Smithyman, who was 14 at the time of the tragedy, reportedly told officers that he had tried to gatecrash the party with another teenager who began the blaze in revenge after they were refused entry. The blaze killed 13 young black people aged between 14 and 22, and one survivor killed himself two years later.[1]. It was through the assembly of the people that black-Britons discovered that the police was forcing statements out of black youths without lawyers or parents being present. Ruddock was on the third floor when the fire broke out in the ground-floor living room. He was one of more than 100 youngsters who had gathered at 439 New Cross Road to celebrate 16-year-old Yvonne Ruddock's birthday. A memorial service which was originally planned to mark the 40th anniversary on Sunday, January . Despite repeated requests, bosses at Whitemoor prison refused to say whether they had passed on to Smithyman a request from The Mail on Sunday to interview him. "Even comedians who know . Peter Bleksley, a police constable in Peckham in 1981, says his colleagues joked that New Cross should be renamed Blackfriars. I was told not to go and identify the body and I'm glad I did not.". It was like the charge of the light brigade. The Black People's Day of Action march took place on March 2, 1981 - six weeks after the New Cross fire that claimed the lives of 13 young Black people. National newspapers largely ignored the New Cross fire and the Government remained silent. Facebook gives people the power to. "There were no condolences from the government, there were no condolences from the palace," said Ms Ruddock. I am a user experience and communications specialist with a passion for inclusive, accessible and user-focused design. A decision to mobilise, as seen through the Black Peoples Day of Action demonstration in March 1981, was borne of this frustration a feeling that has endured through the decades since the fire. No further information on the new partner, A M Harris, has been found) before, in January 1913, it became known as Procter and Birkbeck (T E Birkbeck having been with the firm since at least 1900). Initially. A mural has been revealed in honour of 14 young black people killed by a fire in south London 41 years ago. Wayne Haynes, 58 - who suffered life-changing injuries in the tragedy including 140 skin grafts from first degree burns -spoke of his upset and disappointment about untrue theories over the horrific blaze. John La Rose, the founder of the UKs first black publisher and specialist bookshop New Beacon Books, said at the time: This outrage in the heart of London the Prime Minister says nothing. On 1 March, the Daily Mail falsely reported that several of the fire survivors were arrested and would face severe charges in what black Britons saw as an attempt to undermine the demonstration and the black communitys inquest into the house fire. This Government doesnt care about the people of this country, whether theyre Black or white; theyre quite happy to have in-fighting in this country among the racists and religions in this country because it helps them to keep control, Mr Haynes said. In towns and cities across England, concerts and readings were held to raise funds for the victims families and those injured escaping the fire. Documents and papers related to the New Cross Massacre Action Committee's campaign are held in the archives of the George Padmore Institute and can be accessed by the public. "The phone rang the next morning. The New Cross house fire was a fire that occurred during a party at a house in New Cross, south-east London, in the early hours of Sunday, 18 January 1981. Aaron Andrews is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Leeds Beckett University working on the AHRC-funded project Forged by Fire: Burns Injury and Identity in Britain, 1800-2000. The parents of 17-year-old Gerry Francis, one of the victims, have fought for an explanation of what happened ever since. Jeselnik's punch lines are like Kyrie Irving's crossover dribbles: You know they're coming, have a good sense of the direction, and yet you're still surprised. [2], A forensic science report produced for the Metropolitan Police in 2011 ruled out a firebomb attack, finding instead that the fire had started when somebody in the house set fire to a foam-filled armchair in the front room of the property at 5:40 am on Sunday morning. Required fields are marked *. I shouted for help. In the immediate aftermath of the fire, a New Cross Massacre Action Committee (NCMAC) was set up, chaired by John La Rose, which organised a "Black People's Day of Action" on 2 March 1981, when some 20,000 people marched over a period of eight hours through London, carrying placards that bore statements including: "13 Dead, Nothing Said". On Sunday, January 18, 1981, thirteen black youths attending a birthday party in Deptford, South London was killed in an alleged racially-motivated house fire. Id travelled down from Rugby [in Warwickshire] and wanted to hear rastaman music, he says with alaugh. And that was when I decided I've got to move, I've got to get out of here.". "Nobody sent condolences, nobody behaved as they do nowadays or indeed as they would have done then if white children had been lost.". A week after the fire, 2,000 mourners gathered at the Moonshot Youth Centre in South London to pay their respects and to devout themselves to the struggle for justice.. True justice would look like 65 Black people, who were affected by the fire, being made multi millionaires by the Government where they havent received compensation, the 58-year-old said. An inquest was held into the deaths in May 1981, but an open verdict was returned; the jury could not (or would not) specify the cause. 1 Child of Major Henry Anthony Birkbeck Major William Birkbeck+ 2 b. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in. A new investigation into the blaze that killed 13 young black people at a London party 23 years ago suggests that a group of adults inside the house was to blame. ", George Francis, Gerry's father and chair of the New Cross Parents' Committee, told BBC London: "Some people have gone mental through this fire. Show more 4 months left. The show focuses on two young men that were both attracted by the game Cross Fire and mainly tells us how they fight for their dreams of being a professional player. Several theories on the cause of the fire have emerged over the years. Joan Ruddock, Labour MP for Lewisham Deptford, has worked closely with the families and was responsible for securing a second police inquiry. He tried to save us. "We know it [the fire] was not an accident. Anthony Cross. Pedestrian, 49, who swore at 77-year-old cycling on the pavement who then veered into road and was struck by Are you allowing your bank to rip you off? There was no trust of any kind certainly not from young black people and theirparents.. It led to 20,000 people taking part in a mass protest, and is seen as a catalyst for the notorious Brixton riots in April of the same year, 1981. Lottery and the Arts Council to produce two anthologies of interpreters' stories and a play about a couple in a cross-language relationship, for the Soho Theatre, London. Email or phone: Password: . The New Cross fire in South London in 1981 prompted a campaign for political action over allegations of a totally inadequate response from police and government. 1 . An audience member suggested a weekday march to bring the city to a standstill. 1 He held the office of Deputy Lieutenant (D.L.) [19][20], St. Andrew's Church in Brockley has a strong connection with the victims, as many of them attended the youth club there. This led to accusations that the police had not done enough to solve the mystery of the fire. When the illness was first recorded in detail, it was called ignis sacer (or, "holy fire,") and according to Lapham's Quarterly, that first in-depth mention came way back in 994. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. We are old people and we want to know the truth before we die.". Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Anthony Berbeck. This year, the 40th anniversary of the blaze, campaigners say the story symbolises the police abuse and neglect by the state felt by many black people at the time. This is all much to his annoyance because Smithymans confession has been in the public domain for years. . Theion TVnewsletter is a daily email full of suggestions of what to watch as well as the latest TV news, opinions and interviews. Mr Haynes said: We need to stop doing this. The victims of the fire were all young Black, Mixed Race, British people between the ages of 14 and 22. Hilarious snaps reveal workers who don't have time for red tape, Wife is shocked after husband of 15 years asks for permission to have an affair: 'I don't know what to do', Do not sell or share my personal information. Emotionally, its no good for us, as survivors, in particular. Join Facebook to connect with Anthony Cross and others you may know. Racists like to boast about their accomplishments., The Black Peoples Day of Action demonstration (March 1981). Warning chocolate lovers ultra-processed foods might make you depressed, study claims. Pub puzzle depicting a 'common phrase' stumps thousands - before the What lack of sleep REALLY does to your face: Expert reveals the warning signs your skin is suffering. Windows exploded and revellers fled the house. Today's 29,000+ jobs in Lille, Hauts-de-France, France. Recommended option. "I hope the people inside the house will be called to give evidence.". The house had been full the night before, with revellers celebrating the sixteenth birthday of Yvonne Ruddock and the eighteenth birthday of her friend Angela Jackson. The party had started the night before on January 17, 1981 but the fire started around 5.40am the following morning.. The parents of 17-year-old Gerry Francis, one of the victims, have fought for an. But yet people are left standing there and speculating. The Independent on Sunday has also learned that much of the blame will be directed at a group of adults who were at the party that night. "He came in, got dressed, and kissed his mother and kissed me and said, 'I'll see you in the morning,'" said Mr Francis, a former British Rail worker and photographer who lives in Sydenham, south London. The next morning he received a telephone call telling him Gerry was dead. We needed to give it the platform itdeserved.. Police initially thought the inferno was caused by a firebomb thrown through a downstairs window. Rumours spread it was a racist petrol bomb attack but the Metropolitan Police believed the fire started inside the property. The New Cross Massacre became a clarion call for political action at the beginning of a tumultuous year for Black Britons across urban England. Two-and-a-half years later, Anthony Berbeck took his own life, becoming the fourteenth victim of the massacre. No one has ever been tried for starting the blaze, but between 1991 and 1993 police received confessions from a jailed killer who gave the name of a suspect, and said he himself was present when it began. Police found no evidence to support Smithymans confession, which was one of several made from inside jail between 1991 and 1993. Tony Birbeck is on Facebook. NF logos and W*gs Out written on rucksacks; N***rs Out scratched into school desks. The disaster claimed a 14th victim two years later when 20-year-old Anthony Berbeck took his own life in 1983 because of what an inquest judge called "trauma brought on by the fire". [2] The coroner said that the fire was probably started deliberately by one of the guests, but as he could not be sure of this, he returned an open verdict.[10]. Your email address will not be published. Dane Henry A. Chinnery was born on 21 August 1997, the younger child of Anthony N. Chinnery and Beverley L. Chinnery ne Hall whose birth was registered in August 1997 in the Croydon registration d 12,210 brave WW1 seamen remembered on the monument at Tower Hill. people of colour disproportionately impacted by coronavirus. The South London blaze and the failure to find the culprit helped crystallise the feeling that those in authority did not care for them. Two inquests into the victims' deaths gave an open verdict. ER 2002-05 OF ANTHONY BIRBECK, TN/83/42/37 LATE. In 2017, the "13 Dead, Nothing Said"[27] exhibition was hosted at Goldsmiths College, University of London. When safety doesn't come first! My specialities are: - UX and human-centred design - user research - content. His other roles included the leads in HBO's first ever mini-series . I help people through a broad range of emotional issues and am available to see you 7am - 9pm Monday - Friday. I recently learnt that Paul ran into the house several times. This article accompanies Aaron Andrews piece Truth, Justice, and Expertise in 1980s Britain: the Cultural Politics of the New Cross MassacreinHistory Workshop Journal issue 91, where it is available on free access. Police reopened the investigation into the fire in 1997 after lobbying by relatives and local MP Joan Ruddock. 23,831 brave WW2 seamen remembered on the monument at Tower Hill. Sources close to the case claim that the allegations were hushed up because of 'political considerations'. Passionate sales leader and business development expert, inspired by creating material value for customers.<br><br>Successful team builder in early stage companies, who enjoys leading from the front and has a proven record in executing go-to-market strategies.<br><br>My strengths are creating culture and data driven process for individuals to thrive, with a focus on building enduring customer . Smithyman's alleged involvement first emerged when he was interviewed by police ten years after the fire following a tip-off by a previous associate called Paul Smith, who is now a property developer based in Clacton, Essex. London, 06 May 04 Wed walk to school and see graffiti of black men hanging on lamp posts. In 2021after a year which saw Black Lives Matter protesters once again take to streets across the world in protest against racist violence, and people of colour disproportionately impacted by coronavirusthere has never been a more urgent moment to remember the victims of past racial violence, and, just as anti-racists in New Cross and beyond did forty years ago, to resist the racism endemic in modern British society. ", Mr Haynes was burnt from his fingers to the top of his arms, 06 May 04 Cross Fire: With Han Lu, Lei Wu, Shuailiang Liu, Francis Wong. 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