Geoff Thompson MBE DL
Biography
Stanley Beresford Thompson and Violet Adriana Thompson migrated from Barbados and Guyana respectively as part of the post-war rebuilding of the mother country. My father fought in the second world war and distinguished himself with medals of valour. My mother came over as a nurse as so many who were encouraged to improve their life chances and one day return back home.
Settling in Wolverhampton, my brother, sister and I were to be the product of their union and we lived only half a mile away from where Enoch Powell wrote his ‘River of Blood’ speech at the Conservative Social Club (now ironically the West Indies Social Club).
As a leader in the community my father helped many settle and overcome the mis-treatment of racial indifference and ignorance that characterised the fear that would reflect so much of the Windrush post war migration experience. His life was cut short when he died at the age of 45 leaving my mother a young widow with no gender rights that would see us retain our home. We lost everything and she moved us to the East End of London to re-build our lives.
Her extraordinary resilience and faith in God instilled values, determination and hard work that would see me overcome my mental, physical and emotional disaffection reflected in the colour of my skin and my Wolverhampton accent. My skin was not for changing, but I adapted to my environment as so many of the Diaspora have had to do.
My angry disaffection saw sport and the arts as my escape. I then went on to discover karate as a means of my defending myself from the then National Front and the post code lottery of territorial gang activity. I went on to discover competitive karate and distinguish myself with 5 gold medals in both team and individuals reflecting one of the most successful sporting teams of any sport in the 80’s.
Travel broadens the mind and I have always been mindful of the pioneering Windrush generation that I now reflect as the post war generation.
My journey from the streets to stadium to rostrum and into public life is reflective of my father having fought for this country, me having competed for this country and now serving in public life.
As my mother celebrates her 90th birthday this month, her dream to go back home many years ago should not be defined by those who feel in today’s polarised views that the Windrush generation should go back home. She has earned the right to enjoy a peace of mind and quality of life characterised by her children, grand children and great grand children.