Episode 1 Back in Time for Brixton

-Meet the Irwins. Janice...

-Oh, I'm in heaven.

..Weininger... HE LAUGHS

-..Tiana...

-Did people actually eat this?

-..Breanne...

-I thought you said rat!

..Shelasah and Romane. CHEERING

They are going back in time through 50 years of black British history.

Starting in 1948, they will discover how post-war Caribbean immigration

changed the way we all live.

From leisure, to work...

Any more fares, please?

-Any more fares, please?

-BELL

..music, to sport...

-Oh!

-LAUGHTER

..and how it all started in one London suburb.

The Irwin family live in Dagenham, East London.

What's my role in the family?

Obviously, I'm at the all-knowing, all-seeing oracle.

I would say the lecturer.

I'm probably the one who brings in all the opinions and ideas.

Aw!

-I'd describe myself as funny...

-HE LAUGHS

..just happy, yeah.

'Ni, san!'

Mum Janice is a former world karate champion.

But she's also an entrepreneur,

ruining a sports centre with husband Weininger.

Come on, ladies, just move it!

Look, look at the legs. Swing the arms.

They were both born in London and raised by West Indian immigrant

parents, who arrived in Britain in the early '60s.

The opportunities that I am afforded at this present time,

the sky's the limit.

'Because my mother, my father,'

those that came from the Windrush Generation,

they did a lot for us.

The family will be leaving their modern lives behind

to travel back in time to experience life as West Indian immigrants

in post-war Britain.

I'm so excited about doing this.

'This will be a brilliant way to show what the West Indians'

have brought here, what contributions we've made.

In 1948, Britain still had extensive colonies across the globe.

But some of them were seeking independence.

In a last ditch attempt to keep the empire together,

the Nationality Act was passed, giving all Commonwealth subjects

the new status of British citizen.

Suddenly, over a quarter of the world's population had the right

to come and live, work and settle in Britain without any restrictions.

All you had to do was get there.

That same year in Kingston, Jamaica,

the Empire Windrush docked en route to Britain.

It was picking up West Indian servicemen to take them

back to barracks in the UK.

To fill the rest of the ship, the captain offered half-price tickets.

Those who could scrape together the £28 and ten shillings

had passage to the motherland.

This is Brixton,

a district of Lambeth, in South London,

and home to one of Britain's most diverse populations.

But in 1948, it was a lower middle-class suburb in serious

decline and still suffering from extensive bomb damage after the war.

For reasons that came about purely by chance,

many of the Windrush passengers would end up here.

To create an authentic experience for the Irwins,

we've been busy transforming

a Brixton flat into the sort of accommodation available at the time.

To help me discover the realities of life for the new arrivals,

I'm joined by social historian, Emma Dabiri.

Well. It's not... It's not very nice, is it?

I guess nice isn't the first word that springs to mind, no.

I mean, it's sort of shabby and smelly. Why?

Well, you have to remember that there is an incredible housing

shortage. The war hasn't been over for very long

and there's very little accommodation that's available.

What is available tends to be in this state of disrepair.

So, they've basically got one ring to cook on, one sink to wash in.

They all just crammed into here with not a lot in the way of facilities?

And while that might seem quite shocking to us,

they're actually really lucky.

Many families would have had access

to the same kind of very limited amenities, but they would have had to share them with the entire house.

-They might have been out in the hall.

-Other families living in...?

Yeah, other families, so it would have been communal.

Also, it's quite a hostile environment that a lot of Jamaican

arrivals are coming into and there is intense discrimination and as a

result, lots of people just won't rent to a black tenants.

'Census data shows just how quickly the population of Britain was changing.'

We can see in 1951 that there are 43,000 people here from Commonwealth

countries and then, by 1961, there are 101,000.

-So there's been a huge jump.

-From the colonies, it goes up from 21,000

-to 85,000.

-Exactly.

-So why would they want to come?

Well, if you think about the Caribbean specifically,

there is a significant shortage of jobs at the time

and Britain has this huge labour shortage.

Which is, basically, rebuilding the country after the war, presumably?

Exactly.

-NEWSREEL:

-'Now the end of their journey is near.

'What will they find in the land they regard as an El Dorado?'

-Now, why have you come to England?

-To seek a job.

And what sort of job do you want?

Any type, so long as I get a good pay.

After 22 days at sea,

the Windrush was about to arrive at Tilbury Docks with 492 optimistic

West Indian passengers on board.

There was no doubt about it, Britain needed immigrant workers.

But the Government was surprised by their arrival and had no idea what

to do with them.

Until an official discovered an unused building in Clapham,

less than a mile from the centre of Brixton.

The reason we are in Clapham is because of this bunker over here,

which is an air raid bunker.

There were eight of these built across London during the war

and they hold up to 8,000 people,

so they're quite vast and cavernous inside.

-So, they just put them in massive bomb shelters?

-Basically.

Following in the footsteps of the original Windrush arrivals,

the Irwin family's first stop will be the Clapham bunker.

And just like so many other Caribbean immigrants,

they've left their youngest child behind.

Families would send for them later, once settled.

-Hi, guys. ALL:

-Hello.

-Hi, I'm Giles.

-I'm Emma. Nice to meet you.

THEY GREET EACH OTHER

-You had to leave Romane behind, I gather? ALL:

-Yeah.

-Sorry about that.

-How sad.

-Well, it's nice to have you here

anyway, the five of you.

Let's go to where people spent their first night after arriving.

With 180 steps to the bottom,

the bunker was home to many of the Windrush arrivals,

some for four weeks.

They were crammed into tiny bunks in a five-metre-wide tunnel and had to

put up with a constant noise of underground trains.

So, this is where people spend their first night.

-Oh, wow.

-Is that a bucket to pee?

-Is that like...

-Yeah.

-Well, there's no loo, is there?

-What...what is this?

-That is just horrible.

It just... Ah-ya-ya.

It's awful. Imagine sleeping under this.

I thought I knew what I was going to experience.

And I never knew about this.

-EMMA:

-Well, the arrival of the Windrush caused something of a panic

with the authorities. They didn't know where to place all of you guys.

They thought, "Oh, we've got those empty bomb shelters!

"That will do as temporary accommodation."

That is just horrible.

Coming from someone with so much space and air and light and straight

down into a damp...

-cold...

-You think you'd be regretting coming?

Yes, I would. It's almost like a slap in the face if you've come to

help our motherland and whatnot,

and then you come down here and this is your life.

I can't even imagine it.

Look, the good news is that you're not actually living here,

but if you were living here, you wouldn't spend that much time down here,

cos, you know, you've got to earn a living.

-I'd be happy to work after leaving here.

-Yeah, that's right. I'd be

-glad to be out of the bunker.

-Yeah, absolutely.

Not only did they need somewhere to stay,

our new arrivals needed feeding, too.

Even though Britain was still under strict rationing,

the Women's Voluntary Service stepped in to lay on a proper

British dinner, served in a tent near the bunker.

-Hi, guys.

-Hello.

-Welcome to your first meal in England.

-Wow!

'The Irwins are having the exact same meal.'

It was rationed. You get a very, very small piece of beef.

-Right.

-Potatoes are in not such short supply,

-you can have two of those.

-Is there any chance of seconds, maybe?

Not until 1954, I'm afraid!

-Oh, right.

-If you stick around. How does your lunch look?

Very...bland.

'For many, this would have been

'their first-ever taste of great British cuisine.'

-This is good.

-What do you think?

-It's not that bad.

-Whatever you leave, I eat.

Because you wouldn't waste it.

There's even dessert. Suet pudding and custard.

-Thank you, Emma.

-Oh, I'm in heaven!

-A spider?

-That looks like Spotted Dick to me.

Three, two, one.

It is not that bad, actually.

-No, it's quite good.

-It's OK.

The thing about this is, we set this up as an experiment,

but it's quite hard not to feel guilty as an English person,

for what it must have looked like to people like the Irwins.

When it came to serving the puddings,

I knew they were supposed to get small portions, because it was rationing.

And I felt so bad now, I gave them bigger portions of pudding,

as I thought, it's the least I can do.

I think Mum and Dad are going to be absolutely fine.

They grew up in the '70s, slightly harder times than now.

The kids are going to find it harder.

While the Irwins finish their lunch, Emma has one more place to show me.

So then, why Brixton?

It's not as if it's famous, it's not on the Monopoly board,

it's not like anyone would have heard of it in Jamaica.

-Why did they settle here?

-The answer's quite straightforward, really.

Behind us was the site of the Brixton Labour Exchange.

So this is where people would come to to get work,

and if you think about the location of the bunker in Clapham,

what's between that and this labour exchange, but Brixton?

So it was an obvious place to settle.

# London is the place for me... #

Within three weeks, all the people in the bunker had found a job.

But however qualified,

most new arrivals could expect only to get the hardest work

for the lowest pay.

All members of the family aged over 15 are expected to pull their weight.

Men usually got jobs as manual labourers,

while the women were often cleaners.

Once they got a job, families needed to find somewhere to live.

This was easier said than done.

'It's difficult for a coloured man to find rooms.

'"Sorry, no room."'

In rundown areas like Brixton,

there were plenty of places that no-one else wanted.

The Irwins are about to discover the kind of accommodation that was

offered to an immigrant black family in 1940s Britain.

It smells so bad.

Oh, my God.

-Oh, my God.

-Where's the other room? What?

Please don't tell me that's just one bed.

Look at the bed!

Oh, my gosh.

All five of them will be living,

eating and sleeping in this one small room.

With a communal toilet down the hall.

Listen, this is your new shower,

this is your new bath.

That's a washing board.

-What's that?

-What's what?

-That?

-Yeah.

-That's a paraffin heater.

Do you know what, anything's better than underground.

There's a rack to dry clothes on.

I thought you said rat.

-Oh, my God.

-So did I!

-There's a rat.

-Look at this room.

-I'm going to die.

-No, you're not going to die.

Guys, we are living here.

You've got to get used to it. You can't go, "I don't, I don't..."

I think this is quite good.

In comparison to what we are coming from.

And it's warm.

-OMG.

-Ew!

-Let's see what it is.

"The Irwins." I'm going to read it.

To help them settle in, we've sent some presents.

"Dear Irwin family, welcome to your new home.

"To make your bedsit a bit more homely,

"we've sent you some things to brighten up the room and give you

"a little bit more privacy."

Oh!

Extra blankets were vital when you've gone from an average annual

temperature of 28 degrees to just 12.

The green one's so pretty!

Excuse me! This is ours.

Your parents'. Thank you.

Thank you. Let go.

No. Thank you.

Curtains! And clothes pegs.

We can divide the room.

With everyone sleeping and bathing in the same small space,

Weininger and Shelasah get on with sorting out some privacy.

Are you done?

Two tins of corned beef.

-Cheese.

-Janice is discovering how hard it is to feed a family on 1948

rations.

-Right, that's it.

-Can you smell that?

That's disgusting.

No, look.

That actually smells like the cat's food.

Tonight it's corned beef with national loaf, a hard,

brown bread and the only type available under rationing.

-Whoa, hold on.

-Is it tough?

The bread?

Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. I'll tell you.

Connoisseur here.

It is like rock.

-This is all right.

-He's happy.

I'm feeling this food, you know.

But there's one person missing.

It's weird to not have Romaine here.

I'll be glad when we can bring him in.

-And be one.

-And be one.

100%.

What a day it's been.

I always think of my parents coming here in cold weather and just trying

to find somewhere to live and then basically being grateful for the

sort of place we've seen today.

It's quite shocking. I think the reality of it is that we would have

had a lot of mice running about.

You can see the state of the place.

Fortunately, they haven't brought the mice, which I'm pleased about.

Another day means another year.

And the Irwin family have woken up in 1950.

Today is Sunday, and while the men embrace 1950s gender roles,

the women of the house are hard at work.

When is breakfast going to be ready?

I'm not sure why breakfast takes so long, you know?

You're not supposed to be acting, Weininger.

-Yeah, I know.

-You're supposed to be looking around the house to see what

you can fix up.

Right, folks.

Breakfast.

Normally if we're having a cooked breakfast, we would have eggs,

bacon, sausage, beans,

toast, bagels.

-Yeah.

-Toast and bagels?

-Yeah.

-Janice is treating the family to a West Indian favourite.

Condensed milk.

Not only was it easier to buy on rations than butter or jam,

it didn't require a fridge.

I can eat condensed milk just like that,

so I just think it's great how they made do with what they had.

-Yeah, that's true.

-I think, brilliant.

And, you know, it's all right with the tea.

By 1950, there were around 1,000 West Indians living in the Brixton area.

And Sunday was an important day for the community,

as almost everyone went to church.

Any spare money was spent on making sure you looked respectable for

the service.

Good to go.

# Lord have mercy... #

But attending an Anglican church wasn't always possible.

Many refused to welcome black people into their all-white

congregations. Something the Church of England has since apologised for.

The West Indian population came up with a solution.

They set up their own. Front rooms and local community halls became

venues for a more West Indian style of Christian worship.

Today, the Irwins are attending a celebratory service led by Bishop

Kenneth McCarthy, who set up the first black church in Brixton.

Now 89, he's still going strong.

I came to England in 1950.

There were so many people coming from the West Indies and when I came

to Brixton, they were wandering about like sheep without a shepherd.

And I felt I ought to do some shepherding.

And to give them something to live for, a purpose,

and I started right here in Brixton to do that,

so you can call me a Brixton boy.

Bishop McCarthy started by preaching to small groups in their own homes,

before investing in a tent where he held regular services.

But he had bigger plans.

We wanted something more permanent.

So I saw a place in Brixton which was a bombsite.

-Oh, wow, OK.

-So I went to the council and I said,

could I have a more permanent building and they came back to

me and said, "Reverend, we decide to charge you £1 a year."

Wow! Oh, brilliant.

I would put up the more permanent building and it was our first church in England.

We wanted somewhere where we could give off

our spiritual expression freely.

Music, singing together is one of the things that definitely -

especially for black people, I think - brings everyone together.

Everything the Bishop said would have been really crucial for people

first coming over here, because you wouldn't have really known what

to do with yourself.

So, having someone who'd be able to give that to you,

it would have been so important.

Right, so do you just dip it? Cos there's no ink in this.

Mm, probably.

It's like Shakespeare and that.

Back home, the family are writing letters to little brother Romaine.

I wrote about how the food here isn't that nice.

It's cold and...

it's just not nice, overall.

Dear son, can't wait until you get here.

Mummy, your sister and Shelasah is missing you.

Are!

-Who?

-ARE missing you!

-It's plural!

-Yeah, are.

-It's plural. Is?!

-You said is!

Jamaican.

No!

Don't insult Jamaicans like that.

I'm not insulting anyone.

Janice was born in Britain after her parents arrived here,

but they'd had to leave the six children they already had in Grenada.

It was several years before they could afford to send

for her brothers and sisters.

When I think about my mum and dad's situation, they left all six.

For me to know that I'm leaving my baby would have been a problem.

But the fact is that we're trying to do good for them, or make better.

-Yeah, but...

-I know it would have been, yeah, tough.

-..we know that it's for a good reason.

-Yeah, yeah.

But, from a mother's point of view,

that would have been a hard decision.

It's 1954.

Unlike the majority of her white counterparts,

Janice would have been expected to do all the housework

and work long hours.

The average wage in Britain was now £100 a week.

But, as a black woman, Janice can expect to earn significantly less.

To make up for the low wages, new immigrants often had several jobs.

'Economically, there's no doubt that this country has been aided by this

'influx of active workers, who've taken up some of the less pleasant

'jobs Britons have preferred not to do.'

The work might have been hard, but at least you could get a job,

unlike at home in the West Indies.

And in 1954, immigration from the Caribbean rocketed.

10,000 made the journey that year.

With such rapid change and increasing numbers,

anti-immigration sentiment began to be more common.

Soon, there'll be so many people here, there won't be enough

houses and jobs to go around.

But the Nationality Act meant anyone from the colonies could come -

and they did.

The next three years would see the arrival of nearly

75,000 people from the Caribbean.

So, we've got white bread, sausages...

The working members of the family have come home for lunch.

At least rationing is now over, which means the occasional treat.

-Guys, look!

-Ketchup!

Ew.

Thanks.

With four wage earners contributing to the household,

there's more good news.

All right.

"Dear Irwin family,

"it's now 1954 and you've all been

"working hard since you arrived.

"You have finally raised enough money to move into your own rented flats."

Oh, brilliant!

Brilliant.

Here's the keys.

That is absolutely super.

Looking forward to somewhere I can have a proper cooker, I hope.

And a kitchen.

-Somewhere with my own room.

-And a toilet.

Where the walls aren't stained.

Telly.

-TIANA:

-Oh, wow.

While the Irwins pack up,

Emma and I check out their new flat on the other side of Brixton.

Right, well, I mean, this is a very,

very different proposition from the bedsit, isn't it?

Yeah, absolutely. Everything feels a lot more permanent.

There's definitely been an investment in making it homely.

Some very distinct Caribbean features as well

and this glass cabinet would be one of them.

This fish is a classic that anybody familiar with

a Caribbean living room will notice.

These were very common items.

As well, there's often a profusion of

very brightly coloured artificial flowers.

This is not a sort of stopping point any more,

-this is a place they're putting down roots.

-Exactly, this is home.

Many of the first immigrants had intended to return to the West Indies after a few years.

But by 1954, it was clear the majority had decided to settle down,

start families and stay for good.

Brixton, like many other urban areas, had to adapt.

'Lambeth and Brixton have been much in the news recently following the

'controversy that has raged over the immigration of West Indians to this country.

'Thousands live in this area.

'To help solve the problems raised when white and coloured people live

'in the same neighbourhood, the borough of Lambeth organised

'a no colour-bar dance.

'The borough's mayor, Councillor White, was there to greet guests - 180 white and 180 coloured -

'as they arrived.

'The rhythm of the mambo was doing its bit towards racial unity.'

Lambeth had one of the fastest changing populations in the country.

So, what does this census tell us about the population itself?

You can see a breakdown of the different boroughs that are housing

the immigrant populations.

And we see here that over 70,000 people that are born in colonies,

we see that Lambeth is home to...

-10,000?

-..over 10,000, which is in stark contrast

to all of the other areas.

And Brixton is in Lambeth?

Absolutely.

That's 10,000 people out of a population in the borough

of 220,000. So quite high.

Yes, so definitely a very significant minority.

It's time for the Irwins to leave the bedsit...

..and discover their new, two-bedroom flat.

-Wow.

-Oh, wow.

Wowee!

-Cabinet.

-The fish!

We had the fish! It's the fish for me. We had one of these fishes.

And the cabinet that you're not allowed to use.

And the glass cabinet, which is fantastic.

The ever, ever living flowers.

I used to remember, like, the dust that used to be on it.

We used to, like, brush it off and stuff.

It's so much nicer on the eyes.

-Homely.

-Yeah.

-It is a home.

It feels like a home.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Oh, wow!

Oh, my gosh! There's space!

There's not a bedroom.

-There's a stove.

-Wow, this is brilliant.

Oh, my God!

We have these plates!

Look, we have these! We have these plates!

-Oh, my God!

-We actually have these plates.

We've got these plates at home.

Oh, wow. We've got vintage.

We have done very well.

Well done to all of us who have been working.

Not only does Janice have a proper kitchen,

she also has far more choice about what she cooks in it.

The family are having steamed fish with Jamaican crackers

and fresh ginger cake -

all bought at the local market.

'Let's go shopping Caribbean-style!

'Take a trip to London Southwest nine. It's here, at Brixton's

'Granville Arcade that our Caribbean market flourishes.'

Unable to buy the food from home in British grocers',

West Indians began to import and sell it to themselves,

setting up shop in places like Brixton.

Thank you, Janice. Much appreciated.

Life is looking up, but it's about to get even better.

With more money and more space,

families like the Irwins were able to send for

those they'd left behind.

So, youngest son Romane is finally here,

accompanied by his Auntie Denise.

Romane!

Aw!

Lookit, Shels, he's been waiting for him for so long.

He's annoying but I've missed him.

I have. I didn't want to endure the pain by myself.

Wonderful, wonderful.

I feel like my family's complete again.

We've moved away from our one-room apartment and we are now in

a better, more flowery, vibrant place.

It, like, matches my dress.

Today was a nice day, because I got to see my family.

I'm happy to see my brother again.

I probably missed him the most and, apparently,

I came at the right time,

since what they were living in before was really, really bad.

1956.

1956 was the year of peak immigration from

the West Indies to Britain.

Over 26,000 people would make the journey that year.

Most of the first wave of immigrants had left home to find work

of their own accord.

But, as the UK economy continued to grow,

employers began actively to invite West Indians to come to Britain

to take up specific jobs.

One of the biggest recruiters was London Transport,

which in 1956, set up an office in Barbados.

'Candidates are chosen on the island and some 200 of them come to Britain

'every year to join London's bus conductor force of more than

'14,000 men and women.'

Weininger's own father was a bus conductor.

So, today, he's following in his footsteps.

DING DING

Any more fares, please? Any more fares, please?

I'm supposed to be going to Brixton.

-Brixton? All right.

-Yes.

-50p, please.

-Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Here to help is celebrated author, Donald Hinds,

one of the very first black bus conductors in Britain.

There were just six in Brixton when he started.

Well, the first thing you'd need is the badge of approval,

so you'd need to have this on.

So that you...

OK, now I'm looking at this badge. Is this actually your badge?

It was the one I used.

It's the only thing I took from London transport.

Wow!

'This instructor is training men to be conductors

'on the London buses.'

Like all new recruits,

Donald was sent to the Chiswick training centre to learn the ropes.

Conductors needed fast mental arithmetic and the ability

to work in a moving vehicle.

Since you are using both, both, erm

hands, don't stand rigid.

Loosen your knee a bit.

Right.

You know, so you move with the bus,

rather than be tossed around because your knees are rigid.

Any more fares, please? Any more fares, please?

Can I have one to Cannon Street, please?

One to Cannon Street, certainly.

Many of today's passengers remember '50s buses first-hand.

I came to London in 1956.

-Wow.

-A seven-year-old.

The buses were your open door to London.

My uncle, a lot of our relations came, and they worked for

London Transport and families of staff would get free travel.

So, you know, you didn't have to...

So, that's why we could go all over the place.

And they had lots of amenities. They had a social club,

there was a cricket team, we used to go and follow the team.

So, being a transport person was a whole package.

While London Transport was grateful for its West Indian

employees, this wasn't always the case when it came to passengers.

The ones that I

refused are those who would put the money on the seat and say,

"Oh, I'm going to New Park Road,"

and put their money on the seat. So, I still hold my hand out.

-Right.

-And I'm not punching that ticket until she takes

the money up and puts it in my hand.

You know, that is...

And then, if you are making change,

the games you have to go through with someone trying

to pull their hand away as if your fingers should touch their hands,

you would suddenly become black.

The thing that got to me most was, when asking for the fares,

the people would pay you, yes, but they would put the money

beside them on the seat.

Erm, almost saying that, yeah, I'll pay, but I'm not willing to,

you know, make contact with you.

My father was a bus conductor, so today, that bus journey was moving.

It's 1959.

As the decade neared its end,

there were well over 100,000 West Indians living in Britain.

-I'm the Big Daddy.

-Yeah, cos you cheat!

-How did I cheat?

-But, Dad, you do cheat!

How did I cheat?

They were now a visible presence and starting to put

their stamp on British life.

But not everyone was happy living with black people.

In 1958,

violence broke out in Notting Hill as organised racist gangs

targeted the West Indian population who had made the area their home.

'Racial violence.

'An angry crowd of youths chases a negro into a greengrocer's shop.

'Police reinforcements are called out to check the riot,

'one of many that have broken out here in a few days.'

In an attempt to heal the rift caused by the riots,

a Caribbean carnival was organised

by activist and journalist, Claudia Jones.

Her plan would bring the community back together.

First held in Camden in 1959,

it soon found its permanent home in Notting Hill.

It was a huge success.

Decades later, it's still going strong.

To get themselves in the carnival mood, the Irwins are going

to be learning how to play one of its key components.

Steel pan.

Steel pans are the national instrument of Trinidad,

first appearing in the 1930s.

They were originally made from old oil drums.

Still here.

Oh, so still here? OK.

Steel pan was something only men played,

so Janice, Breanne and Tiana are working on some carnival costumes instead.

I need my glasses.

Who's got good eyes?

None of us.

Almost, almost, almost, but that was much better.

Notes are created by hammering out different sized indentations,

with one pan containing as many as 29 different notes.

The trick is to hit them softly.

We've invited EastEnders star Rudolph Walker to join the party.

Rudolph isn't just one of Britain's best loved actors,

he's also an honorary member of the British Association Of Steel Bands.

Carry on, carry on, carry on!

Rudolph was born in Trinidad,

the home of Calypso.

'It's in Trinidad, too, that a carnival is held each year.

'Everyone puts on elaborate fancy dress costumes and for two days,

'the whole island seems to dance.'

To me, as an old Trinidadian, Calypso was my thing,

steel pan was my thing - and it still is.

And when I go to Trinidad, I still long to hear the steel band

or the steel orchestra.

For a young man who had just left Trinidad,

those early Notting Hill carnivals were a great reminder of back home.

Well, I mean, when I came over here,

that was just the early days of the Notting Hill Carnival,

and steel pan was very much in its infancy then.

So, for me, as a young Trinidadian, it was great to hear the steel pan.

But it wasn't...I mean, nowadays, you have them on floats and

you push it. I mean, in those days, guys wore it around their neck.

It's one of the first times I've actually played, but the feeling...

It's just, for me, it was just a real feel-good factor,

just being able to do those little pieces and, once it came together,

wow, I can't believe it. In a very short time,

Marlon has got us getting in tune, just like that.

It really is a great instrument.

It's 1960.

-Ooh, very nice with the pink carpet.

-Wow, look at this carpet!

-Look at this!

-Etch-a-sketch.

-Where's the TV?

-Oh, my gosh!

-I didn't even see the TV!

-A black-and-white TV.

And the Irwins are discovering how the new decade

has transformed their home.

The economy is booming and people have more disposable income

than ever before.

Black families were also beginning to enjoy an increased standard of living...

A Singer machine.

Wow.

..as a better paid and more skilled job market opened up to them.

That is brilliant, look at that.

-Music!

-Wait, hold on.

This was our CD player of the day.

Shelasah, come and have a look how this works.

I had one of these, literally, sitting on my bed.

I used to stack them, and then when they'd finished playing,

I'd be asleep.

-Oh, wow.

-Oh, yeah!

While Janice and the girls check out the new kitchen gadgets...

We've got a Hoover.

-And, look, we've got a little Dutch pot.

-Oh, yeah.

..Weininger is trying out a pastime suitable for 1960s man - DIY.

The shorter edges of the sides and end pieces are

nine inches and four and a half...

Let's forget about this inches thing, because, you know,

as men, we don't read instruction or take instruction too well.

Dad, one is just off.

No, no, no, no.

Hold on.

Here you go, girls.

How relaxed are you?

"A girl who takes life in her stride is the envy of her friends.

"Always calm and collected,

"she never lets nerves get the better of her."

Like, this is just so non-stimulating.

I feel like I'd lose my mind.

I'd become a Stepford wife.

Darling, you look wonderful!

Oh, right.

THEY LAUGH

Dad!

Again! Oh, my God.

Mission only just accomplished,

the boys are ready to show off their new creation.

-WEININGER:

-Look at this.

Look, it's nice!

It's really good. Look, see?

-JANICE:

-Apart from the corner that Daddy broke. Did your dad break it?

-Yeah.

-There you go, I knew it.

The table's been made for one thing - dominoes.

We're going to test out the table

just to make sure it's all functioning.

Ready, all right. Seven.

Dominoes were an institution across the Caribbean.

And were played as loudly as possible with plenty of rum,

shouting and slamming pieces down hard on the table.

It was a tradition that remained a firm favourite,

and every house would have at least one set.

But it was a game for the boys.

-WEININGER:

-Two, four, six and seven.

I'm not being funny, but sitting here, can I just play?

-BOYS:

-No!

-No, no, no, no.

The champion of dominoes, it's a woman!

No, no, no, no. The champion of the dominoes in this household...

Double six, see that?

HE CHUCKLES

That's what I'm talking about, son!

THEY SHOUT OVER EACH OTHER

It's going to break. That's why I've sat back.

No, no...

I liked making the dominoes table,

cos I don't really get to do DIY stuff with my dad and my brother,

so it was like a nice experience.

And I liked playing dominoes as well.

And, like, my dad's funny when he plays it.

But he likes to cheat.

It's 1962.

And while the girls enjoy watching their new telly...

-That one?

-No, no, that jacket there.

..Weininger and Shelasah are going shopping.

What about the pink shirt?

Or even the pink jacket?

Check this out. No?

West Indian fashion was flamboyant and colourful.

And made an impact as soon as it arrived in Britain.

# Oh, I believe in you... #

I sent the boys to meet London-born singer, Kenny Lynch,

to find out more about '60s style.

Hello, sir. It's Mr Kenny Lynch.

-Nice to see you.

-How are you? This is my son, Shelasah.

Hi, Shelasah.

Kenny was renowned for his sharp dress sense.

When I was 17, 18, when I first came into the music business,

all I thought about was clothes.

What was your first impressions of the Caribbeans

-that came over here?

-Well, I really liked that people used to look

at them cos they were dressed up in pink,

cos they'd come from Jamaica, Trinidad,

Barbados, and all that, and, of course,

you can wear all those kind of colours over there.

-# Wake me

-Yeah

-# Shake me

-Yeah... #

All the men in those days looked like Cab Calloway.

Zoot suits and trousers would always be wide there and wide there,

and they'd sort of float down the street like that.

# My boss is a big, fat slob

# Can't even be... #

And the ladies, they used to have all these crinoline dresses,

like as though they were going to a wedding.

-# Shake me

-Yeah

# Don't let me sleep too late

# Oh, gotta get up... #

Sunday mornings was like a fashion show.

Everyone used to sit outside and go to church.

# I'm bound to my garbage truck

# I gotta lot... #

Do you think that they influenced '60s fashion?

Some of the lads quite liked the zoot suits.

They got quite popular over here.

People started dressing more brighter and all that.

My dad was a trendy dresser.

He definitely liked his sharp suits and, in my mind,

that is '60s all the way.

When you have an overcoat, you always buy with it a scarf.

It was great meeting Kenny and we did recognise

that we bought something different - colour,

vibrancy, sharpness. Really, really good guy.

I've found just the thing for you.

Look at this. That's proper.

You're a gentleman now.

You'll be in Ascot in a couple of weeks.

It's 1963.

There we are. I like this stage.

Mum! Can you turn that off!

Mum!

The Irwins are living in a less open Britain.

Freedom of movement from the colonies is over.

# Simmer down, oh, yeah... #

Keep Britain Britain.

Keep it white, as it should be.

Under mounting pressure,

the Conservative Government passed the Commonwealth Immigration Act

of 1962, and closed the door to all but the most skilled.

For the black people already here, discrimination was still rife.

Companies could legally refuse to employ someone on the basis of race,

and, in 1963, like many other organisations,

the Bristol Bus Company was still operating a colour bar.

Whilst we can obtain white labour in this city,

we intend to go on engaging white labour rather than coloured labour.

Well, we don't want them on here, that's the main reason.

I've come to Bristol to meet 79-year-old Paul Stephenson OBE.

Inspired by the American civil rights movement,

he helped to orchestrate an historic boycott in Bristol

that would have a national effect.

So, Paul, how did you get involved in the boycott, then?

The Bristol Bus Company was openly racist by refusing to employ

Asians and Caribbeans.

The company would rather have a shortage of buses

than allow black people to work on them.

And I felt I wanted to do something.

Paul rang the bus station to apply for a job on behalf of a friend.

I said, "Do you have any vacancies?"

And he said, "Yes, we have vacancies."

But, on the telephone, they had no idea that you or he were black?

Oh, no, I didn't reveal that I was black.

That would have sabotaged the whole thing.

And so the guy came here,

to the Bristol bus station

and said we were offered the job, and the horrified

general manager's secretary said, "We don't employ black people."

And so I said, "Well, I'm going to call a boycott of your bus company."

Paul mobilised Britain's community to support his boycott

and enlisted politicians to speak out for the cause.

I worked in the factories, I was a welfare officer during the war,

I never noticed the disposition of white men not to work

alongside black men, all of us together gave Hitler

a terrific hiding, and, now,

to come up against this, you can understand my surprise.

The battle against racialism here in Britain

knows no boundaries and no limits.

Harold Wilson openly supported me and said, "Last of the colour bar."

After four months of campaigning, the bus company was beaten.

Martin Luther King made his "I Have A Dream" speech on the same day

we got the message the colour bar was over.

Mr Paul Stephenson, you are the young man who brought

-the whole of this business to public notice.

-Mm-hm.

-What are you views on it?

-Oh, of course, we're very pleased indeed.

I think this is going to be welcomed by coloured people of Bristol and

many Bristolians who came in and gave us their sympathy.

The boycott resonated beyond Bristol, and, in 1965,

Paul's supporter Harold Wilson

passed the historic Race Relations Act,

making discrimination on grounds of race unlawful for the first time.

Paul's actions over 50 years ago means he is still recognised.

-Yes, sir!

-That's very kind.

-Thanks, man.

Much appreciation. I heard about the good work, man,

and I'm really pleased, man.

-Thanks a lot.

-Thanks again, all right? Cheers, thanks, boy.

Thanks.

-You're a local hero.

-Oh, well, I don't know about that.

But I often get stopped in the streets and...

-People recognise you?

-Oh, yes.

-People do.

-Amazing.

Back in the flat, the family are enjoying some classic 1960s telly.

'Take 40 of some of the most beautiful girls in the world,

'then ask a panel of judges...'

The Miss World contest was one Britain's most popular TV shows,

with millions tuning in to watch.

'A girl who wants to be a housewife, and she shouldn't have

'any difficulty about that, is Miss Sweden.

'She took fifth place.

'20-year-old Carole Joan Crawford, from Kingston, Jamaica, at 34-22-34,

'is Miss World for 1963.'

-You didn't expect that, did you?

-No, I didn't.

APPLAUSE

Carole Crawford was the first woman of colour to win the event.

Wow.

-Why's she white?

-She's not white.

MUSIC: Miss Jamaica by Jimmy Cliff

Any time Jamaica does well, I will always feel good,

but you're seeing somebody that kind of looks Caucasian

and it doesn't represent me,

so I'm not sure how I would have felt personally.

In the Caribbean, you do have the favour

towards a fairer complexion being a better complexion,

so, again, it wouldn't be surprising that the person representing Jamaica

in such a competition at that time would have been of a fairer hue.

She was black, but she looked fair,

and on a black and white television, she looks white.

That is what colourism is,

the fact that within own our communities,

we show preference towards lighter-skinned women,

and I see that even today.

It's 1966.

Oooh!

My new uniform.

You look nice.

# Under our tree

# In the garden... #

Despite the tightening of immigration,

Britain was still in dire need of workers,

and the NHS recruited directly in the West Indies for staff.

Nursing was relatively well paid,

and one of the few skilled jobs

that Caribbean women were actually allowed to do.

By 1966, there were 5,000 Jamaican nurses working in British hospitals.

Among them were trainee nurses Elva, Janet and Martha.

-Girls.

-Hello.

-This is Elva.

They're visiting to tell Janice

what life was like for black nurses in the 1960s.

-That's me.

-How old were you there? If you don't mind me asking.

I was 21.

-Gosh!

-See what the uniform looked like?

-Yeah.

-So is this the same?

-It's...

-Is that the same...?

-It's the same.

-But it's just pinned.

-Starched, yeah.

-Yeah, but it's starched.

-You couldn't go on duty like that.

-Pff!

-You'd be sent off.

This is after we'd... we were there.

That's in my third year.

Oh, look at this!

And life was very difficult as a nurse.

Because you were black,

you were sent... you were sent to the sluice,

-there was no disposable bedpans...

-Ohh!

-..no disposable urinals.

-All metal bedpans.

-Metal bedpans.

-You had to scrub them.

-You had to clean them.

-Shining.

-Mm-hm.

-Then you had to clean the sluice.

-INDISTINCT

-Oh, yes.

-Horrible.

One lady said to me, "I don't want you to touch me."

I said, "Fair enough. Why?"

She said, "My son said not to let any of you wogs touch me."

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Wow.

Despite all that you've experienced, would you do it again?

-I would.

-Yeah?

-I would. I loved it.

If you're a nurse, and a dedicated nurse,

you love what you're doing and you will do it there.

The ladies, the nurses that came and spoke to us today, fantastic,

inspirational and, again, integrity.

I couldn't have lived in the 1950s and '60s

and suffered all the racism

because that would really irritate me but, to them, it's just like,

well, that's not my problem if someone is racist

but I feel like it is.

# The ink is black

# The page is white

# Together we learn... #

It's 1969.

There are now half a million West Indians living in Britain.

Over 200,000 of whom were born here.

Britain was the only home they'd ever known.

The Irwins are celebrating the end of the decade with a blues party.

Blues parties were house parties with a difference.

A private house was opened up to the whole neighbourhood,

who paid an entrance fee to come and dance all night.

Right back when I was a little girl and my parents used to have them,

I remember it being an exciting time.

We would see them setting up the room.

Get all excited cos you'd see everyone coming in their lovely clothes.

And it was all about the dancing.

I'm looking forward to it very much.

Seriously.

Hello!

They've invited family and friends to help see out the decade in style.

Shelasah is on the door,

collecting money to pay for the professional sound system and DJ.

Music was key.

Reggae and ska weren't often heard in Britain's pubs and clubs,

so these parties offered a rare chance to hear the latest records

from West Indian artists.

Emma and I are back to find out how the family have got on

in the first stage of their time-travelling journey.

-£5, please.

-You what?

£5. It's a blues party. You've got to pay to get in.

-You want money?

-Yeah.

-These things aren't for free.

-Is this normal?

-Yeah, absolutely.

-And for the girl?

-Yeah.

-Pay for her, too?

-Mm-hm.

It'd better be a good party.

-Hi, guys.

-Hello. How are you?

-Good to see you.

-Pleasure.

Have you come to shake a leg?

No, no... I've come to ask you how you are.

From where we were to where we are now, it's top drawer.

From the one room where we had to do bedroom, kitchen...

living room, we now have...

-Dancing space. You've got a ballroom!

-Absolutely.

I'm a nurse now, so that's really moved up our income a lot.

It's just got better and better as the years have gone on.

Well, I've paid my five bob, so do I get a beer with that?

Well, I'll lead you right over to the bar area.

Let's get a drink.

A-ha, you're in here.

-Hello.

-Hey, you look gorgeous.

-How are you?

-How's it been?

It's getting better than it was.

-Did you see our old house?

-We did.

-So you were all sleeping together in the same room?

-Yeah.

-How was that?

-It was the lack of privacy, I think,

that was quite difficult

and also the fact that Breanne and I had to share a single bed as well.

In those little beds.

-Yeah.

-And so how have things improved now in the '60s?

Well, we have a fridge.

-Does it have beer in it?

-Yes, it does.

-May I have a couple of beers?

-Two, please.

-You've got to pay.

-Again?!

Even though I paid to get in?

-Yeah, sorry.

-For this teeny-tiny beer?

# Red, red wine... #

From '48 to, you know, the '60s,

the woman's lot - very, very difficult

and for West Indian women to come over

and not only have a household to look after

but on top of it to be going out to work as well,

they never let it get them down.

I can't imagine spending six years in a bedsit like that,

so drab and dreary, on top of all that discrimination.

The people that lived through this, I commend them, honestly.

To get to '69 and be in a position where, you know,

you've got a nicer home, you are living a lot more comfortably,

you've got a steady job, it's great,

but what's really come out of this for me is how, as a community,

they've worked together to get through this experience.

They came with a focus and a goal.

So their tenacity and strength and courage,

to have that goal in mind and stick at it - brilliant.

# Yeah Wonderful world... #

It would be almost impossible to imagine when you saw the Irwins arriving in 1948

in the clothes they stood up in and a couple of suitcases,

with no friends, with no work, with nowhere to stay,

that they would soon be living like this,

with good jobs and great food and a party and their friends.

They've been through an awful lot in quite a short space of time

and now they're just really looking forward to the '70s and '80s.

Next time...

The Irwins travel through three decades...

Look at you two!

You look like the poster boys for Jamaica.

..to find out how a new generation of black Britons transformed the country.

# Young, gifted and black

# Oh what a lovely precious dream

# To be young, gifted and black

# Open your heart to what I mean

# In the whole world you know

# There's a million boys and girls

-# Who are

-Young, gifted and black. #