A FORMER vice principal of Keighley College who coped with life in Apartheid South Africa and a violent incident which left him partially paralysed has published his autobiography.

‘The Cycle of Life’ has been written by Ahmed Choonara, who first came to Britain in 1962 and started teaching in 1969.

He said: “A significant part of the book is about my experience in further education, including my very productive and largely pleasant experience of working at Keighley College.

“I worked at the college for a short period as a head of department and for almost nine years as a vice principal.

“During this period I was also involved with Keighley Council for Voluntary Services, the Town Planning Group and the Keighley Asian Business Forum.”

Mr Choonara, 76, now lives in Giggleswick, but his wife Liz is originally from Keighley.

In 2013 he received an OBE at Buckingham Palace for services to Further Education.

He was the first person of Asian origin to be appointed principal of a UK further education college.

Since he moved on from Keighley, he has returned to visit the new Keighley College building and described it as a “superb” facility.

He added: “I’ve been involved with further education and colleges for many years, both as a student for three years and then after graduating, as a lecturer.

“With unconditional support and guidance from others, I made gradual progress in my career and retired as a principal of a Nottingham college.

“I retired in 2003 but continued to work in the further education sector, on a voluntary basis, for another 10 years.

“I now live in North Yorkshire to be nearer family and to enjoy the company of my grandchildren.”

Part of his new autobiography, which is published by Troubador and is priced £11.99, details the impact of apartheid era South Africa on his childhood.

Mr Choonara lived in Roodepoort, near Johannesburg, where he experienced a serious lack of provision for secondary and higher education and strict racial segregation.

One of Mr Choonara’s close friends died while in the custody of the Apartheid regime.

In 1957, while he was walking past a street fight, he was struck in the head by a brick, leaving him paralysed down his right side.

The injury particularly badly affected his right hand, and he said he had to learn to write again using his left hand.

Four years after this ordeal Mr Choonara’s father died, a tragedy which propelled both him and his brother to move to the UK.