2020

The Illuminate Rotherhithe Festival was regretfully postponed in 2020 due to Covid-19.

The Bermondsey and Rotherhithe Community Magazine published the 2020 Souvenir Brochure of ‘The Sailing Of The Mayflower’ funded by Southwark’s Mayflower Fund. To view the magazine click here.

On 4th September, with support from Illuminate Rotherhithe and the Mayflower Fund, Larry Broomhead organised the free Rotherhithe 2020 Mayflower Community Boat Trip for 102 local people. (102 sailed aboard the Mayflower in 1620.) 

View the film of the Rotherhithe 2020 Mayflower Community Boat Trip below:

This poem was written and performed for the free Rotherhithe 2020 Mayflower Community Boat Trip in September.

No Refuge

No refuge

Walking from land to land, they seek refuge,

leaning on sturdy staffs of hope.

They surrender their trust to leaking boats

that toss them on turbulent seas.

Crueller than the waves are the ferrymen,

who gather in the life savings

of generations of their families.

Colder than the sour salt water

are the greetings of suspicious strangers.

Wilder than the wind is the desolation of the disinherited.

Jackie Kearns, Rotherhithe, September 2020