Right at the heart of the community in St Pauls

A 77-year-old man who moved from Jamaica to Bristol at the age of 15, opened one of the city’s first Caribbean restaurants and launched one of the first pirate radio stations in the UK, has died.

Samuel Scott died after a short battle with cancer having been diagnosed in June this year.

Mr Scott has been described as a “pillar of the community” of St Pauls and dozens of people attended his funeral at Canford Cemetery in Westbury-on-Trym, last week.

At the age of 15 Samuel flew to the UK alone, having ignored his father’s wishes to go into a career of maintenance work in Jamaica.

Samuel chose his own path and managed to save up enough for a passport and flight ticket to the UK.

He moved to St Pauls and joined his older brother who was already living in Bristol.

Loved ones described Mr Scott as a family man, a musician, a cook and a creator and added that his talents were extensive.

Mr Scott was one of the first people to carry out pirate radio usage in the UK in the early 1960s/70s. One of his hobbies included going to different hospitals to provide content for the hospital’s radio station.

Sam, his daughter, said he was described as full of charisma, larger than life, one in a million and “a legend in the St Pauls community”.

Mr Scott doted on daughter Sam, grandchildren Phoebe, Kieran and Sianeye and his great grandson Arlo.

Daughter Sam said: “My dad was such a pillar of our community in St Pauls. He loved the people and most importantly his family.

“Dad was always helping people and cooking and always had a colourful way about him that always radiated to others around him.”

At Mr Scott’s funeral, his friends and family were welcomed into the ceremony with drumming and singing from his loved ones.

Mr Scott was one of the first people in St Pauls to have a Caribbean Restaurant, one called Maritas and Blues Club and another called Sam’s Blues.

Mr Scott and his family used to live above the restaurant. He owned both businesses for around 12 years.

He kept goats and chickens, so all the meat used in the restaurant’s food was fresh.

Daughter Sam added: “Dad used to make jerk chicken, dumplings, curry goat, soup and mutton. My mum and dad used to cook together and it was always really busy.

“My dad used to get people that had come to St Pauls or run away from home so he took a lot of young people under his wing. He would help people who got themselves in trouble and try and get them to do something useful with themselves.

“As a kid I was always growing up around different people.”