Call for Participants: Northamptonshire’s Postwar Caribbean History, 1948–1985
Starting in April 2023 I’d like to interview people that may have stories about the Windrush Generation and / or the first generation of British-Caribbean children in Northamptonshire.
Project Outline
This project is for my PhD with Kingston University. It is about the UK Northamptonshire’s postwar Caribbean migration story primarily focused on the experiences and lives of Caribbean people who came to Northamptonshire between the 1948 Nationality Act and 1970 Immigration Act. For those who came after, I may draw on these experiences later if my project moves down the route (highly likely).
I would like to capture the stories of Caribbean people who were living in the county from anytime between 1948 and 1970. I would also like to hear from the children (both those who came to Britain and those that were born here in this period). Whilst these years are very specific, I know I will likely get stories about the 1980s and 1990s too which is absolutely fine (and I welcome this). Simply, I do want to capture the specific experience of the Windrush in Northants in those early years as well.
This study is focused on Caribbean Northamptonshire, but I’d also like to hear from people that do not have a Caribbean background that went to school in the county and developed ties to the county’s Caribbean communities (1948-1985). Specifically through friendships and relationships … this is where I want to show another story of the Windrush that looks at racial mixing and interracial Northants.
Under the hostile environment too, many of the elders have died early. In this context, I would also like to interview the children about their relatives. Much work like this has largely focused on Northampton and Wellingborough, whilst I also want to go outwards to see if there are any stories in Kettering, Corby and surrounding areas in the county including the villages and country spaces (please get in touch if you know any).
Please get in contact if you are 18+, would like to be interviewed, and are one of the following:
- You migrated from the Caribbean to Northamptonshire (1948–1971) including those who came as children.
- You are a child of the Windrush Generation (i.e your parent(s) moved from the Caribbean to Northamptonshire, 1948–1971).
- People of any ethnicity who had links with Northamptonshire Caribbean communities. If you’re not of a Caribbean background, I’d be particularly interested in talking to people who owned businesses that catered to Caribbean people. Also, people that that are not Caribbean-heritage but moved socially with Caribbean people in Northamptonshire (i.e events; activist organisations; lifelong school friends etc etc).
If any of this sounds like you, a family member, a friend, a colleague or so on, do drop me an email me at k2242434@kingston.ac.uk
NOTE 28/07: Developments of this project have now moved the historical time frame to be 1948–1985. Whilst this project is centred on Windrush communities, the time span of this — includes events and life experiences that moves into the 1980s. As this story also includes the British Caribbean children who were born in Northamptonshire and lived here during their childhoods — either in-part or in full.
