Interview with Edsol Virgil (Ted) Barnard (b.1942).
Ted Barnard moved to London from the island of Dominica in the Caribbean to find better employment; moving to a new town also offered accommodation, so they chose Milton Keynes, arriving in the early 1970s when little building had been completed. He worked at Newton Longville brickworks and. Living on the Lakes Estate since he moved to MK, he now owns this house. He talks about the neighbourhood, commenting that the design of the Lakes brings people together. Initially he planned to stay in England for a short time only, but MK changed this.
Initially he found poor job prospects, and low pay; public transport was also poor. He comments that when his wife had health problems, she was looked after much better in MK than she would have been in London. He became involved with a local cricket team, an allotment, the Afro-Caribbean Association, the Workers Education Association, a local union and youth work with the Borough Council. His opinion is that MK has changed for the better, there are a lot more places for entertainments and also more places you can turn to for help now. He remembers events such as Mrs Thatcher opening the Shopping Centre and the people’s march for jobs in 1983. Finally, he says: ‘Overall, I would say moving to MK is the best decision I have ever made from the time I left the Caribbean.’
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