Bristol boycott legend an 'inspiration' at 80

One of the key figures in the Bristol Bus Boycott legend has been praised by one of his relatives for telling him to "stand tall" and believe in himself.

Guy Reid-Bailey OBE was welcomed to a surprise 80th birthday party in his home city on 24 July.

He was a leading campaigner for civil rights in Bristol and one of the organisers of the pivotal boycott of 1963.

Rayan Wilson, Mr Reid-Bailey's great-nephew, told BBC Bristol Radio's Primrose Granville his great-uncle "has been an inspiration to me my whole life."

The celebrations were held at the Bristol West Indies Cricket Club, at Rose Green in the Whitehall area of the city.

Mr Wilson added: "I always used to wonder how to carry myself like he did.

"He'd go, 'grandson, nephew, just stand tall'.

"One day he put his hand around me and said, 'I've always had belief in you, but don't let me have more belief in you than you have in yourself. Stand tall'."

Mr Reid-Bailey was treated to a surprise 80th birthday party

Mr Reid-Bailey received racist treatment when he was denied a job at the Bristol Omnibus Company in 1963, as it only hired white people to work on its vehicles.

The Bristol bus boycott was organised and its success not only resulted in the policy being overturned, but ultimately led to the Race Relations Act of 1965 - which banned all discrimination in the workplace.

Jacqui and Rodney Wilson, Mr Reid-Bailey's niece and nephew, said neither of them knew of his part in the Bristol Boycott till later in life.

Ms Wilson said: "I had no clue...I found out about the Bristol Bus Boycott when I was in my 30s."

Mr Reid-Bailey's niece, Jacqui Wilson, told the BBC her uncle "means the world to me"

Ms Wilson added: "It's only since the last couple of years when they're doing the 60th anniversary of the boycott and things like that that I've gotten more and more involved.

"I've learnt a lot over the last three years", she said. "He [Mr Reid-Bailey] says he didn't come to England to do all these things - he just fell into them.

"When he saw there was something that needed to be tackled, he tackled it."

Mr Wilson said he told his uncle he was throwing a 25th anniversary party for his firm to make sure the 80th birthday party was a true surprise.

"I'm very, very proud of him," he said.

"It's on the people such as Guy Bailey, Paul Stevenson - it's on their shoulders that we stand."