hackney and Edmonton. I was 17 years old. I moved to North Kensington in 1964 to Ashmore Road with my brother. He met his wife so I had to move out. A man I knew from the Caribbean ... we went out together for a while and got married here and our home was a room in Talbot Road. We got married in St Mary of The Angels church and then I had my first son.
IT WAS A TIME OF TREMENDOUS RACISM SO IT WAS DIFFICULT TO FIND A PLACE TO RENT.
We rented from a horrible Jamaican landlord. He called me 'Small Island ' as an insult. He divided the one room into two and he lived in the front section and we at the back. He had access to our room all the time. We asked for another room and got a room in the basement; he charged us double rent, we found hard to pay. We went to the tribunal the court reduced the rent. The landlord didn't like it.
I came back one day from work. They ransacked the room, took everything, wedding dress the head dress, presents, gold chain and my savings stamp book even from under the bed. We were sure it was the landlord and his friends that stole everything. They played dominoes all day. The little six pence meter was broken and they spread a few sixpences on the floor ...they spread black pepper all over our room to frighten us. Eventually they got their wishes and we left. The whole house was black people only.
We moved out to St Ervans Road in 1967 to one room. I was pregnant with my second child. I was working in the Rag Trade in a factory near there. The landlord was African. He wanted to take advantage of me when my husband was out. (My husband and I were having marital difficulties). I said "No!" The landlord got annoyed. My husband had a big fight with him. They went to court and my husband was fined. I was in contact with an English *Pastor who was the head of the Housing Trust. He was trying to help me. We moved to Latimer Road where I got pregnant with my third child. Then the Pastor got me a Housing Trust flat in Fermoy Road. The marriage problems didn't stop. We separated, got a divorce. I worked really hard and I moved with our children to Fifth Avenue. That is where I still am.
* Clerics from local churches helped people deal with the appalling housing conditions in North Kensington. In December 1963 The Reverend Bruce Kenrick set up The Notting Hill Housing Trust.
