A NEW TV series in which actress Joanna Lumley tours the UK began its first episode at Tilbury and featured a new artwork installation not yet open to the public.

The Tilbury Bridge Walkway of Memories, an outdoor art and sound installation conceived by artist Everton Wright, who goes by the name EVEWRIGHT, was due to open last year but was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, after recalling of her own first visit to England as a child and after having travelled herself on the SS Windrush six months after it docked at Tilbury with the first generation of Caribbean immigrants from Jamaica, Ms Lumley met the artist and walked with him through the landing bridge where pictures reflecting the arrival of the Windrush generation are now part of the walkway.

The installation is an immersive visual art experience, installed by the artist on to 72 windows with 432 panes of glass collaged with photographs, documents, boat passenger tickets and memorabilia.

The artwork includes audio stories about the lives of some of the elders and their families, whose images are featured in the installation. Using QR codes, visitors when the walkway is finally opened subject to Covid-19 regulations, will be able to access these stories on their own devices.

160 minutes listening time in 10-minute segments across 22 listening windows are placed throughout the installation. It is a tribute to those that travelled not only on the Empire Windrush in 1948 but to the many that came before and the many that followed that journey to the UK.

Via the ITV Hub you can see the first episode of 'Joanna Lumley's Home Sweet Home - Travels in my Own Land.' Click here

Later in the series Joanna Lumley will interview 95-year-old Allan Wilmot one of those whose story is featured on the walkway. You can listen to his story in his own words via this link.

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An online tour of the walkway hosted by EVEWRIGHT is still available for you