Into the Unknown

Wow-we! There is clearly so much more left to learn. I have always had a thirst for acquiring new knowledge - but today - that thirst was not only satiated; it left ending for a taste of more.

When I awoke this morning I could never have expected to find out that Sam King MBE is a sort of ‘conveyor of the arts’. Not just a pioneer he was a Patreon. During his rounds of his ward Mr King lobbied for the rebuilding of the Globe Theatre. I was bemused, yet then again, just took it as another random quirky historical fact historians use to hook us in to some old foggies life. Then stumped, Arthur explained that when he (Sam) was asked why he would be invested in the restoration of Shakespeare’s catalogue he simply replied that ‘I have read Shakespeare since I was a young man.

Truthfully, yes...how ignorant of me. Humiliated and horrified by my forethoughts, I immediately internalised and saw myself as ill-minded as those who had the audacity to presume he would not be familiar with the works. I know from my own personal life that education in the Caribbean household is paramount. Undoubtedly holding a higher priority than health and fitness at times.

“You see it was a middle class thing...” he (Mr Torrington) continued . “But why is that an issue?” I asked lost trying to find a rationalisation to trump my previous conclusions. And that’s where it happened. When i realised that these people ‘Windrush Folk’, ‘Survivors of Scandal’, ‘Loyal Subjects’, ‘Windrush Pioneers amount to more than that... They truly are more than the arrival of a ship... the great sacrifice they made, the blind courage, the firs to arrive in Britain etc.

They were and are those significant people who merit further study, admiration, acknowledgment and praise. They were 'patrons'. As each red, dual lined sign passed (each embellished with the name of a Windrush Pioneer) lines of enquiry, themes and schema fell out of Arthur’s mouth.

I suppose I was most fortunate to be there to witness it and note it all.

Get yourself on the line!