Putting down roots: the story of the Windrush Generation and St Ann's Allotments explored in a new book

The story of Caribbean migration to the UK played out in our factories, music, streets and inner cities, but less is known about migrants’ impact on under-used allotment sites such as Hungerhill Gardens, now known as St Ann’s Allotments, in Nottingham. This is Europe’s oldest allotment site which, as you can probably imagine, has stories to tell. 

It all started with Windrush – the now-famed passenger ship which brought over 1000 post-World War II Caribbean immigrants to the UK, in the late 1940s after the British government called for people to help rebuild the country, and fill massive labour shortages after the war. HMT Empire Windrush was the first ship of many bringing large groups of Caribbean immigrants to the UK between 1948 and 1971 – hence, the ‘Windrush Generation’ being coined.

For Colin, the making of Caribbean Pioneer Gardeners started back in 2005, though arguably it started long before. Colin had been working to promote STAA, a charitable organisation based on the allotments, when English Heritage asked him to interview older gardeners for their Open Days project – an initiative allowing the public to access areas which usually they wouldn’t be able to. Colin had a garden himself, and already knew many of the gardeners, but the project encouraged him to delve further, conduct interviews and take photos of them at work.

The book recounts interviews with gardeners Sid Fuller, Donald ‘Pipe Man’ Rowe, Henry Francis, Tom Oliver, Oscar Reid and Lee McCalla. The men had smallholding backgrounds in Jamaica, and came over in the Windrush years to work in Nottingham for companies such as Beeston Boilers, Chilwell Ordnance Depot, and Dobsons. They didn’t take stewardship of the allotment straight away, with most of their time going into earning a living. But as they began to retire and gain more leisure time, work at the allotment began.

The book does a marvellous job of helping us imagine life on the allotments. Colin says that as soon as you walked through the allotment gates, the outside world was left behind. The atmosphere was welcoming and down-to-earth, with gardeners relaxing in their self-built summer houses at lunchtime, chatting about the capricious British weather, how the crops were doing, and what was to be planted next.

The interviews are unfiltered, candid and vivid, and the images are absolutely wonderful. You only need to read a few pages before it is clear how much the allotment meant to the gardeners; it wasn’t about the money, but creating a space where everyone was welcome and encouraged to get joy from gardening.

Not only are the gardeners’ personal stories interesting and inspiring, but Colin is keen for their methods and practices to be recorded and shared for future generations. The way that they gardened – the crops and tools used, but also the atmosphere and environment – are fascinating to learn about. 

Lenient building restrictions meant gardeners could build summer houses and greenhouses –  essential for growing Caribbean crops in a much cooler Nottingham. Some summer houses even had a place to sleep, as many of the gardeners maintained the same work pattern they had in the Caribbean – starting early and napping at lunch to avoid the heat.

One of the best things about Caribbean Pioneer Gardeners is the insight into Caribbean horticulture. The gardeners grew crops that weren’t readily available in Nottingham at the time, using seeds brought over from the Caribbean. They grew giant oxheart tomatoes, small, hard pumpkins, sweetcorn, Swiss chard, thyme and scallions. 

There is a great section at the back of the book which describes the tools used, of which there weren’t many – a machete and a draw hoe. Colin says that the gardeners began expanding their toolkit and steer away from the machete, but their practices always stayed close to their Caribbean roots. 

Sadly, most of the original Windrush gardeners have now passed away, but their legacy very much lives on. Not only are the allotments tended to by their descendants and other gardening enthusiasts, but St Anns Allotments continues to be a place of great diversity and culture. 

Colin says there are many people who come from strong rural backgrounds in different countries who want to continue growing the crops they grew up with here in Nottingham. In particular, in recent years the chocho – a tropical Jamaican vine – has been grown.

Colin’s goal with Caribbean Pioneer Gardeners is clear – he wants to preserve and share the stories of these incredible gardeners who saved a historic environmental site in Nottingham. The book is sure to be a hit with gardening enthusiasts and historians alike. 

Ultimately, the book goes far beyond the callaloo and chocho. It tells stories of determination and culture, of people united by their love of growing, and of a community putting down roots in a new land. 

Caribbean Pioneer Gardeners by Colin Haynes, with additional text by Rosie Thomas Palmer is published by Five Leaves. It is available now at their bookshop at 14a Long Row, Nottingham, as well as other selected outlets.

fiveleaves.co.uk