Vol 3/6
July/August
1998

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Windrush Jubilee comes to Southwark Cathedral

Songs of Praise recording on 10 June

People from all over the home counties came to Southwark Cathedral in June to record a special BBC Songs of Praise celebrating the Windrush Jubilee.

The programme was broadcast on 21 June - as hundreds of churches throughout the UK commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the arrival of the Empress Windrush at Tilbury. Windrush brought to Britain the first organised immigration from the Caribbean islands. In all some 500 people (492 passengers and eight stowaways) landed at Tilbury.

Among the Windrush passengers interviewed by the BBC, was Sam King, a former Mayor of Southwark and one of the people behind the Jubilee celebrations. At 18 Sam volunteered for the RAF and served as an engineer throughout the war. When 'hostilities ceased', Sam and his countrymen were returned (reluctantly) to the West Indies.

In 1948 Sam spotted an advertisement for passages on the Windrush. The ticket cost £28:10s - raised by the family selling 3 cows - and on 22 June 1948 Sam was back where he wanted to be "in the land of corn and wine", as he told The Bridge. He rejoined the RAF and later worked for the Post Office and, with others, founded a 'Pardner' saving scheme which helped many of Southwark's black community to buy their own homes. A Camberwell resident, he went on to become the Mayor of Southwark.

Two and a half years ago Sam helped to found the Windrush Foundation to plan the Jubilee. As its Chairman he personally committed himself to contacting every black-led church in the country with the message "It was by the grace of God that we landed, let's praise our God".

The response was enormous. The BBC provided over a million leaflets for the Foundation and on 21 June the Windrush Jubilee was celebrated at hundreds of churches. At the New Testament Church of God, Brixton, Sam was honoured at a service that evening, where Bishop Colin gave the blessing to over 1,000 people. Pearl Thompson, Churchwarden at St John's, Lewisham Way was one of the organisers. BBCTV as part of its Windrush programming, scheduled the Songs of Praise service for Southwark Cathedral which has a special place in the hearts of Windrush veterans.

Sam's story of the Windrush and the people who sailed in her is told in his book `Climbing up the rough side of the mountain' (Minerva Press) £7.99, published on 19 June.

The full printed edition of the 'Bridge' newspaper is available at all Southwark Parish Churches
Further copies can be obtained from wendy.s.robins@southwark.anglican.org
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