Celebrating 75 Years of Windrush: Clive Myrie's Special Message to Bolton
Key Highlights :
As the town of Bolton celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Windrush generation, BBC journalist and Mastermind presenter Clive Myrie, who was born and raised in Bolton by Caribbean parents, sent a special message via video.
Clive, who was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Bolton last year, told the audience at an event at the University of Bolton that it was “important to remember the contribution of those pioneers”.
He said: “I am delighted to be part of this very important event. It is so important to remember the contribution to this country of those pioneers who left the Caribbean 75 years ago to build a new life and indeed build a new Britain.
“They weren’t ready for the cold, they weren’t ready for, in many parts of the country, the industrial landscapes that they came across. My parents were country people from Westmoreland in south west Jamaica and for them to come to Lancashire, Bolton – and see these dark, satanic mills and the smog and the smoke and the traffic and white faces, so many of them, it was a revelation.
“Some people found it very difficult, particularly when they came across prejudice and bigotry and racism.”
Clive added: “What those pioneers did was to persevere. They worked and created a life for themselves and crucially they created a life for their children, which was partly why they made that journey and I am the product of that.
“The contribution of the Windrush generation has been immense for this country on a whole host of levels. First of all, they helped rebuild this country at the end of the war. They helped to create a new Britain, dynamic, musical, art, literature, culture. So many influences have been brought to bear by those pioneers who came over and they helped to create a country that I think is the envy of the world.
“They also helped to change the mindset and attitudes of a lot of the indigenous population as well and opened them up to this idea of multiculturalism and the idea that we could all be British even though we don’t look the same. I think that is critical and a wonderful contribution.”
The event commemorated 75 years since the first Windrush generation arrived in Britain from the Caribbean. It featured talks from prominent guest speakers, dance, poetry and music performances, as well as a wide variety of stalls and employers offering training and career opportunities.
Professor George E Holmes DL, the University of Bolton’s President and Vice Chancellor, said: “I am proud to be a member of this socially inclusive University, which for almost 200 years now, has celebrated diversity and inclusion in all forms. My message to you today is to celebrate this historically significant event, recognise the inequalities that have occurred, and put those things right for the future.”
The University of Bolton has been working with the Caribbean & African Health Network on a number of initiatives with the joint purpose of eliminating the inequalities in the outcomes which arise from our healthcare and education system.
The Windrush 75 event explored the past, present and future of Windrush. The past included the history of the Windrush generation and its contribution. The present explored how the legacy of the Windrush generation and its descendants is currently contributing to British society and the progress that has been made and what is left still to do. The future looked at what the future could look like for all communities, learning from history.
HMT Empire Windrush was the ship that brought some of the first post-war British and Commonwealth citizens from the Caribbean to Britain. The vessel carried 1,027 passengers and two stowaways on a voyage from Jamaica to London in 1948. Of these, more than 800 passengers gave their last country of residence as somewhere in the Caribbean.
The Windrush generation and their descendants have made an immense contribution to Britain and it is important to recognise and celebrate this. Clive Myrie’s special message to Bolton was a reminder of this and a celebration of the Windrush generation’s achievements.