Caribbean

Internationally, the West Indies soared. Victories on the world stage became victories for every Caribbean household in Britain.

In the mid-twentieth century, a grand Victorian townhouse at 1 Collingham Gardens in Earl’s Court, London, contained a secret.

At Orwell Quay in Ipswich, Suffolk, the Red Ensign carried a deeper meaning. For those gathered- former seamen, families, colleagues, and officials of the Merchant Navy Association, it marked a long-overlooked chapter of maritime history.

Cricket may have been the official reason for gathering, but anyone walking through the venue quickly realised that the match was only the backdrop.

Arday was found unresponsive at an address in Battersea, south London, on Friday afternoon and was pronounced dead at the scene.

That Barbadian connection widened further with Lord Simon Woolley, principal of Homerton College, Cambridge, whose mother is from Barbados. Woolley also became associated with the controversy after signing an open letter defending Arday against media allegations of plagiarism and fabricated CV claims. As scrutiny intensified, he reportedly removed his official institutional title from the public letter while leaving his name on it; Alleyne withdrew her name altogether.

“Although there have been serious management failings, steps have been taken to support the licensing objectives through the appointment of a new operations manager and security company.”

It’s a testament to the group’s reputation that over fifteen community groups were represented at this annual event.

Born in Bridgetown, Barbados, in 1932, Blenman moved to the UK after the Second World War. He was part of the wave of Caribbean recruits who joined London Transport in the late 1950s

Earlier in the afternoon, Manchester’s Mack Clarke asked the crowd to observe a one-minute silence in honour of Winston Pinder, a Barbadian pioneer, former NCBA executive officer, and a significant contributor to the Caribbean community in the UK.