DesmondÕs Hip City was the first black record shop to open in Brixton, South London, 1970

Jean Parboosingh also found the experience exciting. “We did some sightseeing in the London area and went up to Edinburgh. I had a couple of months before the university actually started so I could get to know the people and the area … I had to learn to cook and do everything for myself. I wasn’t homesick. I got letters from home every week. There wasn’t easy access to the telephone and email didn’t exist in those days but having family helped and, like my husband John, I joined the West Indian association and went to all their parties so it was also fun.”

Dr Anthony Lewis found the differences “stimulating. The weather funnily enough didn’t bother me at all. I was properly clad and it was just a new venture and exciting for a young man and I really enjoyed it … I went straight to Yorkshire and also got into brand new halls of residence at the University of Leeds called Bodington Hall, with central heating! I was really very privileged … I was not homesick at all. I came from a very close and loving family. My father had been in England on one of these education courses, he was a teacher. So he had spoken to me about what to expect.”

Sherlene Rudder missed her grandmother but thought that being in England “was really an exciting adventure. I loved that. A friend of the family took me around London and that was very exciting.”
It was summer when Professor John Parboosingh arrived, “so the weather was excellent and the different types of people and the population of London were really quite striking to me. I was sort of prepared because

my sisters were there before, so they got me a coat and things like that. The biggest shock was independence and having to look after myself. I had a sister already there in medical school so with her help I found digs. I was not particularly homesick, more excited and worried because of getting back into school. There were many West Indians, approximately 10 or 15 in each medical school class, and West Indian associations. I certainly joined that with my sister and lots of social activities.”