Exhibition shines light on Telford's Windrush generation for Black History Month

During October, the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust has collaborated with Windrush Generation Telford & Wrekin to expand one of its exhibitions to tell the stories of the generation's workers in Telford and the Gorge.

The exhibition, The Daily Grind, opened in April 2023 at the Coalbrookdale Gallery and shines a spotlight on the lives of the industrial workforce of the Ironbridge Gorge from the 18th century until the early 20th century.

For Black History Month, IGMT has collaborated with Windrush Exhibition Telford & Wrekin to include the stories of local workers from the Windrush generation.

Throughout October, a dedicated display has been added to the exhibition, where visitors can discover the stories of individuals who arrived from the Caribbean between 1948 and 1971 and worked in Telford’s industries, in particular engineering, paving the way for future generations.

Included in the exhibition are the stories of the late Telford residents Gerry Brown and Ida Thomas.

Gerry, who was based at the MOD in Donnington during his service with the British Army, settled in Trench with his wife, Merle, in the early 70s. The family were the only people of colour at the time living on their road.

Gerry worked for many years at GKN Sankey, qualified as a chiropodist, was the first black Justice of the Peace in Telford and served as a governor at New College.

Ida arrived in the UK in 1962 from Jamaica and found work at the iron foundry, J Maddock & Co, in Oakengates. Many locals still remember the poor working conditions at the foundry, which was nicknamed 'The Black Hole of Calcutta'.

In the exhibition's final week, the museums trust will host a special evening event where members of the public can visit The Daily Grind, enjoy the expanded display of the Windrush Exhibition and meet the founding members of the project over light refreshments.

The event takes place at the gallery on Thursday, October 26, from 5pm to 7.30pm.

Lauren Collier, head of interpretation at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust and curator of the exhibition, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Windrush Generation Telford & Wrekin on this new display for Black History Month.

"Since The Daily Grind opened in April, we have had lots of positive feedback from people who have already enjoyed learning about the lives of industrial workers in the gorge.

"We are pleased to be able to broaden the story we are telling to include the little-told story of workers from the black community in Telford and to highlight the contribution that individuals from the Windrush Generation have made to local industries.”

Diane Drummond of Windrush Exhibition Telford &Wrekin said: “This exhibition is a small fraction of our fuller exhibition which includes interviews and many more photographic images.

"We are a diverse and welcoming community and families arriving here from the Caribbean have made a rich and lasting contribution to our local community here in the gorge and throughout the whole of Shropshire.

"It is important to keep their legacy alive for future generations and this exhibition will help us do that and celebrate this vital part of shared history and heritage.

"We hope our exhibition will resonate with all cultures and communities, after all we are all connected, wherever we are from.”

The exhibition is hosted in the Coalbrookdale Gallery and is open from 11am-3pm, Wednesday to Sunday, until Sunday, October 22, and seven days a week between Monday, October 23, and Sunday, November 5, when the exhibition closes ahead of a new temporary exhibition opening in spring 2024. Entry is free.

More information about the Windrush Exhibition and the Windrush generation in Telford and Wrekin can be found at windrushexhibitiontelford.co.uk