Ipswich Windrush museum still searching for permanent home

If you visit the Sailmakers Shopping Centre in Tavern Street, beside the Ed Sheeran mural you will find the latest premises of the Ipswich Windrush Society (IWS).

Inside, founder Max Thomas has set up what he describes as a ‘Reflection Room’; a micro museum which celebrates the Windrush Generation.

These were people, mostly from the Caribbean, who answered Britain’s plea for help with the labour shortage in the wake of the Second World War and left their home countries to build a new life in Suffolk.

Max Thomas is calling for the community to help him find a permanent home for his micro-museum. Image: Thomas Evans (Image: Thomas Evans)

A frilly wedding dress on display at the Windrush micro-museum. (Image: Newsquest)The micro-museum pays tribute to people from the Windrush generation who built new lives in Ipswich, (Image: Newsquest)

Set up in the style of a front room, the Reflection Room brings together many nostalgic mementos of years gone by – a radiogram, a tin bath, an old-fashioned perambulator, a frilly wedding dress and an old Crane’s uniform being particular favourites.

“The IWS's goal goes beyond mere preservation,” Mr Thomas explained. “It's about bringing society as a whole together to celebrate the Windrush generation and their enduring contribution to Ipswich.”

Mr Thomas has only just set up this new space on the first floor of the Sailmakers, having been asked to leave his previous premises in February.

The Windrush docked in Tilbury in 1948. Image: PA (Image: PA)

This is the fourth time he has moved in three years – and in a matter of weeks, he will have to dismantle his display again, for he has not yet found a permanent place for the display to call home.

He is determined to find a permanent space, and is asking the community to help – whether through donations, or by getting in touch with suggestions for a permanent home.

"The IWS is about protecting and sharing stories with everyone, and truly, everyone is welcome,” said Mr Thomas. “We are committed to inclusivity and engage with schools and visitors to our micro museum in the Sailmakers shopping centre to weave the vibrant tapestry of the Windrush generation's narrative into the fabric of Ipswich's collective heritage.

“The pursuit of a permanent space for the Reflection Room is our top priority. We are dedication to preserving this history and hope to create a vibrant community hub where stories are safeguarded, celebrated, and shared to inspire and unite future generations.”