Moses
Moses is the protagonist of the novel. He is a Trinidadian immigrant who has been in London the longest of any of the characters. He treats the other characters with kindness and generosity, always offering whatever he has in terms of advice or support. He has an appreciation for small moments in life, like dances, a good meal, or a happy night out on the town. He has no grand ambitions for his life; he mostly wants other Black immigrants to have a happy life in London.
Galahad
Galahad, originally named Henry Oliver, is Moses's young friend. Galahad is a recent arrival in London. He is hard-working and does his best to find a job, not wanting to live on unemployment or loans from friends. He eventually succeeds in finding work at a factory which allows him to upgrade his living circumstances. He is depicted as very smart but somewhat naive. He relies a great deal on Moses.
Cap
Cap is a Nigerian man who is Moses's former roommate. Moses does not particularly care for Cap, as he is a known womanizer. He arrives in England initially to obtain a law degree but quickly falls into drinking and romantic affairs. Cap is notoriously unreliable, borrowing money from people that he never returns.
Tolroy
Tolroy is another of Moses's friends. Originally from Jamaica, he works at a factory and lives a quiet life. He is forced to take care of his entire family when they arrive at Waterloo Station with his mother. He eventually does so by securing jobs for these relatives at his factory.
Tanty Bessy
Tanty is Tolroy's aunt. She is described as being outgoing and resourceful. She helps her sister (Tolroy's mother) when she loses her key and also keeps Agnes's location a secret from Lewis. She is also known as a huge gossip.
Lewis
Lewis is Tolroy's brother-in-law. He is married to Agnes and is incredibly jealous. Fueled by Moses's playful taunts, Lewis repeatedly beats Agnes in a jealous rage until she eventually leaves him.
Bart
Bart is a West Indian immigrant from the same social circle as Moses. He has lighter skin than most of the other characters and tries to pass himself off as Latin American. Bart is extremely frugal and constantly worried people will ask him for money. He falls in love with an English girl named Beatrice.
Daniel
Daniel is a kind-hearted man who frequently ends up caring for the women that Cap mistreats.
Big City
Big City is a man from Trinidad who was raised in an orphanage. He is nicknamed Big City because he always showed a fascination with cities as a child. He always has money but is very quiet about where he gets it from, leading the others to think he is involved in illicit business.
Five Past Twelve
Five is originally from Barbados and comes to England after joining the Royal Air Force. He is constantly looking to party and borrow money. He often clashes with Harris who organizes the parties.
Harris
Harris organizes the fetes (parties) that the other characters attend. He is very polite and tries to be respectful to women. He dresses like an Englishman because he tries very hard to assimilate to British culture. The other characters often mock his attitude, saying he is acting stuffy.
