Caribbean Hackney

Fashion & Hair of Hackney’s Windrush Generation

Three black and white photographs of people of African-Caribbean Heritage showcasing different Windrush fashions. The first shows a man wearing a smart 1950s-1960s style suit. The next shows a young woman in a glamorous wedding dress with a long train and gown. The third shows two men walking down the street.

Hackney’s African and Caribbean communities have used clothing and hair to express personal and cultural identity. This blog explores the history and impact of style amongst the borough’s Windrush Generation, through the memories and experiences of Hackney people. We Didn’t Come In Rags A large Caribbean community settled in Hackney from the 1950s onwards, seeking … Read more

Perpetual Beauty Carnival Club: Stoke Newington’s Pioneering Mas Band

Five people dressed in blue and white peacock costumes posing in the middle of the street.

This blog explores the story of Perpetual Beauty Carnival Club, the Stoke Newington Mas Band that introduced Caribbean carnival traditions to the borough in the 1970s, inspiring generations of Mas makers.  Mas Comes to Hackney In the 18th and 19th centuries, enslaved people in the Caribbean developed Mas – short for ‘masquerade’ – as a … Read more

Making Carnival: 50 years of Mas, music and movement

A photograph of a Caribbean heritage man (Lincoln Rahamut) standing outside a warehouse building wearing a white t-shirt and jeans. He also wears a very large structure made out of wire, orange and yellow paper, part of a future carnival costume. He holds a dynamic pose with legs apart and two hands with pointed fingers raised into the air.

Carnival in Hackney goes back many years. However Hackney Carnival is a more recent way to celebrate the borough’s diverse communities and cultures. This blog shares some stories exploring the imaginative and persevering carnival groups who helped develop Hackney Carnival into the community celebration we recognise today. What is Hackney Carnival? Hackney Carnival is a … Read more

Roots, Rhythms & Records – The Record Shop

Black and white photograph of two men and one woman of African heritage wearing fashionable 1970s fashion. The three are standing outside of a record shop in Hackney, with vinyl sleeves displayed in the shop window.

Through stories of musical innovation, distribution and enjoyment, this series ‘Roots, Rhythms and Records’ celebrates the impact of Hackney’s African and Caribbean communities on music in the borough and beyond. This week we are exploring the important role of record shops in Hackney and their impact on music. Who were early record sellers in Hackney? In the 1960s, … Read more