VOICES OF THE WINDRUSH GENERATION & BEYOND
VOICES OF THE WINDRUSH GENRATION & BEYOND
VOICES OF THE WINDRUSH GENERATION & BEYOND
Windrush Day is a commemoration in the United Kingdom held on 22 June to honour the contributions of migrants to the British post-war economy. Specifically, it celebrates the Caribbean people who began arriving on the HMT Empire Windrush ship from the Caribbean
In 2022, The Blackfriars Settlement, with the support of the Windrush Foundation, commissioned a project to document the voices and stories of the Windrush generation. The idea was to shine a light on stories from settlers from some of the Caribbean’s lesser-known islands.
The project captures the accounts of four Blackfriars Settlement service users: Doreen, George, Barbara, and Lincoln, and their journeys to, first impressions of, and reflections on life in Britain.
As well as the voices of early Windrush settlers, the project also documents the recollections of two first-generation children of the Windrush generation and their experiences adapting to the cultural clashes that formed the foundations of today’s black British communities.
The project was also made in conjunction with a group of children from a local primary school, who added their reflections on what life may have been like for early settlers of the Windrush generation.
Voices of the Windrush Generation is a celebration of the stories of the UK’s Windrush generation and a testament to the importance of documenting people’s lived experiences of recent history. We hope you enjoy listening to these fascinating insights and continue to share them.
Full podcasts
Podcast Ecerpts
Doreen tells of arriving by boat to Southampton from Barbados at 16 years old, to join her parents in 1956 and her first experiences and impressions of England.
George came to England from Antigua with his aunt and sister and tells of the shock of seeing snow.
Barbara recalls her childhood in Grenada and how she saw advertisements encouraging Caribbean people to come to England to become nurses. She viewed this as an opportunity to earn money to support her family and welcomed the chance to gain some freedom.
Lincoln reminisces on the beauty of Trinidad and Grenada and details his journey on a Spanish liner to the UK at 17 years old surrounded by passengers from the Caribbean and South America. He recounts his sadness at leaving the island for the drab settings of London.
Doreen discusses the differences between her childhood in Barbados and her life in the UK after her mother decided to see “The Mother Country.” She talks about settling in, the desire for community, and how life changed when people came together. Some didn’t last long because they were lonely.
George reflects on how the majority of people from Jamaica called Antigua a small island!
He discusses the prejudice black people had against each other based on their island of origin, the internal conflicts, and how there are now more opportunities for young black people to earn qualifications and join the workforce.
Doreen discusses living conditions for Windrush settlers in London.
“A Lot easier if you knew someone who was already here”. Doreen explains how difficult it was for people arriving here alone with no family and how difficult the culture clash was. She explains how important music was and where you could find west Indian food.
Lincoln on where in London the Carribean comminities were based.
George talks of how social media has allowed him to connect with his family in Antigua and close the distance.
Barbara “When things get tough I get tougher”!
Videos
Short clip of Doreen describing her journey from Barbados to the UK
Short clip of Lincoln describing his journey to the UK from Grenada.
Lincoln describes his feelings on arrival to the UK.
Windrush inspired poetry written by Charlie in creative writing session at Blackfriars Settlement.
Piece of writing written and read by Lincoln about the pain of leaving his beautiful island of Grenada.
