In 1995 Floella wrote a book all about herself called Coming to England . It describes her journey as a child from Trinidad in the Caribbean all the way to England in the UK. It's a story about what it's like to arrive somewhere new and feel very different from everyone else. The reasons of creativity as to why people were moving out of Trinidad to England are fascinating and England seemed perfect for creating styles of music, such as Jazz etc that weren't so popular in Trinidad. The memoir takes readers on a real journey of life and even to the crossing of the sea, which is great, I was glad this wasn't missed out as it seems so pivitol and adds more to the story, instead of just landing in England without this part and I think children will be able to also feel the excitement (as I do, thinking of this book as a child might), for the family to make it across the sea safely. The atmosphere really comes through and carries the story across those waves and onto the train when the ship meets the land. The book is truthful and shows those natural anxieties during the trip.

Floella Benjamin is a much-loved writer, actress and presenter, who was made a Baroness in the House of Lords in 2010 and is an ambassador for the welfare and education of children. This moving and insightful memoir documents her childhood, from her birth in Trinidad in 1949 to her move to Britain in 1960 as part of the Windrush generation, and explores how these experiences have shaped her life. Bursting onto the stage with music, storytelling and humour, Floella Benjamin’s award-winning and iconic book Coming to England comes to life in this world premiere stage adaptation. Floella says her mother was also very special to her and always told Floella that trying hard at school was very important. A vibrant, evocative memoir from a familiar face as I was growing up, beautifully illustrated throughout with Michael Frith's watercolours. This is a short book, so you can rattle through the chapters; half concerned with Floella's upbringing and family of five siblings in Trinidad, and the other with her arrival and need for 'survival' in England, which was very different to her ideal of 'falling into the arms of someone you had been taught to love'. It's perfect for bookcases everywhere and in classrooms. Teachers and children's group leaders could easily find creative ways of using this book, there's so much scope to be inspired from it to teach children of Trinidad through the memoir, the carnival, the food. There's also a lot of discussion about different topics that come through in the book too. It is as relevant then as it is for today's generation. Coming To England is Timeless!The Library's buildings remain fully open but some services are limited, including access to collection items. We're Baroness Floella Benjamin is an actress, author, businesswoman, politician, writer of children’s books, TV presenter and singer. She was born in Trinidad but moved to the United Kingdom when she was 10 years old. She has talked about the racism that she experienced while growing up in the UK and how she found it hard to fit in. She is well-known as a presenter of children's TV programmes, such as Play School , Play Away and Fast Forward . When Floella left school she went to work in a bank, but what she really wanted to do was show business - acting and singing in front of an audience, either on TV or in a theatre. Floella went on to appear in many different shows, and when she was 27 years old Floella became one of the presenters of a children's TV show called Play School . It's one of the most popular children's TV programmes ever! In spite of the initial cruelty, the Windrush Generation's values of hard-work, empathy and respect contributed significantly to making Britain one of the most tolerant multi-cultural societies in the world. Discussion. Floella has written about how she did not feel welcome when she arrived in the UK and how she did not feel like she fitted in. Discuss with the children how they think Floella must have felt. Discuss how your school community seeks to welcome a new child. (You might refer to the school's stated values or ethos.) What do you think may have changed in Floella's life to make her feel welcome?

There is a transforming moment when Benjamin turns away from anger and embraces positivity in response to race hate, but this comes in a heavily message-bound ending. There are occasional invitations for audience participation – we sing “If you’re happy and you know it” and we stamp our feet. This brings fun for kids and nostalgia for adults but it is not enough to power the drama on. What is needed is greater pace, deeper emotion, more detail and much more story.Coming to England is great for Middle-Grade readers and is being re-released. She first wrote it over 20 years ago and then it was published again in 2016 and now on 15th April, it is ready for this new generation of children to enjoy and is a very special 25th Anniversary Edition you can buy now. All upcoming public events are going ahead as planned and you can find more information on our events blog An inspirational story of hope, determination and triumph brought to life in this moving musical journey. Floella wrote a book called Coming to England . What was the book about? (Floella's journey to England and her experiences after she arrived) I am absolutely thrilled that the musical production of my book Coming to England which has been adapted by the fantastic award winning playwright David Wood, will have its world premiere at The Rep early next year. I cannot wait to see the story about my experiences arriving in the UK come to life on the stage in front of audiences of all ages. What a wonderful way for a new generation of people to get to know this Windrush story.” Floella Benjamin

Readers get to know a little of Dame Floella Benjamin's brothers and sister - Ellington, Sandra and Lester whose mother they call Marmie, in affectionate terms, who met Dardie aged 19, all of which I think is just lovely. The memoir starts with Life in Trinidad and it feels quite uplifiting in some ways and warm. There is much enjoyment for children to get their teeth into and so much knowledge to be gained about food and other parts of the culture. No matter where you're from, whatever your culture, it shows that some things are the same the world over, such as baking. This is one of the beauties of this book, it starts off showing that there are similarities in life, after all, who doesn't at the very least, like cake or ice cream? It has such a positive feel to it for children to read about that is heartwarming as it will make it easy then for children to warm to it. Then there's school life, so some of this will be familiar to children too, although there are some changes, but this is where it's interesting for children, and it was for me growing up too, as I grew up without the fear of the belt, whipping down on me, but in the 60's, 70's this seemed more like the norm. Adapted for the stage by David Wood (“the national children’s dramatist” – The Times) this vibrant and energetic musical is the perfect entertainment for the whole family. There are plenty of adjective rich descriptions of family, festivals and food in the Caribbean; children can marvel at discovering pigeon peas, cassava, dasheen and saltfish.Written through the eyes of Floella Benjamin as a child, this autobiography tells the story of her family's move from their West Indian home in Trinidad to the "Mother Country", England. Her story reflects that of many West Indians in the 1950s/ 60s - known as the 'Windrush Generation', who moved for a better life, encouraged to help Britain rebuild itself after the second world war. Sadly, local people failed to welcome them, inflicting racially-incited cruelty, such that West Indians created their own separate communities. Floella's dad was a musician who played the saxophone in a jazz band and when Floella was a teenager she started singing in the band, which she loved. In 1960, at the age of 10, Floella moved here to the United Kingdom. She says she did not feel welcome in the UK and that she found it really hard to fit in.