On a misty Monday - 21st June 1948 - the MV Empire Windrush sailed up the Thames and anchored at Tilbury Dock, London. There were a total of 1,027 passengers on board with 802 passengers from British Colonies in the West Indies. Of these individuals, 539 were from Jamaica. The infamous images of the passengers walking down the gangplank the next morning would be the moment the Windrush Generation was born.
A Circle of Five reflects on the stories of the 300,000 or so making the same journey between 1948 and 1971 by showcasing the voices of five Jamaican women, Evelyn, Emma, Irene, Ivy and Melissa. Each woman tells their own story, all beginning in early 1930s rural Jamaica and spanning some 80 years. Through these women, the experiences of the Windrush Generation come alive, honouring this vital period in British history.
