This May half term, London Transport Museum will celebrate London’s Caribbean culture, inspired by the fascinating historical link between this tropical region and the capital’s transport network.
Seventy years ago in 1956, London Transport launched a recruitment campaign in the Caribbean, inviting people to work on buses and in stations, in staff canteens and on track maintenance. The contribution Caribbean people and their families have made to London’s transport and their influence on the city’s culture since then has shaped the London we know today.
Over May half term, the Museum will celebrate London’s Caribbean connection through family arts and crafts workshops and storytelling sessions.
What’s on:
Carnival creations: get creative making rhythm ribbons then don your design to make an entrance at a mini carnival!
‘Routes to London’ stories: join an interactive storytelling session to learn about the experiences of real people who came from the Caribbean to work for London Transport
Arts and crafts: take your pick from a variety of family craft workshops, from Caribbean food-inspired collage to creating paper planes with the Migration Museum inspired by stories from their collection
Explore the exhibition: Legacies: London Transport’s Caribbean Workforce
Early Explorer morning for SEND families: join us on 27 May to explore the Museum before it opens to the general public, free from crowds and with many gallery sounds turned off – advanced booking required
Visit ltmuseum.co.uk to find full dates and details for the May half term: Caribbean connections family activity programme.
Last chance to see!
Visitors can delve into the history of London’s Caribbean connection in the Museum’s exhibition, Legacies: London Transport’s Caribbean Workforce before it closes on 5 July.
The exhibition documents the move of around 6,000 Caribbean people to London between 1956 and 1970 following a recruitment drive from London Transport. It traces the experiences of those who made the journey and the lasting impact of this period on London’s transport, society and culture. Visitors can uncover stories and memories from first, second and third generation Caribbean people, from those who worked for London Transport in the 1950s and 1960s – including the struggles these individuals and their families endured at the start of their new lives in the capital – to today’s employees.
The exhibition tells this story through a showcase of archive photography of potential applicants to LT’s recruitment campaign in Barbados, recorded oral histories from people of Caribbean heritage, written quotes from early arrivals to the UK, historic newspaper clippings, maps and a fun interactive to identify modern-day Caribbean Commonwealth flags.
Entry to the exhibition is included with admission to London Transport Museum.
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Image © London Transport Museum
During their half term visit, families can also explore 200 years of London transport history across the Museum’s award-winning galleries, from vintage buses and Tube train carriages to an Elizabeth line train driving simulator.
Kids go free at London Transport Museum and adult tickets include free return entry for a whole year. Visit ltmuseum.co.uk to book.
When it is time for a break, visitors can visit the Museum’s cafe for a bite to eat or head to the Museum shop, where they will find an exclusive range of transport-inspired toys, gifts, stylish homewares and vintage posters.
