Windrush generation celebrated at Preston festival

A festival has been held in Preston to honour the Windrush Generation ahead of the 75th anniversary of their arrival to the UK.

The Windrush 75 Festival in Avenham Park featured, music, dancing and Caribbean food, celebrating the city’s African-Caribbean and mixed-race communities.

The festival was launched 10 years ago by the community interest company, Windrush Initiatives.

Festival director Adrian Murrell said it was important to recognise the Windrush generation's contribution to UK society: "Those first 492 West Indians who were invited to Britain back in 1948 to help rebuild the country after the second world war.

"If they hadn't made that journey, I wouldn't be here, my grandchildren wouldn't be here, and Britain would look very different to how it does today."

Cleo Laroque's parents came over from Trinidad and Tobago in the 1950s and settled in Preston. "They worked hard and they had a lot of challenges with racism, because the Government wanted them here but the people did not want them here. They overcame that.

"It's important for the young generation to know what our parents went through - they were strong resilient, hard-working, good people."

Windrush Day will be celebrated on Thursday 22nd June, the 75th anniversary of the docking of HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury in Essex.