“There’s something that does feel unique about that particular time and era. There definitely feels like a specific era.”
Yola West-Dennis grew up in Hackney, London, with a very mixed community around her. Yola is Audrey West’s daughter, who came to Britain, from Jamaica, in the 60s.
“I would say as Black British, I mean, I identify as a Black Londoner, that’s the place that I feel that I’ve come from is London, really.”
“I’m thinking of my primary school and a lot of those people I think, who maybe parents were, people who had Caribbean heritage”
“I remember having a conversation with a friend ….we were talking about what the word Windrush meant… an era….a boat…. now there is this, a term to describe a generation of people being brought over.”
“… But that was the only time I’d seen him (her grandfather) in Jamaica, so it was nice to have had that experience.”
“My grandparents were a tailor and a seamstress… this being a time that was quite – that was unique ….and you had a lot of people who were trained and were coming over to do jobs and to contribute to the British economy…. and wanting to provide more for their families.”
“I’ve heard lots of stories from my mum about lots of different families and how they’ve all helped each other out and the kind of relationships that they had at that time. “
“To give as many different kind of lenses and perspectives… There are just so many stories…. I just think there needs to be more than you see.”
“Mae yna rywbeth sy’n teimlo’n unigryw am yr adeg arbennig honno. Mae yna’n sicr deimlad o
gyfnod penodol yn perthyn iddo.”
Tyfodd Yola West-Dennis i fyny yn Hackney, Llundain, gyda chymuned gymysg iawn o’i hamgylch. Mae Yola’n ferch i Audrey West, a ddaeth i Brydain, o Jamaica, yn y 60au.
“Ddwedwn i Du Prydeinig, wel, rwy’n ystyried mai Llundeines Ddu ydw i, o fanno rwy’n teimlo y dois i go iawn, o Lundain.”
“Rwy’n meddwl am fy ysgol gynradd ac mae llawer o’r bobl hynny, rwy’n credu efallai bod eu rhieni’n bobl a chanddynt threftadaeth Garibïaidd.”
“Rwy’n cofio cael sgwrs gyda ffrind... roedden ni’n siarad am yr hyn mae’r gair Windrush yn ei olygu... cyfnod... cwch... nawr ma fe’n derm sy’n disgrifio cenhedlaeth o bobl yn cael eu cludo yma.”
“Ond dyna’r unig adeg y gwelais i ef (tad-cu) yn Jamaica, felly roedd yn braf bod wedi cael y profiad hwnnw.”
“Teiliwr a gwniadreg oedd fy nhad-cu a mam-gu... a hynny ar adeg a oedd yn eithaf – a oedd yn unigryw... ac roedd gennych chi nifer o bobl hyfforddedig yn dod drosodd yma i weithio mewn swyddi a chyfrannu i economi Prydain... ac eisiau rhoi mwy i’w teuluoedd.”
“Rwyf wedi clywed llawer o straeon gan fy mam am lawer o wahanol deuluoedd a sut maen nhw oll wedi helpu ei gilydd a’r math o berthynas oedd rhwng pobl bryd hynny.”
“I roi cymaint o lensys a safbwyntiau gwahanol... mae yna’r holl straeon... Rwy’n credu bod angen inni fod â mwy nag y gwelwch chi.”