When his dad left Jamaica to get work in England, Stan was sent to live with his grandparents in St Elizabeth to the SW of the island.
His grandfather passed away shortly after, so Stan was bought up by his grandmother, who owned a shop and his auntie, who worked in nearby Appleton, where they make the famous rum.
Stan did well at school and wasn't a naughty boy - 'You can't be naughty when you have Jamaican parents' But by the time he'd got to 17, he'd become too much of a handful for his grandmother, so he was sent to England to live with his dad.
Stan took the boat from Kingston to Italy and then had to get the train across Europe back to London.
His dad lived in a house in Balham with his new wife. (He had had split up with Stan's mum). Stan moved in with them and got on well with his dad's new partner.
Stan hoped to continue his education, but his dad told him to get a job. So he started out working for a firm doing the sweeping up. He then got a job in a factory that made batteries before getting a job at Royal Mail. His round was on Lavender Hill in Battersea, and he loved the job. He got to know the residents and would often help out if they wanted their shopping carrying or needed their milk bringing it.
Battersea changed so much during the time that Stan worked there. He saw the start of the gentrification of the area with new people and shops moving in. During his time as a postman, Battersea Power station, which always belched smoke from its iconic chimneys, shut down for good. The Power Station is now a shopping centre.
Stan said that most people were friendly, but there was also racism back then.
The Teddy Boys were the worst. They'd always be on the lookout for targets. He remembers being on his round and emptying letters from a Pillar Box when a group approached him. Stan said something, and as soon as they heard his accent, one of them said “Let's not bother; he's Jamaican.” Jamaicans had a reputation for fighting back, so they left him alone.
Stan also used to love football, but the National Front and the racists amongst the fans at Chelsea FC put him and a lot of his black friends off from going.
One day, he was helping a friend fix a car and saw "a lovely young girl walk by." He said, "I haven't seen you around here before. Do you want to maybe come to the pictures one day?" Her name was Jennifer, and they went to see a film at the Odeon cinema at Clapham South which has since closed down and is now a wine merchants.
After 3 years of dating, the couple got married and have just celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary. They have 2 grown-up kids and 2 grandkids.
Stan has always been a member of the Labour Party and used to go to the conferences. At one of these, he met Gordon Brown MP who went on to be Prime Minister.
He retired from Royal Mail after 45 years of service. He got a tie and cufflinks as a leaving present.
Stan has always been interested in politics and the local community, so once he'd retired, he decided to put his name forward as a local councillor. He was selected, and in the council elections, he won and helped turn the area from Conservative to Labour.
Campaigning in politics is about talking to the public and knocking on people's doors when canvassing. All those years as a postman going door to door meant that Stan was a natural, and he went on to win the next election too.
Stan retired from politics but not before becoming deputy mayor between 2017-2018. He'd give out citizenships, go to openings, and visit elderly people and hospitals.
Stan loved being a councillor. It was challenging and stressful sometimes, but Stan found it so satisfying when his work meant he could make a difference and help local people, Just like he did over 50 years ago as a young postman when he'd help the residents out on his round.
