John Best was born and raised in Josey Hill, Barbados, coming to Manchester in his twenties.  He had nine children with his wife, Olive, who according to the volume introduction did not take part in the Lifetimes project because she was raising young children. The Best family came to Partington from a clearance area in Moss Side. John originally worked as an industrial welder, whilst also attending Territorial Army sessions and achieving a black belt in judo and becoming an instructor. As his older reached their teenage years, he noticed that working class young black people needed support and advocacy when dealing with British institutions and authorities, so he used his background in judo to switch to youth work. At the time of the Lifetimes project, he was a full time Youth and Community Work student. His concerns about race relations, particularly concerning young black people, are very apparent in the conversations recorded within this volume.

Published: 1975