The inner city of St Pauls holds such a rich and deep history, for that, we have the people to thank.
The area encompasses a group of people who are hardworking, change makers and creatively gifted.
Whether they have left behind a legacy or are still positively bridging the gap in St Pauls, their determination continues to make waves in the bustling suburb.
From the nostalgic to the ever changing people, here are the trailblazers of St Pauls:
1.Delores Campbell
This outstanding woman touched the lives of many and travelled from Kingston, Jamaica at the tender age of 20.
She doted on her 4 children and 12 grandchildren and she was keen for them to work and excel in life.
Delores’ passion for children extended to her becoming a foster carer in 1993 with Bristol City Council.
She was well respected in the fostering association and to show the appreciation an Award was granted after her name, ‘The Delores Campbell Award’.
Her family described her as friendly, caring and a fun-loving spirit. She was dedicated to working hard for the disadvantaged children she cared for.
Not forgetting to mention she was also named one of the Seven Saints of St Pauls and was one of the seven founders of St Pauls Carnival.
2.Bangy - also known as Evon Berry
Sadly, Evon Berry was fatally shot on January 1, 1996 on his return from a New Year’s Eve celebration, whilst he was trying to help stop another male being attacked.
Following his death, local residents held a memorial event.
A permanent plaque in memory of Bangy was also unveiled during the event in St Thomas Street, Montpelier.
3.Ajax
Ajax is renowned in St Pauls for opening the infamous Shady Grove Cafe in 1970 to be a safe haven for the African Caribbean community in St Pauls to dance, drink and socialise, but it also had quite a troubled recent history.
The police tried to shut the Shady Grove down multiple times as it became the centre of noise complaints. The property had been closed down three times since 2010 and was officially closed in 2016.
The police also cited there were violent incidents and illicit drinking taking place at the venue. Although in one of these instances, a judge did find that were was no evidence of illegal alcohol being served.
4.Drummy
Drummy is a much loved character in the area of St Pauls and used to play the drums with Bob Marley, one of the pioneers of reggae.
5.James (Jim) Williams
He was elected as Bristol’s first black Lord Mayor in 1990 and was a local elected member for the Ashley Ward. He worked consistently towards improving living conditions and employment prospects for black people in the city.
James was also a member of a range of Bristol Council Committees, including the Employment and Community Development Committee, as well as the Chair of the Race Equality Committee.
He was heavily involved in the community, which also involved Executive for the Bristol Council for Racial Equality, a committee member of St. Paul’s Community Council and a Justice of the Peace.
Miranda Rae, who used to be a resident of St Pauls said: “Jim and his family ran the St Nicholas pub in St Pauls for many years and when I started dj-ing he always supported me.
“My dad’s shop was on the same road so we knew him since I was little.
“The nights we had in St Nicholas pub were legendary. Hundreds of people would come and go all through the night every week end and it was only £1 to get in.”
6.Barbara Dettering
Barbara Dettering is a black heroine who was the third person to be depicted in a mural to be painted in St Pauls, by the artist, Michelle Curtis.
She worked as a teacher in Bristol but spent the majority of her life influencing young children to overcome prejudices and strive to achieve their dreams.
Barbara was a prominent member of Bristol West Indian Parents and Friends Association and a founding member of the Bristol bus boycott which diminished racial segregation in response to the Bristol Omnibus Company refusing to emply black or Asian bus workers.
She is also one of the founders of St Pauls Carnival, one of Bristol’s biggest African Caribbean celebrations.
7.Charmaine Lawrence
With an extensive list of talents, her career goes from strength to strength. Today, Charmaine can confidently say she’s an award winner, business owner and musician. Her journey began when she launched her skin care brand N9NE and since then her vision has matured, including the launch of Mogul Minded Group.
She launched Mogul Minded Group in 2015, which is a service that provides business advice to other businesses, it’s also an online magazine and a platform for networking.
Charmaine said: “We have the largest platform in the south west. In the past four years we have physically engaged with over 1500 entrepreneurs and creatives from disadvantaged communities through our events.
“Our website has had almost 400k visitors in the last three years,” Charmaine said.
8.Poku Osei
By the age of 26, Poku had begun his entrepreneurial journey by setting up a DVD rental shop, soft commodities company and a property management agency. He took the step to develop his career further and venture in social entrepreneurship when he moved to Bristol 11 years ago.
Poku had no prior non-for-profit sector experience, funding or social capital, but he set up Babbasa, which is a youth empowerment group, offering access to opportunities for young people, such as to the arts, internships and job opportunities.
The catalyst for setting up Babbasa was due to the needs he witnessed amongst young people, as a local inner city resident.
Last year, Babbasa celebrated its fifth anniversary as an established and award-winning social enterprise in Bristol. It is recognised as a brand which aims to break barriers and bridge the gap for young people, as well as being recognised by local authorities and last year, The Queen.
9.Marti Burgess
Marti and her sibling Bentley are the brains behind well known Bristol nightclub, Lakota. They bought the Lakota nightclub, in St Pauls in the 1990’s, which would welcome swarms of people from all around the world.
The club would host nights with famous acts such as Cream and Ministry of Sound. Lakota also toured worldwide, and were the first club to tour South Africa after Apartheidm, as well as one of the first to hold events for black and white people.
The nightclub closed down for redecorating in 1998 and reopened in 1999 - it is now rented out. Martin and Bentley also managed a few DJs and had their own record label.
Her talents are extensive, as this year National law firm Bevan Brittan appointed Marti as a corporate partner in its Bristol office.
10.Samuel Scott
Samuel Scott was known for opening one of the city’s first Caribbean restaurants and launched one of the first Pirate radio stations in the UK in the early 60s/70s.
Mr Scott and his wife would cook up a storm in the kitchen including jerk chicken, dumplings, curry goat, soup and mutton.
He bravely moved to Bristol at the spritely age of 15 and built his identity right here in the city.
He would often go to hospitals and create content for their radio stations as entertainment for the patients.
Sadly, he died from cancer August 20, this year.
11.Tony Bullimore and Lalel Bullimore
Mr and Mrs Bullimore set up history changing club, named The Bamboo Club. If you wanted to feel welcome arriving from the Caribbean into Bristol, this is where you would go.
It was set up in 1996 and was also known as the Bristol West Indian Entertainment Centre.
The Bamboo Club brought residents the best Caribbean music and American soul and R&B.
It was also the founding centre for the Bristol West Indian Cricket Club, the Bristol West Indian Football Club and the Western Star Domino Club, as well as funding the creation for a theatre workshop, with artists such as Alfred Fagon, Norman Beaton and Angela Rodaway taking centre stage in these activities.
Mr Bullimore was also a founder member of St Paul’s Carnival and created one of the first Caribbean floats in the procession.
The Bamboo Club feature some of the biggest names in music such as Bob Marley and the Wailers, the Skatalites, Johnny Nash, the Mighty Diamonds, Benny King, Joe Tex and the incredible Ronnettes, and Jimmy McGriff to Bristol.
