Samuel set to celebrate milestone in the city he has made his home
A Wolverhampton centenarian who came over to England as part of the Windrush generation turns 100 today and there will be quite a party.
Over 150 people will gather at the Taj Palace banqueting hall in Dudley Road to celebrate Marcus Samuel's life, including some of his eight children, 14 grandchildren,16 great-grandchildren and even five great-great grandchildren
Born in Jamaica in 1923 ,in his early thirties he saw an advert in his native land for labourers in England and set sail in 1954 with a £5 ticket on the Italian ship SS Auriga from Kingston which took three weeks to reach Plymouth.
Marcus arrived with one suitcase containing a few clothes and two pairs of trainers and went to stay with an uncle in Blakenhall. He started work at the C & B Smith Foundry in Wolverhampton and ended up staying there for 33 years. In his first week he earned £2.50, with the wages eventually increasing to £11.50.
When established in work, he would send money back to family and friends in Jamaica, three of them eventually coming over to join him including his daughter Joyce and brother Melvin. He eventually owned two houses, one of which he rented out and over the years has enjoyed a variety of musical artists, and a flutter on the horses.
Joyce and the family will host the party today with many relatives and friends celebrating his birthday and examining his card from King Charles which was sent to him in time for the happy occasion. Also on display will be the ticket for the sailing which brought him to the UK.
His eldest granddaughter Tracy said the whole family were looking forward to sharing his birthday with him.
She said: "My grandad is a great character and has plenty of stories to tell from down the years from when he lived in the West Indies to his many years in Wolverhampton, a place he has come to love.
"He has always been a very generous, hard working man, a joker who puts a smile on people's faces and most of all is proud of his large family and also of the life he has been able to make with them in Wolverhampton."
