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Windrush

Sean Fletcher celebrates the faith and music of the Windrush generation 70 years after they arrived, and explores the challenges they have faced right up to the present day.

Sean Fletcher is in Tilbury Docks near London to mark 70 years since the SS Empire Windrush brought nearly 500 new settlers from the Caribbean, an event that came to symbolise the beginning of modern Britain. He travels up river and into London to explore the challenges those new arrivals and their families have faced right up to the present day, and to celebrate the faith and music they brought with them.

He meets the 90-year-old bishop who reflects on his first impressions of arriving in Britain nearly 70 years ago. A young mother shares how her faith is sustaining her through the great distress caused by the 2018 Windrush crisis, and Britain's first black female comedian Angie Le Mar discusses her latest play that celebrates the Windrush generation and the Pentecostal faith she grew up with.

Josie d'Arby visits the magnificent St Paul's Cathedral on the trail of one of the world's most famous bears. She hears how the final adventure of Paddington, written just before author Michael Bond passed away in 2017, came to be set in one of Britain's most famous cathedrals.

With a rich mix of music, including uplifting gospel songs and a performance from Grammy Award-winner Gregory Porter.

Music:
Every Time I Feel the Spirit from LSO St Luke's
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms from St Elisabeth's, Reddish
How Great Is Our God, by Beechcroft Choir and New Testament Assembly Congregation, Tooting
Dear Lord and Father of Mankind from Christ Church URC, Port Sunlight
Great Is Thy Faithfulness from St Macartin's Cathedral, Enniskillen
He Looked Beyond My Faults from St Sepulchre-without-Newgate, London
The Lion and the Lamb from City Gates Church, Ilford.

34 minutes

Last on

Sun 17 Jun 2018 13:55
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One

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Clips

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Stories

Bishop Kenneth McCarthy
Bishop Kenneth arrived in the UK from Jamaica in 1950 on the Windrush’s sister ship. Now in his 90s he shares with Sean his first impressions, his work in a sheet metal factory and his calling to full time evangelism plus his marriage to a white, English lady with whom he had 7 children.

Laverne’s story
A story of the current Windrush scandal. Laverne is a 35 year old mother of 5. She was born and brought up in the UK but when she applied for her passport in 2013 she was denied – she didn’t qualify as British as she came under her mother’s nationality. Her mother was born in Jamaica whilst it was still a British colony and arrived in the UK aged 8, but because she was missing some paperwork she was not given citizenship, meaning Laverne was unable to get her passport. Recent assurances from the government should rectify this. Laverne and her pastor speak to Sean about how her faith has sustained her.

Paddington Goes to St Paul’s
60 years since the first Paddington Bear story was published, the final story β€œPaddington goes to St Paul’s” is launched. Josie speaks to author Michael Bond’s widow and daughter about the inspiration for the story which was written just before Michael died.

Angie Le Mar
For over 30 years Angie Le Mar has had a successful career as a comedienne, actor, writer and director. She speaks to Josie about returning to the Christian faith of her youth and how it inspired her latest play β€œTake Me Back”. She also speaks about her anger with regards to the current Windrush scandal and despite that, the necessity to still celebrate 70 years.

Credits

Presenter Sean Fletcher
Presenter Josie d'Arby
Executive Producer Cat Lewis
Executive Producer Emyr Afan
Series Producer Matthew Napier
Producer David Waters
Production Company Avanti Media

Broadcast