News Archive - Windrush 60th anniversary

It was a defining moment in modern British history - the day the Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury on June 22, 1948.

The ship brought nearly 500 people from Jamaica, Trinidad and other Caribbean islands and their role was to play a part in the reconstruction of Britain, as it emerged from the shadow of the Second World War.

Though the climate may have been a shock to the system, and the welcome was often not as warm as they might have hoped, the Windrush passengers were about to make a deep and lasting impression on the national culture.

The 60th anniversary of the Windrush's arrival is being celebrated on the day itself when many notable celebrities from the black community and black leaders from national organisations come together to mark the date.

The celebrations recognise the struggle for acceptance and the accomplishments of the black community both locally in Thurrock and nationally across the United Kingdom.

The Port of Tilbury with the Thurrock Festival Group will be hosting a special 60th anniversary event which will see the Windrush Ferry bring Windrush survivors and many of the descendents of the Windrush generation back to Thurrock.

The celebration begins on Sunday, 22 June, when the ferry leaves Tower Hill with its guests who will travel along the Thames to Tilbury Docks. On board will be the rhythms of the Caribbean, food, and stunning visual imagery reminiscent of the spirit of those that made the long journey to the United Kingdom.

The Windrush Ferry will be received in Tilbury by the Mayor of Thurrock. A reception and exhibition will be followed by a dinner and contributions from guests.

The event will mark perhaps the last time that the survivors of the Windrush and the generations that followed will be able to share their hopes and aspirations for the island that they now call home.

Back in 1948, the arrival of the passengers - the first large group of West Indian immigrants to the UK after the Second World War - and the image of the Caribbean passengers filing off the vessel's gangplank, has become an important landmark in the history of modern Britain.

Many of the men and women on board SS Empire Windrush had fought during the war and were coming to their Motherland for a new life.

It was the beginning of modern multicultural relations which were to change British society significantly over the following years.

Over the years "the Windrush generation" and their families have become integral to modern British society and a symbol for the different communities who have come to the United Kingdom and enriched the nation's social and economic fabric.