0:00:02 > 0:00:04- Meet the Irwins. Janice... - Oh, I'm in heaven.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07..Weininger... HE LAUGHS
0:00:07 > 0:00:10- ..Tiana...- Did people actually eat this?
0:00:10 > 0:00:13- ..Breanne...- I thought you said rat!
0:00:13 > 0:00:16..Shelasah and Romane. CHEERING
0:00:16 > 0:00:21They are going back in time through 50 years of black British history.
0:00:21 > 0:00:26Starting in 1948, they will discover how post-war Caribbean immigration
0:00:26 > 0:00:28changed the way we all live.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32From leisure, to work...
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Any more fares, please?
0:00:34 > 0:00:35- Any more fares, please? - BELL
0:00:35 > 0:00:38..music, to sport...
0:00:40 > 0:00:42- Oh! - LAUGHTER
0:00:42 > 0:00:46..and how it all started in one London suburb.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00The Irwin family live in Dagenham, East London.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03What's my role in the family?
0:01:03 > 0:01:08Obviously, I'm at the all-knowing, all-seeing oracle.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11I would say the lecturer.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15I'm probably the one who brings in all the opinions and ideas.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17Aw!
0:01:17 > 0:01:20- I'd describe myself as funny... - HE LAUGHS
0:01:20 > 0:01:22..just happy, yeah.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24'Ni, san!'
0:01:24 > 0:01:28Mum Janice is a former world karate champion.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30But she's also an entrepreneur,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33ruining a sports centre with husband Weininger.
0:01:33 > 0:01:34Come on, ladies, just move it!
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Look, look at the legs. Swing the arms.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40They were both born in London and raised by West Indian immigrant
0:01:40 > 0:01:43parents, who arrived in Britain in the early '60s.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46The opportunities that I am afforded at this present time,
0:01:46 > 0:01:48the sky's the limit.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51'Because my mother, my father,'
0:01:51 > 0:01:54those that came from the Windrush Generation,
0:01:54 > 0:01:56they did a lot for us.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59The family will be leaving their modern lives behind
0:01:59 > 0:02:03to travel back in time to experience life as West Indian immigrants
0:02:03 > 0:02:06in post-war Britain.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08I'm so excited about doing this.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12'This will be a brilliant way to show what the West Indians'
0:02:12 > 0:02:16have brought here, what contributions we've made.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25In 1948, Britain still had extensive colonies across the globe.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27But some of them were seeking independence.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31In a last ditch attempt to keep the empire together,
0:02:31 > 0:02:35the Nationality Act was passed, giving all Commonwealth subjects
0:02:35 > 0:02:37the new status of British citizen.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Suddenly, over a quarter of the world's population had the right
0:02:42 > 0:02:48to come and live, work and settle in Britain without any restrictions.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51All you had to do was get there.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57That same year in Kingston, Jamaica,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00the Empire Windrush docked en route to Britain.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04It was picking up West Indian servicemen to take them
0:03:04 > 0:03:06back to barracks in the UK.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11To fill the rest of the ship, the captain offered half-price tickets.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Those who could scrape together the £28 and ten shillings
0:03:16 > 0:03:18had passage to the motherland.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28This is Brixton,
0:03:28 > 0:03:30a district of Lambeth, in South London,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33and home to one of Britain's most diverse populations.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40But in 1948, it was a lower middle-class suburb in serious
0:03:40 > 0:03:45decline and still suffering from extensive bomb damage after the war.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50For reasons that came about purely by chance,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53many of the Windrush passengers would end up here.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00To create an authentic experience for the Irwins,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02we've been busy transforming
0:04:02 > 0:04:05a Brixton flat into the sort of accommodation available at the time.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11To help me discover the realities of life for the new arrivals,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14I'm joined by social historian, Emma Dabiri.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24Well. It's not... It's not very nice, is it?
0:04:24 > 0:04:28I guess nice isn't the first word that springs to mind, no.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31I mean, it's sort of shabby and smelly. Why?
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Well, you have to remember that there is an incredible housing
0:04:34 > 0:04:36shortage. The war hasn't been over for very long
0:04:36 > 0:04:39and there's very little accommodation that's available.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43What is available tends to be in this state of disrepair.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47So, they've basically got one ring to cook on, one sink to wash in.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51They all just crammed into here with not a lot in the way of facilities?
0:04:51 > 0:04:54And while that might seem quite shocking to us,
0:04:54 > 0:04:55they're actually really lucky.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Many families would have had access
0:04:57 > 0:05:03to the same kind of very limited amenities, but they would have had to share them with the entire house.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06- They might have been out in the hall.- Other families living in...?
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Yeah, other families, so it would have been communal.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Also, it's quite a hostile environment that a lot of Jamaican
0:05:11 > 0:05:15arrivals are coming into and there is intense discrimination and as a
0:05:15 > 0:05:19result, lots of people just won't rent to a black tenants.
0:05:19 > 0:05:24'Census data shows just how quickly the population of Britain was changing.'
0:05:24 > 0:05:32We can see in 1951 that there are 43,000 people here from Commonwealth
0:05:32 > 0:05:38countries and then, by 1961, there are 101,000.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40- So there's been a huge jump.- From the colonies, it goes up from 21,000
0:05:40 > 0:05:43- to 85,000.- Exactly.- So why would they want to come?
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Well, if you think about the Caribbean specifically,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48there is a significant shortage of jobs at the time
0:05:48 > 0:05:52and Britain has this huge labour shortage.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Which is, basically, rebuilding the country after the war, presumably?
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Exactly.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59- NEWSREEL:- 'Now the end of their journey is near.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02'What will they find in the land they regard as an El Dorado?'
0:06:02 > 0:06:05- Now, why have you come to England? - To seek a job.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07And what sort of job do you want?
0:06:07 > 0:06:11Any type, so long as I get a good pay.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15After 22 days at sea,
0:06:15 > 0:06:19the Windrush was about to arrive at Tilbury Docks with 492 optimistic
0:06:19 > 0:06:21West Indian passengers on board.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28There was no doubt about it, Britain needed immigrant workers.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31But the Government was surprised by their arrival and had no idea what
0:06:31 > 0:06:33to do with them.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40Until an official discovered an unused building in Clapham,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43less than a mile from the centre of Brixton.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48The reason we are in Clapham is because of this bunker over here,
0:06:48 > 0:06:49which is an air raid bunker.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52There were eight of these built across London during the war
0:06:52 > 0:06:54and they hold up to 8,000 people,
0:06:54 > 0:06:56so they're quite vast and cavernous inside.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59- So, they just put them in massive bomb shelters?- Basically.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05Following in the footsteps of the original Windrush arrivals,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08the Irwin family's first stop will be the Clapham bunker.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12And just like so many other Caribbean immigrants,
0:07:12 > 0:07:16they've left their youngest child behind.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18Families would send for them later, once settled.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24- Hi, guys. ALL:- Hello.- Hi, I'm Giles. - I'm Emma. Nice to meet you.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27THEY GREET EACH OTHER
0:07:27 > 0:07:31- You had to leave Romane behind, I gather? ALL:- Yeah.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33- Sorry about that.- How sad.- Well, it's nice to have you here
0:07:33 > 0:07:34anyway, the five of you.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38Let's go to where people spent their first night after arriving.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45With 180 steps to the bottom,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48the bunker was home to many of the Windrush arrivals,
0:07:48 > 0:07:50some for four weeks.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55They were crammed into tiny bunks in a five-metre-wide tunnel and had to
0:07:55 > 0:07:59put up with a constant noise of underground trains.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03So, this is where people spend their first night.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06- Oh, wow.- Is that a bucket to pee?
0:08:06 > 0:08:09- Is that like...- Yeah.- Well, there's no loo, is there?
0:08:09 > 0:08:12- What...what is this? - That is just horrible.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15It just... Ah-ya-ya.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18It's awful. Imagine sleeping under this.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21I thought I knew what I was going to experience.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23And I never knew about this.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26- EMMA:- Well, the arrival of the Windrush caused something of a panic
0:08:26 > 0:08:29with the authorities. They didn't know where to place all of you guys.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31They thought, "Oh, we've got those empty bomb shelters!
0:08:31 > 0:08:33"That will do as temporary accommodation."
0:08:33 > 0:08:35That is just horrible.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39Coming from someone with so much space and air and light and straight
0:08:39 > 0:08:42down into a damp...
0:08:42 > 0:08:44- cold...- You think you'd be regretting coming?
0:08:44 > 0:08:48Yes, I would. It's almost like a slap in the face if you've come to
0:08:48 > 0:08:50help our motherland and whatnot,
0:08:50 > 0:08:54and then you come down here and this is your life.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56I can't even imagine it.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Look, the good news is that you're not actually living here,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02but if you were living here, you wouldn't spend that much time down here,
0:09:02 > 0:09:04cos, you know, you've got to earn a living.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07- I'd be happy to work after leaving here.- Yeah, that's right. I'd be
0:09:07 > 0:09:09- glad to be out of the bunker. - Yeah, absolutely.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Not only did they need somewhere to stay,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20our new arrivals needed feeding, too.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22Even though Britain was still under strict rationing,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25the Women's Voluntary Service stepped in to lay on a proper
0:09:25 > 0:09:28British dinner, served in a tent near the bunker.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34- Hi, guys.- Hello.- Welcome to your first meal in England.- Wow!
0:09:34 > 0:09:37'The Irwins are having the exact same meal.'
0:09:37 > 0:09:40It was rationed. You get a very, very small piece of beef.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42- Right.- Potatoes are in not such short supply,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45- you can have two of those.- Is there any chance of seconds, maybe?
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Not until 1954, I'm afraid!
0:09:47 > 0:09:50- Oh, right.- If you stick around. How does your lunch look?
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Very...bland.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55'For many, this would have been
0:09:55 > 0:09:58'their first-ever taste of great British cuisine.'
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- This is good.- What do you think?
0:10:01 > 0:10:05- It's not that bad. - Whatever you leave, I eat.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08Because you wouldn't waste it.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11There's even dessert. Suet pudding and custard.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14- Thank you, Emma.- Oh, I'm in heaven!
0:10:14 > 0:10:16- A spider?- That looks like Spotted Dick to me.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Three, two, one.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21It is not that bad, actually.
0:10:21 > 0:10:22- No, it's quite good.- It's OK.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25The thing about this is, we set this up as an experiment,
0:10:25 > 0:10:27but it's quite hard not to feel guilty as an English person,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30for what it must have looked like to people like the Irwins.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32When it came to serving the puddings,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35I knew they were supposed to get small portions, because it was rationing.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37And I felt so bad now, I gave them bigger portions of pudding,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40as I thought, it's the least I can do.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43I think Mum and Dad are going to be absolutely fine.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47They grew up in the '70s, slightly harder times than now.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49The kids are going to find it harder.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58While the Irwins finish their lunch, Emma has one more place to show me.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02So then, why Brixton?
0:11:02 > 0:11:04It's not as if it's famous, it's not on the Monopoly board,
0:11:04 > 0:11:07it's not like anyone would have heard of it in Jamaica.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10- Why did they settle here?- The answer's quite straightforward, really.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Behind us was the site of the Brixton Labour Exchange.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16So this is where people would come to to get work,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19and if you think about the location of the bunker in Clapham,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23what's between that and this labour exchange, but Brixton?
0:11:23 > 0:11:24So it was an obvious place to settle.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27# London is the place for me... #
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Within three weeks, all the people in the bunker had found a job.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35But however qualified,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38most new arrivals could expect only to get the hardest work
0:11:38 > 0:11:40for the lowest pay.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46All members of the family aged over 15 are expected to pull their weight.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50Men usually got jobs as manual labourers,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52while the women were often cleaners.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Once they got a job, families needed to find somewhere to live.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58This was easier said than done.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02'It's difficult for a coloured man to find rooms.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05'"Sorry, no room."'
0:12:07 > 0:12:09In rundown areas like Brixton,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12there were plenty of places that no-one else wanted.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16The Irwins are about to discover the kind of accommodation that was
0:12:16 > 0:12:19offered to an immigrant black family in 1940s Britain.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23It smells so bad.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Oh, my God.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30- Oh, my God. - Where's the other room? What?
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Please don't tell me that's just one bed.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37Look at the bed!
0:12:37 > 0:12:38Oh, my gosh.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40All five of them will be living,
0:12:40 > 0:12:42eating and sleeping in this one small room.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46With a communal toilet down the hall.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Listen, this is your new shower,
0:12:50 > 0:12:52this is your new bath.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54That's a washing board.
0:12:54 > 0:12:55- What's that?- What's what?
0:12:55 > 0:12:57- That?- Yeah.- That's a paraffin heater.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Do you know what, anything's better than underground.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02There's a rack to dry clothes on.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04I thought you said rat.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06- Oh, my God.- So did I!
0:13:06 > 0:13:08- There's a rat.- Look at this room.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10- I'm going to die.- No, you're not going to die.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Guys, we are living here.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15You've got to get used to it. You can't go, "I don't, I don't..."
0:13:15 > 0:13:17I think this is quite good.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20In comparison to what we are coming from.
0:13:20 > 0:13:21And it's warm.
0:13:21 > 0:13:26- OMG.- Ew!- Let's see what it is.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28"The Irwins." I'm going to read it.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31To help them settle in, we've sent some presents.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33"Dear Irwin family, welcome to your new home.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36"To make your bedsit a bit more homely,
0:13:36 > 0:13:40"we've sent you some things to brighten up the room and give you
0:13:40 > 0:13:42"a little bit more privacy."
0:13:43 > 0:13:44Oh!
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Extra blankets were vital when you've gone from an average annual
0:13:47 > 0:13:50temperature of 28 degrees to just 12.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52The green one's so pretty!
0:13:52 > 0:13:54Excuse me! This is ours.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57Your parents'. Thank you.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Thank you. Let go.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02No. Thank you.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Curtains! And clothes pegs.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06We can divide the room.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11With everyone sleeping and bathing in the same small space,
0:14:11 > 0:14:15Weininger and Shelasah get on with sorting out some privacy.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Are you done?
0:14:20 > 0:14:22Two tins of corned beef.
0:14:22 > 0:14:27- Cheese.- Janice is discovering how hard it is to feed a family on 1948
0:14:27 > 0:14:29rations.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31- Right, that's it.- Can you smell that?
0:14:31 > 0:14:33That's disgusting.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36No, look.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39That actually smells like the cat's food.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43Tonight it's corned beef with national loaf, a hard,
0:14:43 > 0:14:47brown bread and the only type available under rationing.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52- Whoa, hold on. - Is it tough?
0:14:52 > 0:14:54The bread?
0:14:54 > 0:14:56Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. I'll tell you.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58Connoisseur here.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00It is like rock.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02- This is all right.- He's happy.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04I'm feeling this food, you know.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07But there's one person missing.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10It's weird to not have Romaine here.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13I'll be glad when we can bring him in.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15- And be one.- And be one.
0:15:15 > 0:15:16100%.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19What a day it's been.
0:15:19 > 0:15:25I always think of my parents coming here in cold weather and just trying
0:15:25 > 0:15:29to find somewhere to live and then basically being grateful for the
0:15:29 > 0:15:31sort of place we've seen today.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35It's quite shocking. I think the reality of it is that we would have
0:15:35 > 0:15:38had a lot of mice running about.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40You can see the state of the place.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44Fortunately, they haven't brought the mice, which I'm pleased about.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Another day means another year.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01And the Irwin family have woken up in 1950.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07Today is Sunday, and while the men embrace 1950s gender roles,
0:16:07 > 0:16:11the women of the house are hard at work.
0:16:11 > 0:16:12When is breakfast going to be ready?
0:16:12 > 0:16:14I'm not sure why breakfast takes so long, you know?
0:16:14 > 0:16:17You're not supposed to be acting, Weininger.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20- Yeah, I know.- You're supposed to be looking around the house to see what
0:16:20 > 0:16:21you can fix up.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Right, folks.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Breakfast.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Normally if we're having a cooked breakfast, we would have eggs,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32bacon, sausage, beans,
0:16:32 > 0:16:37toast, bagels.
0:16:37 > 0:16:38- Yeah.- Toast and bagels?
0:16:38 > 0:16:43- Yeah.- Janice is treating the family to a West Indian favourite.
0:16:43 > 0:16:44Condensed milk.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Not only was it easier to buy on rations than butter or jam,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50it didn't require a fridge.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53I can eat condensed milk just like that,
0:16:53 > 0:16:57so I just think it's great how they made do with what they had.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59- Yeah, that's true.- I think, brilliant.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01And, you know, it's all right with the tea.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09By 1950, there were around 1,000 West Indians living in the Brixton area.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13And Sunday was an important day for the community,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15as almost everyone went to church.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Any spare money was spent on making sure you looked respectable for
0:17:21 > 0:17:22the service.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Good to go.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26# Lord have mercy... #
0:17:26 > 0:17:30But attending an Anglican church wasn't always possible.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Many refused to welcome black people into their all-white
0:17:33 > 0:17:37congregations. Something the Church of England has since apologised for.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45The West Indian population came up with a solution.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49They set up their own. Front rooms and local community halls became
0:17:49 > 0:17:52venues for a more West Indian style of Christian worship.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02Today, the Irwins are attending a celebratory service led by Bishop
0:18:02 > 0:18:06Kenneth McCarthy, who set up the first black church in Brixton.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Now 89, he's still going strong.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13I came to England in 1950.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17There were so many people coming from the West Indies and when I came
0:18:17 > 0:18:21to Brixton, they were wandering about like sheep without a shepherd.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24And I felt I ought to do some shepherding.
0:18:24 > 0:18:29And to give them something to live for, a purpose,
0:18:29 > 0:18:33and I started right here in Brixton to do that,
0:18:33 > 0:18:35so you can call me a Brixton boy.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42Bishop McCarthy started by preaching to small groups in their own homes,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45before investing in a tent where he held regular services.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48But he had bigger plans.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51We wanted something more permanent.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55So I saw a place in Brixton which was a bombsite.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58- Oh, wow, OK.- So I went to the council and I said,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01could I have a more permanent building and they came back to
0:19:01 > 0:19:06me and said, "Reverend, we decide to charge you £1 a year."
0:19:06 > 0:19:10Wow! Oh, brilliant.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14I would put up the more permanent building and it was our first church in England.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17We wanted somewhere where we could give off
0:19:17 > 0:19:20our spiritual expression freely.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Music, singing together is one of the things that definitely -
0:19:32 > 0:19:35especially for black people, I think - brings everyone together.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39Everything the Bishop said would have been really crucial for people
0:19:39 > 0:19:42first coming over here, because you wouldn't have really known what
0:19:42 > 0:19:43to do with yourself.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45So, having someone who'd be able to give that to you,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48it would have been so important.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Right, so do you just dip it? Cos there's no ink in this.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Mm, probably.
0:20:06 > 0:20:07It's like Shakespeare and that.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Back home, the family are writing letters to little brother Romaine.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17I wrote about how the food here isn't that nice.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21It's cold and...
0:20:21 > 0:20:23it's just not nice, overall.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29Dear son, can't wait until you get here.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Mummy, your sister and Shelasah is missing you.
0:20:32 > 0:20:33Are!
0:20:33 > 0:20:36- Who?- ARE missing you!- It's plural!
0:20:36 > 0:20:39- Yeah, are. - It's plural. Is?!- You said is!
0:20:39 > 0:20:40Jamaican.
0:20:40 > 0:20:41No!
0:20:43 > 0:20:44Don't insult Jamaicans like that.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47I'm not insulting anyone.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Janice was born in Britain after her parents arrived here,
0:20:50 > 0:20:54but they'd had to leave the six children they already had in Grenada.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57It was several years before they could afford to send
0:20:57 > 0:20:59for her brothers and sisters.
0:21:00 > 0:21:05When I think about my mum and dad's situation, they left all six.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09For me to know that I'm leaving my baby would have been a problem.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12But the fact is that we're trying to do good for them, or make better.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14- Yeah, but...- I know it would have been, yeah, tough.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16- ..we know that it's for a good reason.- Yeah, yeah.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18But, from a mother's point of view,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21that would have been a hard decision.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36It's 1954.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Unlike the majority of her white counterparts,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44Janice would have been expected to do all the housework
0:21:44 > 0:21:46and work long hours.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50The average wage in Britain was now £100 a week.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55But, as a black woman, Janice can expect to earn significantly less.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00To make up for the low wages, new immigrants often had several jobs.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06'Economically, there's no doubt that this country has been aided by this
0:22:06 > 0:22:09'influx of active workers, who've taken up some of the less pleasant
0:22:09 > 0:22:12'jobs Britons have preferred not to do.'
0:22:17 > 0:22:20The work might have been hard, but at least you could get a job,
0:22:20 > 0:22:21unlike at home in the West Indies.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27And in 1954, immigration from the Caribbean rocketed.
0:22:27 > 0:22:3010,000 made the journey that year.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34With such rapid change and increasing numbers,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37anti-immigration sentiment began to be more common.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Soon, there'll be so many people here, there won't be enough
0:22:40 > 0:22:42houses and jobs to go around.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46But the Nationality Act meant anyone from the colonies could come -
0:22:46 > 0:22:47and they did.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49The next three years would see the arrival of nearly
0:22:49 > 0:22:5275,000 people from the Caribbean.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00So, we've got white bread, sausages...
0:23:00 > 0:23:02The working members of the family have come home for lunch.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07At least rationing is now over, which means the occasional treat.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09- Guys, look!- Ketchup!
0:23:09 > 0:23:11Ew.
0:23:11 > 0:23:12Thanks.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14With four wage earners contributing to the household,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17there's more good news.
0:23:17 > 0:23:18All right.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20"Dear Irwin family,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23"it's now 1954 and you've all been
0:23:23 > 0:23:25"working hard since you arrived.
0:23:25 > 0:23:31"You have finally raised enough money to move into your own rented flats."
0:23:31 > 0:23:32Oh, brilliant!
0:23:32 > 0:23:34Brilliant.
0:23:34 > 0:23:35Here's the keys.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38That is absolutely super.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Looking forward to somewhere I can have a proper cooker, I hope.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43And a kitchen.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45- Somewhere with my own room. - And a toilet.
0:23:45 > 0:23:46Where the walls aren't stained.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Telly.
0:23:48 > 0:23:49- TIANA:- Oh, wow.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55While the Irwins pack up,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Emma and I check out their new flat on the other side of Brixton.
0:24:02 > 0:24:03Right, well, I mean, this is a very,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06very different proposition from the bedsit, isn't it?
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Yeah, absolutely. Everything feels a lot more permanent.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12There's definitely been an investment in making it homely.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Some very distinct Caribbean features as well
0:24:15 > 0:24:17and this glass cabinet would be one of them.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21This fish is a classic that anybody familiar with
0:24:21 > 0:24:23a Caribbean living room will notice.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25These were very common items.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27As well, there's often a profusion of
0:24:27 > 0:24:29very brightly coloured artificial flowers.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31This is not a sort of stopping point any more,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34- this is a place they're putting down roots.- Exactly, this is home.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41Many of the first immigrants had intended to return to the West Indies after a few years.
0:24:41 > 0:24:46But by 1954, it was clear the majority had decided to settle down,
0:24:46 > 0:24:48start families and stay for good.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Brixton, like many other urban areas, had to adapt.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58'Lambeth and Brixton have been much in the news recently following the
0:24:58 > 0:25:02'controversy that has raged over the immigration of West Indians to this country.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04'Thousands live in this area.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08'To help solve the problems raised when white and coloured people live
0:25:08 > 0:25:11'in the same neighbourhood, the borough of Lambeth organised
0:25:11 > 0:25:13'a no colour-bar dance.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18'The borough's mayor, Councillor White, was there to greet guests - 180 white and 180 coloured -
0:25:18 > 0:25:19'as they arrived.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26'The rhythm of the mambo was doing its bit towards racial unity.'
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Lambeth had one of the fastest changing populations in the country.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38So, what does this census tell us about the population itself?
0:25:38 > 0:25:42You can see a breakdown of the different boroughs that are housing
0:25:42 > 0:25:44the immigrant populations.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49And we see here that over 70,000 people that are born in colonies,
0:25:49 > 0:25:53we see that Lambeth is home to...
0:25:53 > 0:25:56- 10,000?- ..over 10,000, which is in stark contrast
0:25:56 > 0:25:58to all of the other areas.
0:25:58 > 0:25:59And Brixton is in Lambeth?
0:25:59 > 0:26:00Absolutely.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02That's 10,000 people out of a population in the borough
0:26:02 > 0:26:04of 220,000. So quite high.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Yes, so definitely a very significant minority.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15It's time for the Irwins to leave the bedsit...
0:26:17 > 0:26:19..and discover their new, two-bedroom flat.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28- Wow.- Oh, wow.
0:26:28 > 0:26:29Wowee!
0:26:33 > 0:26:35- Cabinet.- The fish!
0:26:35 > 0:26:39We had the fish! It's the fish for me. We had one of these fishes.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41And the cabinet that you're not allowed to use.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44And the glass cabinet, which is fantastic.
0:26:44 > 0:26:45The ever, ever living flowers.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48I used to remember, like, the dust that used to be on it.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50We used to, like, brush it off and stuff.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52It's so much nicer on the eyes.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54- Homely.- Yeah.- It is a home.
0:26:54 > 0:26:55It feels like a home.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:26:57 > 0:26:58Thank you, thank you, thank you.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02Oh, wow!
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Oh, my gosh! There's space!
0:27:04 > 0:27:06There's not a bedroom.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07- There's a stove. - Wow, this is brilliant.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Oh, my God!
0:27:09 > 0:27:11We have these plates!
0:27:11 > 0:27:13Look, we have these! We have these plates!
0:27:13 > 0:27:15- Oh, my God! - We actually have these plates.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18We've got these plates at home.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Oh, wow. We've got vintage.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22We have done very well.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25Well done to all of us who have been working.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33Not only does Janice have a proper kitchen,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36she also has far more choice about what she cooks in it.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41The family are having steamed fish with Jamaican crackers
0:27:41 > 0:27:43and fresh ginger cake -
0:27:43 > 0:27:45all bought at the local market.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50'Let's go shopping Caribbean-style!
0:27:50 > 0:27:54'Take a trip to London Southwest nine. It's here, at Brixton's
0:27:54 > 0:27:57'Granville Arcade that our Caribbean market flourishes.'
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Unable to buy the food from home in British grocers',
0:28:02 > 0:28:05West Indians began to import and sell it to themselves,
0:28:05 > 0:28:07setting up shop in places like Brixton.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13Thank you, Janice. Much appreciated.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18Life is looking up, but it's about to get even better.
0:28:18 > 0:28:19With more money and more space,
0:28:19 > 0:28:21families like the Irwins were able to send for
0:28:21 > 0:28:23those they'd left behind.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29So, youngest son Romane is finally here,
0:28:29 > 0:28:31accompanied by his Auntie Denise.
0:28:32 > 0:28:33Romane!
0:28:34 > 0:28:36Aw!
0:28:44 > 0:28:46Lookit, Shels, he's been waiting for him for so long.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52He's annoying but I've missed him.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55I have. I didn't want to endure the pain by myself.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Wonderful, wonderful.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00I feel like my family's complete again.
0:29:02 > 0:29:08We've moved away from our one-room apartment and we are now in
0:29:08 > 0:29:12a better, more flowery, vibrant place.
0:29:12 > 0:29:13It, like, matches my dress.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20Today was a nice day, because I got to see my family.
0:29:20 > 0:29:21I'm happy to see my brother again.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24I probably missed him the most and, apparently,
0:29:24 > 0:29:26I came at the right time,
0:29:26 > 0:29:30since what they were living in before was really, really bad.
0:29:41 > 0:29:421956.
0:29:43 > 0:29:471956 was the year of peak immigration from
0:29:47 > 0:29:48the West Indies to Britain.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51Over 26,000 people would make the journey that year.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57Most of the first wave of immigrants had left home to find work
0:29:57 > 0:29:58of their own accord.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02But, as the UK economy continued to grow,
0:30:02 > 0:30:05employers began actively to invite West Indians to come to Britain
0:30:05 > 0:30:07to take up specific jobs.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13One of the biggest recruiters was London Transport,
0:30:13 > 0:30:15which in 1956, set up an office in Barbados.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21'Candidates are chosen on the island and some 200 of them come to Britain
0:30:21 > 0:30:24'every year to join London's bus conductor force of more than
0:30:24 > 0:30:26'14,000 men and women.'
0:30:28 > 0:30:31Weininger's own father was a bus conductor.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33So, today, he's following in his footsteps.
0:30:39 > 0:30:40DING DING
0:30:40 > 0:30:42Any more fares, please? Any more fares, please?
0:30:42 > 0:30:44I'm supposed to be going to Brixton.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46- Brixton? All right.- Yes.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48- 50p, please.- Thank you.
0:30:48 > 0:30:49Thank you very much.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53Here to help is celebrated author, Donald Hinds,
0:30:53 > 0:30:55one of the very first black bus conductors in Britain.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01There were just six in Brixton when he started.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05Well, the first thing you'd need is the badge of approval,
0:31:05 > 0:31:07so you'd need to have this on.
0:31:07 > 0:31:08So that you...
0:31:08 > 0:31:12OK, now I'm looking at this badge. Is this actually your badge?
0:31:12 > 0:31:13It was the one I used.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16It's the only thing I took from London transport.
0:31:16 > 0:31:17Wow!
0:31:17 > 0:31:20'This instructor is training men to be conductors
0:31:20 > 0:31:22'on the London buses.'
0:31:22 > 0:31:24Like all new recruits,
0:31:24 > 0:31:27Donald was sent to the Chiswick training centre to learn the ropes.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31Conductors needed fast mental arithmetic and the ability
0:31:31 > 0:31:32to work in a moving vehicle.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39Since you are using both, both, erm
0:31:39 > 0:31:44hands, don't stand rigid.
0:31:44 > 0:31:45Loosen your knee a bit.
0:31:45 > 0:31:46Right.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49You know, so you move with the bus,
0:31:49 > 0:31:54rather than be tossed around because your knees are rigid.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57Any more fares, please? Any more fares, please?
0:31:57 > 0:31:59Can I have one to Cannon Street, please?
0:31:59 > 0:32:01One to Cannon Street, certainly.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04Many of today's passengers remember '50s buses first-hand.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07I came to London in 1956.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09- Wow.- A seven-year-old.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12The buses were your open door to London.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15My uncle, a lot of our relations came, and they worked for
0:32:15 > 0:32:18London Transport and families of staff would get free travel.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21So, you know, you didn't have to...
0:32:21 > 0:32:24So, that's why we could go all over the place.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27And they had lots of amenities. They had a social club,
0:32:27 > 0:32:30there was a cricket team, we used to go and follow the team.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33So, being a transport person was a whole package.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39While London Transport was grateful for its West Indian
0:32:39 > 0:32:42employees, this wasn't always the case when it came to passengers.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48The ones that I
0:32:48 > 0:32:52refused are those who would put the money on the seat and say,
0:32:52 > 0:32:56"Oh, I'm going to New Park Road,"
0:32:56 > 0:32:59and put their money on the seat. So, I still hold my hand out.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02- Right.- And I'm not punching that ticket until she takes
0:33:02 > 0:33:04the money up and puts it in my hand.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06You know, that is...
0:33:06 > 0:33:08And then, if you are making change,
0:33:08 > 0:33:11the games you have to go through with someone trying
0:33:11 > 0:33:15to pull their hand away as if your fingers should touch their hands,
0:33:15 > 0:33:17you would suddenly become black.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26The thing that got to me most was, when asking for the fares,
0:33:26 > 0:33:29the people would pay you, yes, but they would put the money
0:33:29 > 0:33:32beside them on the seat.
0:33:32 > 0:33:37Erm, almost saying that, yeah, I'll pay, but I'm not willing to,
0:33:37 > 0:33:39you know, make contact with you.
0:33:41 > 0:33:48My father was a bus conductor, so today, that bus journey was moving.
0:33:59 > 0:34:00It's 1959.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03As the decade neared its end,
0:34:03 > 0:34:06there were well over 100,000 West Indians living in Britain.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08- I'm the Big Daddy. - Yeah, cos you cheat!
0:34:08 > 0:34:10- How did I cheat? - But, Dad, you do cheat!
0:34:10 > 0:34:11How did I cheat?
0:34:11 > 0:34:14They were now a visible presence and starting to put
0:34:14 > 0:34:15their stamp on British life.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23But not everyone was happy living with black people.
0:34:25 > 0:34:26In 1958,
0:34:26 > 0:34:29violence broke out in Notting Hill as organised racist gangs
0:34:29 > 0:34:33targeted the West Indian population who had made the area their home.
0:34:35 > 0:34:36'Racial violence.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40'An angry crowd of youths chases a negro into a greengrocer's shop.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42'Police reinforcements are called out to check the riot,
0:34:42 > 0:34:45'one of many that have broken out here in a few days.'
0:34:46 > 0:34:49In an attempt to heal the rift caused by the riots,
0:34:49 > 0:34:51a Caribbean carnival was organised
0:34:51 > 0:34:53by activist and journalist, Claudia Jones.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01Her plan would bring the community back together.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04First held in Camden in 1959,
0:35:04 > 0:35:07it soon found its permanent home in Notting Hill.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11It was a huge success.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13Decades later, it's still going strong.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19To get themselves in the carnival mood, the Irwins are going
0:35:19 > 0:35:22to be learning how to play one of its key components.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25Steel pan.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33Steel pans are the national instrument of Trinidad,
0:35:33 > 0:35:35first appearing in the 1930s.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37They were originally made from old oil drums.
0:35:39 > 0:35:40Still here.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42Oh, so still here? OK.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47Steel pan was something only men played,
0:35:47 > 0:35:51so Janice, Breanne and Tiana are working on some carnival costumes instead.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53I need my glasses.
0:35:53 > 0:35:54Who's got good eyes?
0:35:54 > 0:35:56None of us.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03Almost, almost, almost, but that was much better.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07Notes are created by hammering out different sized indentations,
0:36:07 > 0:36:11with one pan containing as many as 29 different notes.
0:36:11 > 0:36:12The trick is to hit them softly.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23We've invited EastEnders star Rudolph Walker to join the party.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40Rudolph isn't just one of Britain's best loved actors,
0:36:40 > 0:36:44he's also an honorary member of the British Association Of Steel Bands.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49Carry on, carry on, carry on!
0:36:50 > 0:36:53Rudolph was born in Trinidad,
0:36:53 > 0:36:54the home of Calypso.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59'It's in Trinidad, too, that a carnival is held each year.
0:36:59 > 0:37:04'Everyone puts on elaborate fancy dress costumes and for two days,
0:37:04 > 0:37:06'the whole island seems to dance.'
0:37:08 > 0:37:11To me, as an old Trinidadian, Calypso was my thing,
0:37:11 > 0:37:14steel pan was my thing - and it still is.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17And when I go to Trinidad, I still long to hear the steel band
0:37:17 > 0:37:19or the steel orchestra.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21For a young man who had just left Trinidad,
0:37:21 > 0:37:24those early Notting Hill carnivals were a great reminder of back home.
0:37:26 > 0:37:27Well, I mean, when I came over here,
0:37:27 > 0:37:33that was just the early days of the Notting Hill Carnival,
0:37:33 > 0:37:36and steel pan was very much in its infancy then.
0:37:36 > 0:37:44So, for me, as a young Trinidadian, it was great to hear the steel pan.
0:37:44 > 0:37:49But it wasn't...I mean, nowadays, you have them on floats and
0:37:49 > 0:37:52you push it. I mean, in those days, guys wore it around their neck.
0:37:52 > 0:37:57It's one of the first times I've actually played, but the feeling...
0:37:57 > 0:38:02It's just, for me, it was just a real feel-good factor,
0:38:02 > 0:38:07just being able to do those little pieces and, once it came together,
0:38:07 > 0:38:09wow, I can't believe it. In a very short time,
0:38:09 > 0:38:12Marlon has got us getting in tune, just like that.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14It really is a great instrument.
0:38:34 > 0:38:35It's 1960.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39- Ooh, very nice with the pink carpet.- Wow, look at this carpet!
0:38:39 > 0:38:42- Look at this!- Etch-a-sketch.
0:38:42 > 0:38:43- Where's the TV?- Oh, my gosh!
0:38:43 > 0:38:45- I didn't even see the TV! - A black-and-white TV.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47And the Irwins are discovering how the new decade
0:38:47 > 0:38:49has transformed their home.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54The economy is booming and people have more disposable income
0:38:54 > 0:38:55than ever before.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00Black families were also beginning to enjoy an increased standard of living...
0:39:00 > 0:39:01A Singer machine.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03Wow.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06..as a better paid and more skilled job market opened up to them.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08That is brilliant, look at that.
0:39:09 > 0:39:10- Music!- Wait, hold on.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13This was our CD player of the day.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15Shelasah, come and have a look how this works.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19I had one of these, literally, sitting on my bed.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22I used to stack them, and then when they'd finished playing,
0:39:22 > 0:39:23I'd be asleep.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28- Oh, wow.- Oh, yeah!
0:39:28 > 0:39:31While Janice and the girls check out the new kitchen gadgets...
0:39:31 > 0:39:32We've got a Hoover.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37- And, look, we've got a little Dutch pot.- Oh, yeah.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41..Weininger is trying out a pastime suitable for 1960s man - DIY.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45The shorter edges of the sides and end pieces are
0:39:45 > 0:39:47nine inches and four and a half...
0:39:47 > 0:39:49Let's forget about this inches thing, because, you know,
0:39:49 > 0:39:52as men, we don't read instruction or take instruction too well.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58Dad, one is just off.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00No, no, no, no.
0:40:00 > 0:40:01Hold on.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03Here you go, girls.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05How relaxed are you?
0:40:05 > 0:40:09"A girl who takes life in her stride is the envy of her friends.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11"Always calm and collected,
0:40:11 > 0:40:13"she never lets nerves get the better of her."
0:40:13 > 0:40:16Like, this is just so non-stimulating.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18I feel like I'd lose my mind.
0:40:18 > 0:40:19I'd become a Stepford wife.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21Darling, you look wonderful!
0:40:21 > 0:40:22Oh, right.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25THEY LAUGH
0:40:27 > 0:40:28Dad!
0:40:28 > 0:40:31Again! Oh, my God.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33Mission only just accomplished,
0:40:33 > 0:40:36the boys are ready to show off their new creation.
0:40:36 > 0:40:37- WEININGER:- Look at this.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39Look, it's nice!
0:40:39 > 0:40:40It's really good. Look, see?
0:40:40 > 0:40:43- JANICE:- Apart from the corner that Daddy broke. Did your dad break it?
0:40:43 > 0:40:44- Yeah.- There you go, I knew it.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49The table's been made for one thing - dominoes.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51We're going to test out the table
0:40:51 > 0:40:53just to make sure it's all functioning.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56Ready, all right. Seven.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04Dominoes were an institution across the Caribbean.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07And were played as loudly as possible with plenty of rum,
0:41:07 > 0:41:10shouting and slamming pieces down hard on the table.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13It was a tradition that remained a firm favourite,
0:41:13 > 0:41:16and every house would have at least one set.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19But it was a game for the boys.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23- WEININGER:- Two, four, six and seven.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25I'm not being funny, but sitting here, can I just play?
0:41:25 > 0:41:27- BOYS:- No!- No, no, no, no.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29The champion of dominoes, it's a woman!
0:41:29 > 0:41:33No, no, no, no. The champion of the dominoes in this household...
0:41:33 > 0:41:35Double six, see that?
0:41:35 > 0:41:37HE CHUCKLES
0:41:40 > 0:41:42That's what I'm talking about, son!
0:41:42 > 0:41:44THEY SHOUT OVER EACH OTHER
0:41:44 > 0:41:46It's going to break. That's why I've sat back.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48No, no...
0:41:48 > 0:41:51I liked making the dominoes table,
0:41:51 > 0:41:55cos I don't really get to do DIY stuff with my dad and my brother,
0:41:55 > 0:41:58so it was like a nice experience.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00And I liked playing dominoes as well.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03And, like, my dad's funny when he plays it.
0:42:03 > 0:42:04But he likes to cheat.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09It's 1962.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12And while the girls enjoy watching their new telly...
0:42:12 > 0:42:15- That one?- No, no, that jacket there.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17..Weininger and Shelasah are going shopping.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19What about the pink shirt?
0:42:19 > 0:42:20Or even the pink jacket?
0:42:20 > 0:42:22Check this out. No?
0:42:22 > 0:42:26West Indian fashion was flamboyant and colourful.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28And made an impact as soon as it arrived in Britain.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33# Oh, I believe in you... #
0:42:34 > 0:42:38I sent the boys to meet London-born singer, Kenny Lynch,
0:42:38 > 0:42:40to find out more about '60s style.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45Hello, sir. It's Mr Kenny Lynch.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48- Nice to see you.- How are you? This is my son, Shelasah.
0:42:48 > 0:42:49Hi, Shelasah.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54Kenny was renowned for his sharp dress sense.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57When I was 17, 18, when I first came into the music business,
0:42:57 > 0:42:58all I thought about was clothes.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02What was your first impressions of the Caribbeans
0:43:02 > 0:43:06- that came over here?- Well, I really liked that people used to look
0:43:06 > 0:43:08at them cos they were dressed up in pink,
0:43:08 > 0:43:10cos they'd come from Jamaica, Trinidad,
0:43:10 > 0:43:12Barbados, and all that, and, of course,
0:43:12 > 0:43:14you can wear all those kind of colours over there.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16- # Wake me - Yeah
0:43:16 > 0:43:18- # Shake me - Yeah... #
0:43:18 > 0:43:21All the men in those days looked like Cab Calloway.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25Zoot suits and trousers would always be wide there and wide there,
0:43:25 > 0:43:29and they'd sort of float down the street like that.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32# My boss is a big, fat slob
0:43:32 > 0:43:34# Can't even be... #
0:43:34 > 0:43:38And the ladies, they used to have all these crinoline dresses,
0:43:38 > 0:43:40like as though they were going to a wedding.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42- # Shake me - Yeah
0:43:42 > 0:43:43# Don't let me sleep too late
0:43:43 > 0:43:45# Oh, gotta get up... #
0:43:45 > 0:43:48Sunday mornings was like a fashion show.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50Everyone used to sit outside and go to church.
0:43:50 > 0:43:53# I'm bound to my garbage truck
0:43:53 > 0:43:54# I gotta lot... #
0:43:54 > 0:43:58Do you think that they influenced '60s fashion?
0:43:58 > 0:44:01Some of the lads quite liked the zoot suits.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03They got quite popular over here.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06People started dressing more brighter and all that.
0:44:08 > 0:44:10My dad was a trendy dresser.
0:44:10 > 0:44:14He definitely liked his sharp suits and, in my mind,
0:44:14 > 0:44:17that is '60s all the way.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20When you have an overcoat, you always buy with it a scarf.
0:44:20 > 0:44:23It was great meeting Kenny and we did recognise
0:44:23 > 0:44:27that we bought something different - colour,
0:44:27 > 0:44:33vibrancy, sharpness. Really, really good guy.
0:44:33 > 0:44:35I've found just the thing for you.
0:44:35 > 0:44:37Look at this. That's proper.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39You're a gentleman now.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42You'll be in Ascot in a couple of weeks.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50It's 1963.
0:44:52 > 0:44:54There we are. I like this stage.
0:44:55 > 0:44:57Mum! Can you turn that off!
0:44:58 > 0:44:59Mum!
0:44:59 > 0:45:02The Irwins are living in a less open Britain.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04Freedom of movement from the colonies is over.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07# Simmer down, oh, yeah... #
0:45:07 > 0:45:08Keep Britain Britain.
0:45:08 > 0:45:10Keep it white, as it should be.
0:45:11 > 0:45:12Under mounting pressure,
0:45:12 > 0:45:15the Conservative Government passed the Commonwealth Immigration Act
0:45:15 > 0:45:19of 1962, and closed the door to all but the most skilled.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24For the black people already here, discrimination was still rife.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29Companies could legally refuse to employ someone on the basis of race,
0:45:29 > 0:45:33and, in 1963, like many other organisations,
0:45:33 > 0:45:35the Bristol Bus Company was still operating a colour bar.
0:45:37 > 0:45:41Whilst we can obtain white labour in this city,
0:45:41 > 0:45:46we intend to go on engaging white labour rather than coloured labour.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49Well, we don't want them on here, that's the main reason.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54I've come to Bristol to meet 79-year-old Paul Stephenson OBE.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59Inspired by the American civil rights movement,
0:45:59 > 0:46:01he helped to orchestrate an historic boycott in Bristol
0:46:01 > 0:46:03that would have a national effect.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07So, Paul, how did you get involved in the boycott, then?
0:46:07 > 0:46:12The Bristol Bus Company was openly racist by refusing to employ
0:46:12 > 0:46:15Asians and Caribbeans.
0:46:15 > 0:46:19The company would rather have a shortage of buses
0:46:19 > 0:46:22than allow black people to work on them.
0:46:22 > 0:46:24And I felt I wanted to do something.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30Paul rang the bus station to apply for a job on behalf of a friend.
0:46:30 > 0:46:32I said, "Do you have any vacancies?"
0:46:32 > 0:46:34And he said, "Yes, we have vacancies."
0:46:34 > 0:46:36But, on the telephone, they had no idea that you or he were black?
0:46:36 > 0:46:39Oh, no, I didn't reveal that I was black.
0:46:39 > 0:46:41That would have sabotaged the whole thing.
0:46:41 > 0:46:43And so the guy came here,
0:46:43 > 0:46:45to the Bristol bus station
0:46:45 > 0:46:48and said we were offered the job, and the horrified
0:46:48 > 0:46:54general manager's secretary said, "We don't employ black people."
0:46:54 > 0:46:58And so I said, "Well, I'm going to call a boycott of your bus company."
0:47:02 > 0:47:05Paul mobilised Britain's community to support his boycott
0:47:05 > 0:47:08and enlisted politicians to speak out for the cause.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13I worked in the factories, I was a welfare officer during the war,
0:47:13 > 0:47:17I never noticed the disposition of white men not to work
0:47:17 > 0:47:20alongside black men, all of us together gave Hitler
0:47:20 > 0:47:21a terrific hiding, and, now,
0:47:21 > 0:47:25to come up against this, you can understand my surprise.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28The battle against racialism here in Britain
0:47:28 > 0:47:30knows no boundaries and no limits.
0:47:32 > 0:47:37Harold Wilson openly supported me and said, "Last of the colour bar."
0:47:39 > 0:47:43After four months of campaigning, the bus company was beaten.
0:47:43 > 0:47:49Martin Luther King made his "I Have A Dream" speech on the same day
0:47:49 > 0:47:54we got the message the colour bar was over.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58Mr Paul Stephenson, you are the young man who brought
0:47:58 > 0:48:00- the whole of this business to public notice.- Mm-hm.
0:48:00 > 0:48:04- What are you views on it?- Oh, of course, we're very pleased indeed.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07I think this is going to be welcomed by coloured people of Bristol and
0:48:07 > 0:48:10many Bristolians who came in and gave us their sympathy.
0:48:12 > 0:48:16The boycott resonated beyond Bristol, and, in 1965,
0:48:16 > 0:48:18Paul's supporter Harold Wilson
0:48:18 > 0:48:20passed the historic Race Relations Act,
0:48:20 > 0:48:24making discrimination on grounds of race unlawful for the first time.
0:48:26 > 0:48:30Paul's actions over 50 years ago means he is still recognised.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32- Yes, sir! - That's very kind.- Thanks, man.
0:48:32 > 0:48:35Much appreciation. I heard about the good work, man,
0:48:35 > 0:48:36and I'm really pleased, man.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40- Thanks a lot.- Thanks again, all right? Cheers, thanks, boy.
0:48:40 > 0:48:42Thanks.
0:48:42 > 0:48:44- You're a local hero.- Oh, well, I don't know about that.
0:48:44 > 0:48:48But I often get stopped in the streets and...
0:48:48 > 0:48:50- People recognise you?- Oh, yes.
0:48:50 > 0:48:52- People do.- Amazing.
0:48:58 > 0:49:02Back in the flat, the family are enjoying some classic 1960s telly.
0:49:04 > 0:49:06'Take 40 of some of the most beautiful girls in the world,
0:49:06 > 0:49:08'then ask a panel of judges...'
0:49:08 > 0:49:11The Miss World contest was one Britain's most popular TV shows,
0:49:11 > 0:49:13with millions tuning in to watch.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18'A girl who wants to be a housewife, and she shouldn't have
0:49:18 > 0:49:20'any difficulty about that, is Miss Sweden.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23'She took fifth place.
0:49:23 > 0:49:29'20-year-old Carole Joan Crawford, from Kingston, Jamaica, at 34-22-34,
0:49:29 > 0:49:31'is Miss World for 1963.'
0:49:31 > 0:49:33- You didn't expect that, did you? - No, I didn't.
0:49:33 > 0:49:35APPLAUSE
0:49:35 > 0:49:38Carole Crawford was the first woman of colour to win the event.
0:49:41 > 0:49:42Wow.
0:49:43 > 0:49:46- Why's she white?- She's not white.
0:49:46 > 0:49:50MUSIC: Miss Jamaica by Jimmy Cliff
0:49:51 > 0:49:55Any time Jamaica does well, I will always feel good,
0:49:55 > 0:49:59but you're seeing somebody that kind of looks Caucasian
0:49:59 > 0:50:00and it doesn't represent me,
0:50:00 > 0:50:03so I'm not sure how I would have felt personally.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06In the Caribbean, you do have the favour
0:50:06 > 0:50:09towards a fairer complexion being a better complexion,
0:50:09 > 0:50:13so, again, it wouldn't be surprising that the person representing Jamaica
0:50:13 > 0:50:18in such a competition at that time would have been of a fairer hue.
0:50:18 > 0:50:19She was black, but she looked fair,
0:50:19 > 0:50:22and on a black and white television, she looks white.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24That is what colourism is,
0:50:24 > 0:50:26the fact that within own our communities,
0:50:26 > 0:50:29we show preference towards lighter-skinned women,
0:50:29 > 0:50:31and I see that even today.
0:50:37 > 0:50:39It's 1966.
0:50:40 > 0:50:42Oooh!
0:50:42 > 0:50:44My new uniform.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46You look nice.
0:50:46 > 0:50:48# Under our tree
0:50:48 > 0:50:51# In the garden... #
0:50:51 > 0:50:53Despite the tightening of immigration,
0:50:53 > 0:50:55Britain was still in dire need of workers,
0:50:55 > 0:50:58and the NHS recruited directly in the West Indies for staff.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05Nursing was relatively well paid,
0:51:05 > 0:51:06and one of the few skilled jobs
0:51:06 > 0:51:09that Caribbean women were actually allowed to do.
0:51:10 > 0:51:15By 1966, there were 5,000 Jamaican nurses working in British hospitals.
0:51:18 > 0:51:22Among them were trainee nurses Elva, Janet and Martha.
0:51:22 > 0:51:25- Girls.- Hello.- This is Elva.
0:51:25 > 0:51:27They're visiting to tell Janice
0:51:27 > 0:51:30what life was like for black nurses in the 1960s.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34- That's me.- How old were you there? If you don't mind me asking.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37I was 21.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39- Gosh! - See what the uniform looked like?
0:51:39 > 0:51:42- Yeah.- So is this the same?
0:51:42 > 0:51:46- It's...- Is that the same...? - It's the same.- But it's just pinned.
0:51:46 > 0:51:48- Starched, yeah. - Yeah, but it's starched.
0:51:48 > 0:51:52- You couldn't go on duty like that. - Pff!- You'd be sent off.
0:51:52 > 0:51:54This is after we'd... we were there.
0:51:54 > 0:51:57That's in my third year.
0:51:57 > 0:51:58Oh, look at this!
0:51:58 > 0:52:01And life was very difficult as a nurse.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04Because you were black,
0:52:04 > 0:52:08you were sent... you were sent to the sluice,
0:52:08 > 0:52:13- there was no disposable bedpans... - Ohh!- ..no disposable urinals.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15- All metal bedpans.- Metal bedpans.
0:52:15 > 0:52:19- You had to scrub them.- You had to clean them.- Shining.- Mm-hm.
0:52:19 > 0:52:21- Then you had to clean the sluice. - INDISTINCT
0:52:21 > 0:52:23- Oh, yes.- Horrible.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26One lady said to me, "I don't want you to touch me."
0:52:26 > 0:52:28I said, "Fair enough. Why?"
0:52:28 > 0:52:32She said, "My son said not to let any of you wogs touch me."
0:52:32 > 0:52:34- Yeah.- Yeah.- Wow.
0:52:34 > 0:52:38Despite all that you've experienced, would you do it again?
0:52:38 > 0:52:41- I would.- Yeah? - I would. I loved it.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44If you're a nurse, and a dedicated nurse,
0:52:44 > 0:52:47you love what you're doing and you will do it there.
0:52:47 > 0:52:52The ladies, the nurses that came and spoke to us today, fantastic,
0:52:52 > 0:52:56inspirational and, again, integrity.
0:52:56 > 0:52:58I couldn't have lived in the 1950s and '60s
0:52:58 > 0:52:59and suffered all the racism
0:52:59 > 0:53:03because that would really irritate me but, to them, it's just like,
0:53:03 > 0:53:05well, that's not my problem if someone is racist
0:53:05 > 0:53:06but I feel like it is.
0:53:06 > 0:53:09# The ink is black
0:53:09 > 0:53:11# The page is white
0:53:11 > 0:53:14# Together we learn... #
0:53:14 > 0:53:15It's 1969.
0:53:17 > 0:53:20There are now half a million West Indians living in Britain.
0:53:20 > 0:53:22Over 200,000 of whom were born here.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25Britain was the only home they'd ever known.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30The Irwins are celebrating the end of the decade with a blues party.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39Blues parties were house parties with a difference.
0:53:40 > 0:53:42A private house was opened up to the whole neighbourhood,
0:53:42 > 0:53:44who paid an entrance fee to come and dance all night.
0:53:46 > 0:53:50Right back when I was a little girl and my parents used to have them,
0:53:50 > 0:53:52I remember it being an exciting time.
0:53:52 > 0:53:54We would see them setting up the room.
0:53:54 > 0:53:59Get all excited cos you'd see everyone coming in their lovely clothes.
0:53:59 > 0:54:01And it was all about the dancing.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03I'm looking forward to it very much.
0:54:03 > 0:54:04Seriously.
0:54:08 > 0:54:09Hello!
0:54:11 > 0:54:16They've invited family and friends to help see out the decade in style.
0:54:16 > 0:54:17Shelasah is on the door,
0:54:17 > 0:54:20collecting money to pay for the professional sound system and DJ.
0:54:23 > 0:54:24Music was key.
0:54:24 > 0:54:27Reggae and ska weren't often heard in Britain's pubs and clubs,
0:54:27 > 0:54:30so these parties offered a rare chance to hear the latest records
0:54:30 > 0:54:31from West Indian artists.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40Emma and I are back to find out how the family have got on
0:54:40 > 0:54:45in the first stage of their time-travelling journey.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48- £5, please.- You what?
0:54:48 > 0:54:50£5. It's a blues party. You've got to pay to get in.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52- You want money?- Yeah. - These things aren't for free.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55- Is this normal?- Yeah, absolutely.
0:54:55 > 0:54:58- And for the girl?- Yeah. - Pay for her, too?- Mm-hm.
0:54:58 > 0:54:59It'd better be a good party.
0:55:01 > 0:55:07- Hi, guys.- Hello. How are you? - Good to see you.- Pleasure.
0:55:07 > 0:55:08Have you come to shake a leg?
0:55:08 > 0:55:13No, no... I've come to ask you how you are.
0:55:13 > 0:55:17From where we were to where we are now, it's top drawer.
0:55:17 > 0:55:23From the one room where we had to do bedroom, kitchen...
0:55:23 > 0:55:25living room, we now have...
0:55:25 > 0:55:28- Dancing space. You've got a ballroom!- Absolutely.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33I'm a nurse now, so that's really moved up our income a lot.
0:55:33 > 0:55:37It's just got better and better as the years have gone on.
0:55:37 > 0:55:39Well, I've paid my five bob, so do I get a beer with that?
0:55:39 > 0:55:42Well, I'll lead you right over to the bar area.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44Let's get a drink.
0:55:45 > 0:55:47A-ha, you're in here.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50- Hello.- Hey, you look gorgeous.
0:55:50 > 0:55:51- How are you?- How's it been?
0:55:51 > 0:55:53It's getting better than it was.
0:55:53 > 0:55:55- Did you see our old house?- We did.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57- So you were all sleeping together in the same room?- Yeah.
0:55:57 > 0:56:00- How was that?- It was the lack of privacy, I think,
0:56:00 > 0:56:01that was quite difficult
0:56:01 > 0:56:05and also the fact that Breanne and I had to share a single bed as well.
0:56:05 > 0:56:06In those little beds.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09- Yeah.- And so how have things improved now in the '60s?
0:56:09 > 0:56:11Well, we have a fridge.
0:56:11 > 0:56:13- Does it have beer in it? - Yes, it does.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15- May I have a couple of beers? - Two, please.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17- You've got to pay.- Again?!
0:56:17 > 0:56:18Even though I paid to get in?
0:56:18 > 0:56:21- Yeah, sorry. - For this teeny-tiny beer?
0:56:21 > 0:56:25# Red, red wine... #
0:56:25 > 0:56:28From '48 to, you know, the '60s,
0:56:28 > 0:56:32the woman's lot - very, very difficult
0:56:32 > 0:56:35and for West Indian women to come over
0:56:35 > 0:56:38and not only have a household to look after
0:56:38 > 0:56:41but on top of it to be going out to work as well,
0:56:41 > 0:56:43they never let it get them down.
0:56:43 > 0:56:48I can't imagine spending six years in a bedsit like that,
0:56:48 > 0:56:53so drab and dreary, on top of all that discrimination.
0:56:53 > 0:56:56The people that lived through this, I commend them, honestly.
0:56:56 > 0:57:00To get to '69 and be in a position where, you know,
0:57:00 > 0:57:03you've got a nicer home, you are living a lot more comfortably,
0:57:03 > 0:57:06you've got a steady job, it's great,
0:57:06 > 0:57:11but what's really come out of this for me is how, as a community,
0:57:11 > 0:57:14they've worked together to get through this experience.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18They came with a focus and a goal.
0:57:18 > 0:57:21So their tenacity and strength and courage,
0:57:21 > 0:57:24to have that goal in mind and stick at it - brilliant.
0:57:33 > 0:57:35# Yeah Wonderful world... #
0:57:35 > 0:57:40It would be almost impossible to imagine when you saw the Irwins arriving in 1948
0:57:40 > 0:57:42in the clothes they stood up in and a couple of suitcases,
0:57:42 > 0:57:45with no friends, with no work, with nowhere to stay,
0:57:45 > 0:57:47that they would soon be living like this,
0:57:47 > 0:57:49with good jobs and great food and a party and their friends.
0:57:51 > 0:57:54They've been through an awful lot in quite a short space of time
0:57:54 > 0:57:56and now they're just really looking forward to the '70s and '80s.
0:58:00 > 0:58:02Next time...
0:58:06 > 0:58:08The Irwins travel through three decades...
0:58:09 > 0:58:11Look at you two!
0:58:11 > 0:58:13You look like the poster boys for Jamaica.
0:58:15 > 0:58:19..to find out how a new generation of black Britons transformed the country.
0:58:23 > 0:58:26# Young, gifted and black
0:58:26 > 0:58:31# Oh what a lovely precious dream
0:58:31 > 0:58:35# To be young, gifted and black
0:58:35 > 0:58:39# Open your heart to what I mean
0:58:39 > 0:58:43# In the whole world you know
0:58:43 > 0:58:47# There's a million boys and girls
0:58:47 > 0:58:50- # Who are - Young, gifted and black. #