Dixie Brown

Dixie Brown was one of the very few men of African descent living in Bristol in the early inter-war period and was a much loved father and 'grandfer' of a large Bristol family. He had nine children and 30 grandchildren. His wife was Welsh and they started their married life in the reputedly 'rough' but tight-knit neighbourhood in Philadelphia Street and moved to a postwar estate, Knowle West, after the Blitz. He had his own chair at the local pub, the Venture Inn ('Venture Inn, Stagger Out' it was called) and was immensely popular throughout the city.

Dixie Brown was one of the very few men of African descent living in Bristol in the early inter-war period and was a much loved father and 'grandfer' of a large Bristol family. He had nine children and 30 grandchildren. His wife was Welsh and they started their married life in the reputedly 'rough' but tight-knit neighbourhood in Philadelphia Street and moved to a postwar estate, Knowle West, after the Blitz. He had his own chair at the local pub, the Venture Inn ('Venture Inn, Stagger Out' it was called) and was immensely popular throughout the city.He started his days as Antoine Charles in St. Lucia, came to Cardiff during the First World War and did the rounds as a bare knuckle boxer in fairgrounds in the West Country before putting his gloves on in Bristol. But though he was successful in local matches, by the 1930's he was blinded in a fight.