Two thirds of the Historycal Roots team attended the launch event of ‘Windrush 70’.
2018 will mark the 70th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush at Tilbuty in Kent. On board were almost 500 migrants from the Caribbean, coming to England to help rebuild a country shattered by the effort involved in defeating Hitler. Among the arrivals were people like: Sam King (a future Mayor of Southwark in London); Aldwyn Roberts (better known as the calypsonian, ‘Lord Kitchener’); and Egbert Moore (another calypsonian, ‘Lord Beginner’).
It was a splendid launch event with good food, poetry and music. Arthur Torrington, CBE, and others talked about the Windrush 70 project which aims to identify and document the contributions made to society by 70 individuals who were on the Windrush. One of the men present at the launch was Allan Wilmot, who served his country during World War Two and is still very much in possession of all his faculties at the age of 92. Allan actually arrived in England in 1947 on board the HMS Almanzora but was at Tilbury to meet his brother Harold who arrived on the Windrush.
We are flattered that Arthur Torrington has asked members of the Historycal Roots team to help him on this project.
You can find the Windrush 70 website here: http://www.windrush70.com/