MORE than 100 people flooded through the doors of an Oxford community centre to celebrate one generation who changed British history.

The Barton Windrush event was the first time families and residents in the area could indulge a full day of festivities – including an eclectic mix of toe-tapping performances and enticing Caribbean cuisine – to celebrate the 70th year since the HMT Empire Windrush docked in the UK.

The free fiesta, which could now turn into an annual shindig after the success of this weekend's inaugural event, was officially opened by Oxford City Council leader Susan Brown alongside local residents.

It comes after the Government this year officially made June 22 the national day to celebrate the so-called Windrush Generation.

That term comes from the name of the Empire Windrush which anchored in Essex on June 22, 1948, with around 500 on board from Caribbean countries like Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados.

It was to be the first of many ships which came to the UK until 1971, and those onboard, arriving as UK immigrants, are now referred to as the Windrush Generation.

The Barton event on Saturday was put on to mark the 70-year anniversary, and those who are now Oxford residents, along with descendants of those who came over, were able to tell their stories to the community.

Kick-starting the line-up of those performances were projections of snippets of films made by Oxford City Council for Black History Month.

The mini-movies were created in a bid to tell the stories of black residents in the city.

Organiser Anne Browne, who was one of three Barton residents featured in the clips, explained: “I talked about my experience and my parents coming over. I’m part of the Windrush second generation.”

Foodies could also feast on Caribbean cuisine while boogying to a local church choir – many of whom enjoyed the taste explosions of curried goat and jerk chicken for the first time.

Ms Browne said: “It turned out to be a wonderful extremely successful memorable event with thought-provoking and interesting talks.

“For those of us whose parents are from the Windrush Generation this means a great deal to us.

"This includes my family who have been directly affected by the Windrush scandal – my elderly mother now resides in Jamaica.”

The church band – singing a rendition of Amazing Grace alongside actors from Kuumba Nia Arts – flaunted their talents on the stage, while performer Amantha Edmead got a standing ovation for her role as Mary Prince, in a preview of ‘Sold’ – a narrative from the 200-year-old autobiography by Ms Prince about her life as a slave.