A former member of one of St Pauls’ most notorious gangs has revealed how he went from being a small time drug dealer to running a successful shipping business.
Andrew Ferguson, 58 - also known as Fergy - used to make money selling cocaine and weed in the 1990s.
He and other members of the gang used to distribute drugs in Bristol, prior to the notorious Aggi Crew, which at the height of the 1990s sold so many Class A drugs that Bristol became known as the crack cocaine capital of the UK.
However, he is now committed to educating young people on how a life of selling drugs is no life for a young person. He has been running his business, Wings International, since 2012 - primarily shipping items to the Caribbean.
He has revealed what his life used to be like from the ages of 22 and 37 whilst hanging out in the infamous Black and White Café, which was raided multiple times by the police due to having a reputation as a drug den.
A police raid took place at the café in 1980, which then become a catalyst in the St Pauls riots. The café remained as a gathering for drug dealing and gangs through the 1990s to 2000s.
This finally came to a halt when the café closed in 2004, under legal action as a result of new anti-social behaviour laws. It was then later demolished.
After the police raided the notorious Black and White Café around 37 years ago, the riots which followed were not expected.
Mr Ferguson said: “Back in the early days there was a group of us. I used to hang out in the Black and White Café in the evenings and I would earn my money by juggling different jobs.”
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But, he reiterated that this was not a life that he wanted. He would interview for jobs regularly, but would always get “knocked back”.
“It was a hard life back then for Black people. But, bringing up the past won't make it better - all you can do is move forward.
“I used to be on the line and when I say the line, I mean the Black and White.
“I didn't want to be there, but I couldn't get a job because I would go to job interviews and they used to say I didn't fit the criteria.”
He began doing a course with the Inner City Task Force, whilst selling catalogues and working at the café.
In 2012 he launched Wings International and has now been running a successful weekly transportation service to the Caribbean for the last eight years.
He believes it’s crucial for local people from the community to support each other.
“I think it’s important that the community buy within the community. It’s not about society becoming divided, but about us coming together.
“A lot of people from the community support my business, so therefore I put back into the community. I sponsor a local football team, Bristol Academia, because I believe it’s crucial for us to support each other," Mr Ferguson said.
Through his business he also provides amenities regularly for elderly people in his community.
While Wings International is based in Bristol, with strategic transport links across the West Country via the M4, they also provide services in Newbury and surrounding areas and can also travel countrywide.
To mark Black History Month, Bristol Live is shining the spotlight on Black-led businesses across the city. We aim to cover everything from the importance of representation, the impact on their communities and the effects of the pandemic on their businesses. If you know of a Black owned business that should be featured, let us know.
While highlighting these businesses, we recognise that it's important that we represent Black people within the media all year round and not just during one month of the year.
