AN EAST Lancashire family with Caribbean roots have opened their hearts about being black in Britain in a new four-part television series.

Albert and Doreen Gibson, of Smalley Way, Blackburn, appear with their four daughters in the documentary, which forms part of the BBC's Windrush Season, looking into West Indian migration into Britain.

Albert, who met Doreen in England, was aboard the Empire Windrush ship in 1944, which brought the first Commonwealth citizens to Britain from the Caribbean.

He said: "I wanted some adventure and travel and thought 'here we go.' I was just 18 and left my father and sister there to join the RAF. I don't really compare British life with Jamaican because I grew up here really and adopted the ways.

"But I settled in Blackburn because I like the people, they're very easy-going. I'm not sure about the weather though." His daughter, Denise, of Starkie Street, Darwen, was born in England, along with her three sisters, but is the only one to settle in East Lancashire.

She said: "The documentary shows footage from the ship and hears from people on board about what it was like to come to Britain and be black at that time.

"I have always considered myself to be British, but when I was young, we lived in South Wales and I think we were the only coloured family about. It was hard, but it is easier now."

Denise, 36, went on: "The whole season of programmes looks at what it was like to be black in Britain, looking at issues of culture and racism. They asked us how we coped with living in this country and we had our problems, but we have always dealt with them."

The season, which begins with the first part of the series at 8pm on BBC 2 tomorrow, looks at how the influx of Caribbean people brought in on the Windrush has affected British life.

It is the latest spotlight to fall on singer-songwriter Denise, who has three singles under her belt already and is hoping the extra attention will lead to bigger things.

She said: "I think my roots show in my music, I like soul, Caribbean music and Cuban rhythms and would love to be a professional singer."

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