My partner, Mikey John, who has died aged 66 of complications due to heart failure, was a reggae DJ, an adventure playground leader and a pillar of the Ladbroke Grove community in west London for decades.
Mikey worked at Acklam adventure playground and the Venture Centre playground in Ladbroke Grove from the mid-1970s. Many have spoken of the impact he had on them as young people – by encouraging them to channel their energies in productive and positive ways. At a time when Black men were routinely beaten up by the police, Acklam became a vital place of refuge. Around this time, Mikey’s passion for collecting reggae records began and, as DJ Cuppa Tea, he played at numerous community gatherings.
