A family portrait in 1968 at Harvey John’s in Camden Town: Anthea (Winifred), Yvonne, Steady, Ivy, Monica and Lynn

STEADY George arrived in England in 1960. Originally from Grenada, he had moved to the island of Trinidad to earn a living and then made the hard decision to follow others from the Caribbean to make a new life in the UK.

His fiancée, Ivy, came in 1963 and they married in London, leaving family behind in Trinidad with the idea they would settle first and then bring relatives over.

Ivy and her children settled in London in 1966 and made their home in Camden.

Ivy’s daughter Lynette remembers the journey to make a new life. “Travelling from Trinidad to London was an experience,” she recalls.

“We got on a small boat from the harbour, then transferred onto a larger Italian ship. Getting off the small boat was a scary experience because we had to climb rope-stairs. All you could see was water, very deep sea, but we made it. We boarded a very beautiful Italian ship, with a beautiful design. The journey took over three weeks for us to arrive at Southampton dock, and while on board we made friends with other passengers from different parts of the Caribbean.

“The food on the ship was OK, but I remember the Jamaicans were unhappy with the menu. They wanted their own kind of menu, which included rice and peas.

“There was a bit of a dispute and they had words with the captain. All I can remember is that they ended up in the kitchen cooking – how that happened is beyond me. And I remember my sister fell off the bunk bed in our cabin. She was quite badly hurt and required emergency treatment. There was help at hand.

“Being out at sea for three weeks felt a long time, and some people started to get ill – but we made it to England to meet Dad, who had set up a new life for us.

“My Dad was waiting for us at Southampton in a black taxi. While we were in the taxi we went through a tunnel and everywhere was so dark. I remember saying ‘Let’s go to bed, it must be night time’. Both my parents laughed.”

Lynn and her sisters joined Brookfield Primary School in Highgate Newtown in February 1966. They had settled in Dartmouth Park and later would move to Gillies Street, Kentish Town. Lynette would go to Haverstock while her sisters joined Acland Burghley. Her father worked as a security guard for the Post Office and her mother had a job at the Regent’s Park barracks.

In 1980, Ivy returned to Trinidad for health reasons and her husband followed 10 years later. Today, their grandson Darren looks back at what their generation achieved, and the impact they have had on so many.

“Their generation came here and worked hard to make new lives for themselves and their families,” he reflects. It was brave and courageous. They travelled 4,000 miles to build a new life for themselves and their families, raising their children to work hard. Their generation played an important role in shaping the Camden we all know today.”