John Elliott Brooks of The Valley, Anguilla, was among a number of West Indians who found new opportunities to travel abroad when the United Kingdom opened its doors to an influx of emigrants in the 1950s. He arrived in England on October 1, 1955 and found employment in industry for some time.

He eventually joined the military, but although he was prepared for active duty and could have served in some of the trouble spots at the time, like the Falklands, Borneo and Northern Ireland, he was not actually involved in combat missions. He was nevertheless a proud soldier, serving in various capacities in the military on the home-front for 26 years.
One of his pleasurable memories was when he walked non-stop for a distance of 446 kilometers over a four-day period and earned a place in the regimental history of the Royal Army Corps. That was a charity walk and he recalled: “I did an awful lot of charity and raised an awful lot of money.”
Over the years he developed a keen interest in community work as he sought to find ways to busy himself and to make a worthwhile contribution. At present he is a Councillor, part of the Local Government structure in Bambray, Oxfordshire, with responsibility for the social needs of the people. He has been in this position for two years and is looking forward to serving for an additional two years. He was honoured by Queen Elizabeth with a Member of the British Empire award for his service.
In Oxfordshire, he also serves as a local Magistrate, sitting on the Bench with two other persons twice per month. He was appointed to this post in 1986 and has access to a legal adviser. According to him, about 95 percent of the cases in Britain are tried in the Magistrate’s Court.

Mr. Brooks is a very busy man. He and his wife Audrey run the Brooklyn Nursing Home, a 53-bed facility which is playing a major role in community life in Oxfordshire. They have three adult children. Every six months Mr. Brooks comes to Anguilla to oversee his recently-built house, an imposing structure at Crocus Hill. His periodical visits also afford him an opportunity to see his two sisters Vida Lloyd and Audrey Brooks. His next visit, this time a quicker one, is coming up shortly. He is delighted to report that his wife will be coming to Anguilla with him for Christmas.

Speaking further of his family, he observed that both his wife and one of his sisters have the same name –Audrey and his daughter and a niece are named Christine. “That’s interesting,” he commented.

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