MR CHRISTOS ZAVROS

I originate from an agricultural village some 10km south of Lefkosia, the capital of Cyprus. My family’s chief line of work was livestock farming. Being the eldest son, my father wanted me to follow him in the same way as he had followed his father. I broke the ‘cycle’ of this long tradition, which dated back to the time when our forefathers first settled in Tseri. My mother, who knew the difficulties which such work entailed, was on my side.

It was not long before I got engaged.  Maria Lambrianou was also from Tseri. With donkeys as our means of transport, we visited Stavrovouni Monastery. It was here that I met Nikos Zavallis, a relative via a family marriage.  He offered me a post in his printing business and I accepted.  I was told to report on the following Monday, to see the manager Achilleas Zavallis.  I learnt the trade but not the new technology, which was not available there.  Achilleas was extremely sincere when he told us that work was only available for around eight months.  He was absolutely right.

However, an opportunity soon arose at another printers which was owned by Yiannis Kyriakides.  It was here that ‘Neos Kypriakos Philakas’ was produced.  The new technology was now close at hand.  I used to stay until late to observe and learn the modern but slightly complicated printing methods.  I returned to work for Zavallis and stayed until 1952.  I was then approached by PEO and AKEL and was asked to take over as the Organising Secretary of PEO.  Although I was earning at the time £6 per week, I accepted the lower wage of £3 per week.  I was not the only person who offered his services in such a way.  The late Zacharias, Chrysostomos Stylianou and many, many others were also as accommodating.  Printers, I remember, enjoyed many worldly luxuries but we, working ten times harder, were earning almost nothing.  As time went on, things improved slightly.  I must say that before joining PEO, I was involved with Tseri’s cultural club and was for a time its secretary.  I was also interested in the theatre and proceeded to play some leading roles in our local/rural theatre.  At the same time I used to visit Analiontas, a village close to my own, where I taught amateur actors the basics of acting.

When the EOKA struggle for national self-determination started on 1 April 1955, PEO was almost paralysed.  In mid-December of that year, AKEL and other associated bodies, but not PEO, were banned under the emergency regulations.  Some 132 Akelists were detained.  I also suffered the same fate but after three days, I was released.  With two other colleagues, we then proceeded to chart the road ahead for PEO.  And, together with Michalis Michaelides, who replaced the hard-working Ziartides, we began to lay the foundations of the organisation’s future course.  I was also responsible for bringing out PEO’s newspaper called ‘To Ergatiko Vema’.  I was with PEO until 1964.

At that particular time, my wife was in need of medical treatment which could not be provided for in Cyprus.  My two brothers were already in London, so George, my younger brother, sent me the so-called ‘prosklisis’ – the official ‘come and stay with us’ document.  We took the ‘Enotria’, which was a fairly comfortable ship, and within
a few days we reached Genoa.  Whilst there stories were floating around that all would-be emigrants might be turned back and, believe it or not, on the orders of the British colonial power.  No one was guaranteed anything.  I sent a telegram to my brother outlining my fears.  Accompanied by his son, they met us in Dover. We were safe.
We encountered many difficulties. In fact, the language problem was top of the list. Happily however, we were not so badly affected, because in Haringey, there were many Cypriots and Cypriot-owned shops.  Also, I attended school in order to learn the language.  I soon found employment in a newspaper.  After six months or so, a friend, who had a managerial position in the ‘New Daily’, employed me for another six months.  Long hours were the rule – from 6.00 am to 7.00 pm.  My weekly wage was £12. Then there was an opening at a Greek Cypriot weekly newspaper. Hence I became the editor of ‘Vema’ and stayed there for some ten years. When ‘Parikiaki’ came to the scene, I was asked to join its team. It was a party decision. Although Stelios Iacovides was formally in control, in reality that burden fell to me.  Although wages were low, in relative terms food and other items were not that expensive. Another difficulty was the long distances we had to travel to and from work. Property, although fairly cheap needed a deposit, so we had to save. We saved some money when we stayed with my younger brother and later when we rented a small flat. I was also very careful with my meagre earnings, did not smoke and neither did I go to drinking clubs.  In 1970 we just about managed to buy a house in Haringey for £5,600.  We secured an 85% mortgage.  In 1974 when my son bought the adjacent property, it cost him £12,000.

My first son Nikos is now 56 years of age.  Then comes my daughter Irene who is working for the  Cyprus Bank; Lakis who is in Australia and lastly Helen who trained as a nursery teacher.  With no exception they all attended Greek school.  They learnt to read and write, which I consider a great advantage. Lastly, I do not believe young Cypriots have a desire to live permanently in Cyprus.  Undoubtedly, Greek schools play a vital role in trying to preserve our identity.  Families however, who venture to either go back or ‘return’, soon make the reverse journey albeit after a brief stay.  Surely, it is very difficult to compete with the locals.  Without their children, parents are reluctant to go back but for pensioners it is much easier.  This is just my own opinion.  But our community in the UK has certainly “moved upwards” in all spheres of life.  The professions for example are taken up.  For example, we have so many doctors, accountants and lawyers.  Perhaps we could have done more.  Who knows?  Undoubtedly, the Cypriot community is ‘larger’ and much ‘nearer’ to our beloved Cyprus.