Where the Windrush generation first set foot in Britain.
21 June 1948
Empire Windrush sailed on 24 May 1948 and, after 30 days at sea, dropped anchor in the Thames off Tilbury on 21 June. The next day its passengers began coming ashore at Tilbury Docks. They were one of the first large groups of post-war Caribbean settlers, and among them were painters, carpenters, boxers, farmers, musicians and a dance band among them.
The Landing Stage And The Train
The landing stage at Tilbury had been opened by the Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald, on 16 May 1930, built for the ocean liners that carried people in and out of Britain. Most of the Windrush passengers were soon on trains from Tilbury Riverside station to addresses and contacts they had arranged, and those with nowhere to stay were found beds in the deep shelter at Clapham. Within a month, nearly all had found jobs and somewhere to live.
Remembering Windrush
Thurrock marks the arrival as part of its own story. On 22 June 2023, the 75th anniversary, a plaque was unveiled at Tilbury Town station, and the Port of Tilbury held a free day of celebrations at the cruise terminal, with a steel band, workshops and talks from the National Archives. The Windrush plaque that hung in the Civic Offices in Grays moved to the new Town Hall for the anniversary.
Black Thurrock Today
Tunde Ojetola of the Thurrock BME Group put it plainly at the 2023 unveiling: Windrush has become an important part of Black history in the UK and in Thurrock. The council says the Windrush generation and their descendants have played a key role in the borough's history, and today Black-owned food spots, barbers, salons and brands are part of everyday life from Tilbury to Grays.
Shop Black-owned businesses in Thurrock on CashBlack.
Photo Credits
Cranes at Tilbury Docks. Photo: Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons The former Tilbury Riverside station and its floating landing stage. Photo: Tilman2007, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons