To me, ICA was the place to discover yourself, what your family means to society, and where you fit into the mix.

We celebrated every wedding and wake.

As children we would look forward to these events, meeting other black children from all parts of Ipswich and comparing notes; Who was the fastest, the best at football, or ultimately the best performer?

We were running around and sliding on the ground until our pants burned at the knees.

I remember the music, the sound system – reggae and dub – but also the garage and hip hop acts as I got older. It was a safe space to explore and be creative. I felt special. We knew it was unique and we were proud of it.

When I was a teenager, I knew all the black Caribbean families because we had all crossed paths several times. I couldn’t really have a problem with people my age because our parents knew each other, our cousins ​​were friends, or our grandparents were in the same partner.

It was truly ours and everyone misses it.

Elijah Turay works on Angelle Joseph’s Friday evening show on BBC Local Radio in the East of England. Available on BBC Sounds.