Quiz of the Day
Windrush & Caribbean Culture
Monday, 22 June 2026
Windrush Day UK — Caribbean heritage, immigration history, cultural contributions
1. What was the name of the ship that brought one of the first large groups of Caribbean migrants to Britain in 1948?
- HMS Victory
- SS Empire Windrush
- RMS Queen Mary
- SS Great Britain
The MV Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks, Essex, on June 22, 1948, carrying 492 passengers from Jamaica and other Caribbean islands. The ship was originally a German cruise liner called the Monte Rosa, captured after World War II.
2. Why were Caribbean workers invited to come to Britain after World War II?
- To serve in the military
- To set up trade routes
- To help rebuild Britain and fill severe labour shortages
- To attend British universities
Post-war Britain desperately needed workers for the NHS, London Transport, and the rebuilding effort. The 1948 British Nationality Act gave all Commonwealth citizens the right to live and work in the UK. Many Windrush arrivals were ex-servicemen who had fought for Britain.
3. What is the Windrush scandal that emerged in 2018?
- Historical records of the voyage were destroyed
- The ship was found to have been unseaworthy
- Long-term legal UK residents from the Caribbean were wrongly detained or deported
- Windrush Day was cancelled by the government
People who had lived legally in Britain for decades were denied healthcare, lost jobs, and some were deported because they could not prove their immigration status. The Home Office had destroyed thousands of landing cards in 2010 that would have served as evidence.
4. Which Caribbean-born nurse became a pioneer in the early days of the NHS?
- Mary Seacole
- Mabel Strickland
- Kofoworola Abeni Pratt
- Daphne Steele
Daphne Steele arrived from Barbados and in 1964 became the first Black matron in the NHS, at St Winifred's Hospital in Ilkley, Yorkshire. Thousands of Caribbean nurses were recruited to staff the newly created National Health Service from 1948 onwards.
5. Which annual event, inspired by Caribbean carnival traditions, is Europe's largest street festival?
- Edinburgh Festival
- Notting Hill Carnival
- Glastonbury Festival
- St Patrick's Day Parade
Notting Hill Carnival began in 1966, started by Trinidadian activist Claudia Jones as a response to racial tensions following the 1958 Notting Hill race riots. Today it attracts over 2 million people across the August bank holiday weekend.
6. What genre of music originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s and spread worldwide?
- Reggae
- Soca
- Calypso
- Ska
Reggae evolved from ska and rocksteady and became a global force through Bob Marley. In 2018, UNESCO inscribed reggae on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list, recognising its contribution to international discourse on injustice, resistance, and humanity.
7. Which Jamaican-born poet became the first Black person to receive the Order of Merit from the Queen?
- Benjamin Zephaniah
- Linton Kwesi Johnson
- Louise Bennett-Coverley
- James Berry
Known as 'Miss Lou', Louise Bennett-Coverley championed Jamaican Creole as a legitimate literary language. She was awarded the Order of Merit by Jamaica (not the British one) and the Musgrave Medal. She spent her final years in Toronto, where a street is named after her.
8. What is jerk seasoning, a hallmark of Caribbean cuisine?
- A salt-curing technique for fish
- A citrus-based dressing
- A sweet glaze made from sugar cane
- A spicy marinade using Scotch bonnet peppers and allspice
Jerk seasoning originated with the Maroons — escaped enslaved Africans in Jamaica who blended African smoking techniques with indigenous Taino spices. Pimento (allspice) wood is traditionally used for smoking, giving jerk its distinctive flavour.
9. Which London borough is often considered the heart of the British-Caribbean community?
- Hackney
- Brixton (Lambeth)
- Tottenham (Haringey)
- Lewisham
Many Windrush arrivals settled in Brixton because of available housing, including the deep-level air raid shelter on Coldharbour Lane that temporarily housed new arrivals. Brixton Market became a hub for Caribbean food and culture and remains so today.
10. Who wrote the novel 'Small Island', which tells the story of Jamaican immigrants arriving in post-war Britain?
- Caryl Phillips
- Andrea Levy
- Bernardine Evaristo
- Zadie Smith
Andrea Levy's parents were part of the Windrush generation. Small Island won the Orange Prize, the Whitbread Novel Award, and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize in 2004. It was adapted into a major BBC TV drama and a National Theatre production.
11. What sport did Caribbean immigrants help popularise in Britain at a national level?
- Rugby
- Football
- Athletics
- Cricket
The West Indies cricket team's tours of England were landmark cultural events. The 1950 tour, when the West Indies beat England at Lord's for the first time, was a source of immense pride. Calypso songs were composed to celebrate the victory.
12. Which Caribbean island nation was the first to gain independence from Britain?
- Barbados
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Bahamas
- Jamaica
Jamaica gained independence on August 6, 1962, followed by Trinidad and Tobago on August 31 of the same year. Barbados became independent in 1966 and in 2021 took the further step of becoming a republic, removing the British monarch as head of state.
13. What is the name of the traditional Caribbean steel drum instrument?
- Steelpan
- Timbales
- Bongo
- Djembe
The steelpan was invented in Trinidad and Tobago in the 1930s from discarded oil drums. It is the only acoustic instrument invented in the 20th century. Players tune each section of the drum to a different note by carefully hammering the metal surface.
14. Which British-Caribbean activist founded one of the UK's first Black newspapers, the West Indian Gazette?
- Claudia Jones
- Stuart Hall
- Olive Morris
- Sam King
Claudia Jones was born in Trinidad, became a prominent activist in the US, and was deported to Britain in 1955 during McCarthyism. She founded the West Indian Gazette in 1958 and organised the first Caribbean carnival in Britain. She is buried next to Karl Marx in Highgate Cemetery.
15. What was the name of the 1948 Act that gave Commonwealth citizens the right to settle in Britain?
- British Nationality Act 1948
- Empire Citizens Act
- Immigration Act 1948
- Commonwealth Settlement Act
The Act created the status of 'Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies', granting all Commonwealth citizens the right to enter, work, and settle in Britain without restriction. This right was gradually curtailed by subsequent legislation in 1962, 1968, and 1971.