Ipswich marks Windrush Day with celebration of community, culture and history
It marks 78 years since the arrival of Caribbean migrants who helped rebuild the country
The contribution of the Windrush generation is being celebrated in Ipswich today, with organisers hoping the annual event will not only honour the past but help educate future generations.
What is the Windrush?
The contribution of the Windrush generation is being celebrated in Ipswich today as residents gather on the Cornhill for a day of music, culture and reflection.
More on the event can be found here.
The annual Windrush Day event marks 78 years since the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks in 1948, an event widely recognised as a defining moment in modern British history.
Now in its seventh year in Ipswich town centre, the celebration features live music, steel bands, Caribbean food, community stalls and exhibitions exploring the legacy of the Windrush generation.
The story vs the reality
For Charles Challenger, chair of the Suffolk Windrush Select Committee, the day is about far more than celebration.
Mr Challenger's family moved to Ipswich from Antigua in 1968 after economic pressures forced his father to leave behind a farming and business life in the Caribbean in search of new opportunities in Britain.
Reflecting on that journey, he said many families arrived believing Britain was a land of opportunity, only to face unexpected challenges.
"The stories that were told coming out of recruiting labour and professionals out of the Caribbean, a lot of these men and women had their own professions," he said.
"My father, being a businessman, felt that he could have come to the UK and continued a business path.
"But obviously the agenda for the government at the time was to rebuild the factories and to get people into the country to steer them more into the labour market rather than encouraging them to start developing their own business."
"They were taught that England, the streets of London, were painted with gold "
Mr Challenger said his family had been prepared for some of the difficulties they would face, including prejudice and culture shock.
"It was a shock to their system," he said.
"They were taught that England, the streets of London, were painted with gold. We were taught everyone was friendly, everyone was lovable.
"So there was this myth that was created through historical links coming out of colonialism that England was the place to be, England was the mother country, and for many of those early Windrush generations it wasn't a reality."
Despite those challenges, he said he viewed the move as an opportunity.
"I saw it as an adventure. I saw it as a challenge," he said.
Education and a sense of community
Now aged 71, he believes the contribution of the Windrush generation helped shape modern Britain.
"Only half a million people came out of the Caribbean, predominantly, that actually came to help bring the country to where we are today," he said.
"I think it's a huge achievement."
The Cornhill event was first launched in 2019, a year after June 22 was formally recognised as Windrush Day across the UK.
Since then, organisers have developed the celebrations into a large-scale annual event designed to bring people from different backgrounds together while highlighting the history of Caribbean communities in Suffolk.
"We need to understand our human history"
Mr Challenger believes hosting the event in the heart of Ipswich is key to achieving that goal.
"The footfall through the town centre is greater than having an event stuck in a park on an estate," he said.
"We engage with the general public. We also will be having a small exhibition in the town centre.
"One of the things over the past seven years being in the town centre is I've made it my business to stop and speak to individuals. 'Oh, I never knew this. Oh, I never knew that. I'm glad I came in. I'm glad I stopped.'
"So again, we have given it a lot of thought about how we continue to educate and how we continue to engage."
He believes education remains one of the most important tools for tackling division and prejudice.
"I think education is very important," he said.
"It's not allowing individuals to hijack your thoughts, your mind and control your soul.
"We need to understand our human history. We need to understand our creation and why we're all here – for the goodness of humanity."
This year's event will feature a full programme of entertainment from noon until 4.30pm, including a live steel band, DJ performances, Caribbean food vendors and local community stalls.
Ipswich Borough Council is once again supporting the celebration.
Councillor Jane Riley, Ipswich Borough Council's portfolio holder for culture and customers, said: "The Windrush celebration on the Cornhill will be a wonderful way to celebrate the cultural richness of the Windrush generation and will bring everyone together to brighten the weekend, whatever the British weather."
For Mr Challenger, the event is ultimately about ensuring an important chapter of local and national history is not forgotten.
"It's about reminding everyone in and around Ipswich and wider Suffolk that this is our history," he said.
"This is our journey. This is what happened."
The celebration on the Cornhill runs from midday until 4.30pm and includes live entertainment, community stalls and Caribbean food vendors.