Lancelot McFayden. Smithville, Jamaica to Boston, Lincolnshire.
A young boy from Jamaica, who left his Caribbean home in 1944 to assist the ‘Mother Country’, was welcomed to the UK with open arms after being encouraged to help the war effort. But as the times have changed, many views have also changed.
17-year-old Lancelot was one of over 500,000 men and women who left the Caribbean Islands after a call for help from the UK. Here, he was recruited to the Royal Air Force (RAF), but to do so, he had to lie about his age to meet the requirements.
Lancelot became a celebrity in Lincolnshire. Following a visit to Billinghay Methodist Church, he was invited to tea with the Dickinson family, who ‘adopted’ him as one of their own. Later, he found the love of his life, Boston-born Molly, whom he met at the Gliderdrome, Boston’s iconic music venue. Their marriage took place on August 18th, 1951. Lancelot’s heritage meant many locals came and witnessed the diverse occasion.
Once a country welcomes people in with open arms, England seemed quite opposed.
Prominent politicians Suella Braverman and Priti Patel have spoken a lot about immigration.
Ms Braverman, during her time as the Home Secretary, is quoted as promising ‘to do whatever it takes to stop boats crossing’ and adding that ‘immigration was already too high’.
Priti Patel, Home Secretary, said, “Far too many politicians were indifferent to public opinion about this issue. And too many were happy to assert that even raising the topic of immigration was racist.”
Unfortunately, racial injustice is not uncommon in the UK nowadays. People of ethnic minorities often face prejudice, and even in professional environments like politics, people will address immigration and the negative view of it.
So now, maybe we need to ask ourselves, what kind of ‘Mother’ would do this to her children?
By Amna, Anabia, Yasmin, Maisie
Boston High School Newsroom