'Times have changed': Barbadians in Reading welcome republic plans

Caribbean island intends to remove Queen as head of state, 54 years after gaining independence

An old saying Peter Small learned from his father growing up on Barbados sprang to his mind this week as the Caribbean island declared its intention to remove the Queen as head of state: Don't give me a fish. Teach me how to fish."

Fifity-four years after independence, Barbados stands ready to cast off the final vestige of its colonial past having learned much from its British overlords, Small believes. The time is right. And the people are ready," added the grandfather, 75, who lives at the heart of a close community of Barbadians in Reading, home to one of the largest diasporas outside of Barbados.