Other occupants: Sylvia K Birbeck. 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. I remember the floor felt spongy and the heat was rising. 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). High street giant WH Smith has been hit by cyber attack as hackers access company data including info on Can YOU guess the book? There was no escape from it.. Beginning on the ground floor, the fire quickly spread upstairs where a joint sixteenth and eighteenth-birthday party had been taking place but was then winding down. 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. 17,029 pages were read in the last minute. In the early morning on Sunday 18 January 1981, a fire broke out at 439 New Cross Road in the London Borough of Lewisham. Forty years on, it is vital that we continue to remember the story of the New Cross Massacre. It would also keep jobs from taking their toll on the elderly. Witnesses stated that he threw a Molotov cocktail into the house party. ANTHONY, N.M. - NASA White Sands Test Facility Fire Department escorted the remains of Lt. Edward Vasquez from Albuquerque to his hometown of Anthony, New Mexico, on Friday, with aid from local . Do you find this information helpful? Between 5:45 and 5:55 a.m. on Sunday 18 January 1981, a fire broke out in the front room of 439 New Cross Road in the London Borough of Lewisham. Twenty-seven others were seriously injured. The house fire occurred during a party at a property on New Cross Road. Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4. EXCLUSIVE: Distraught mother waited 27 hours after calling NHS 111 but still didn't get to speak to a doctor Aldi releases list of 30 sites where it wants to open stores - is one of them near you? I remember it as if it was yesterday. A memorial service which was originally planned to mark the 40th anniversary on Sunday, January . "There were no condolences from the government, there were no condolences from the palace," said Ms Ruddock. The party had begun the night before and gone over into the next day. 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. This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated: There is also a memorial to the victims consisting of a park bench, plus 13 trees with a plaque at either end, on Hackney Downs in east London, and a memorial plaque on the wall of Catford Civic Hall listing the names of the "fourteen young people who died in the New Cross Fire of 18th January 1981". London, 06 May 04 The silence over the loss of thirteen lives was also filled by music and poetry. Nevertheless, the popular press focused overwhelmingly on the minor disturbances that occurred on an otherwise overwhelmingly peaceful demonstration. I remember feeling it was going to be a momentous day.. Anthony Cross is known for Cast Away (2000), Most Daring (2007) and I Married a Murderer (2017). So harrowing are the details that the families of the victims will be offered counselling after the hearing at the Inner London Crown Court. Over the years, a number of reviews and follow-up enquiries have been conducted. England. Paul ran downstairs and thats the last I saw of him., Ruddock says that guests scrambled to the window and jumped for our lives, adding: I was lucky I sprained my arm but I was OK. ', Chillingly, the source added: 'He said that while watching Rastafarians jumping out of the top-floor windows on fire, he referred to them as 'roastafarians'.'. Survivor season 41 - everything we know about the cast, 1981 New Cross Fire wasnt a racist attack, survivor says, he appeared in a 2020 documentary co-produced by Nadine White about the Black Peoples Day of Action march, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Up to 20% off and extra perks with Booking.com Genius membership, $6 off a $50+ order with this AliExpress discount code, 15% off selected items using this eBay discount code, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK February 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this February, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. In the 1960s and 1970s there was a litany of police framing and police brutality. A total of 27 people were injured as they tried to jump from windows or down drainpipes of the two-storey house at 439 New Cross Road, London. In addition to the 13 who died in the fire, 27 were injured and a 14th took his own life two years later. Anthony Cross. The New Cross Fire (January 18, 1981) 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. I recently learnt that Paul ran into the house several times. For more information about this hero click on the picture of his plaque. At the time, the area saw a lot of racist attacks and far-right political activity, with the National Front having a significant presence. 2023 London Remembers, All Rights Reserved. Anthony Grayling CBE, MA, DPhil (Oxon) FRSL, FRSA is Master of the New College of the Humanities, and a Supernumerary Fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford. Police notes seen by the MoS state that a senior officer wrote in a 1993 Home Office briefing document: 'He (the arsonist) describes the motive for the fire as a stupid prank purely to scare the partygoers because they had refused them entry to the party.'. When 48 people died in the Stardust disco fire in Dublin, Ireland, in the early hours of 14 February that year, the Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the Queen offered their immediate condolences. Survivor season 41: Who is host Jeff Probst? [9] This second inquest also resulted in an open verdict. One eyewitness reportedly saw a man throw a missile at the house. Volunteers took statements from partygoers because of the black communitys deep mistrust of the police. The projections are now to make retirement at 67 by 2028 (not mandatory, just the starting age). "I hope the people inside the house will be called to give evidence.". New Zealand. Facebook gives people the power. [This is a republication of an article originally published on HWO on 18 January 2021, the fortieth anniversary of the New Cross fire.]. 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. Corroborated eyewitness accounts placed a white man in an Austin Princess vehicle at the New Cross Fire scene. People started panicking and screaming. Anthony BIRBECK Filter appointments Filter appointments Current appointments Total number of appointments 7 Date of birth April 1961 CHESTER-LE-STREET CC TRADING LIMITED (10000684) Company. The fire and the protests that followed were part of the Steve McQueen co-directed television documentary series Uprising shown on BBC One in July 2021. I don't think so. Mr Haynes said: We need to stop doing this. Anthony Bale is an English medievalist.. Locals and the Friends of Birnbeck Pier have been petitioning for this part of Weston's heritage to be revived to its former glory. The jury returned an open verdict. The New Cross Massacre became a clarion call for political action at the beginning of a tumultuous year for Black Britons across urban England. No one has ever been charged in connection with the fire, which forensic science subsequently established started inside the house. 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. ", George Francis, Gerry's father and chair of the New Cross Parents' Committee, told BBC London: "Some people have gone mental through this fire. Theres so much more to this story. Tram 1h. | But forensic evidence then suggested it began inside the house. Ms Ruddock said she hoped people who had remained silent for years would finally reveal the truth about what happened, and has suggested there should be immunity for witnesses. He was awarded a Philip Leverhulme Prize 2011, a prize "awarded to outstanding scholars under the age of 36 . Cordelia J Birkbeck. The New Cross Fire was a significant turning point in Britain in terms of black Britons, the police and the medias relationship and intergenerational alliance to expose racism, injustices and the plight of black Britons. DDPC 3/3 fire insurance assessments . The symbolism of the march drew on Black British history, and articulated new Black futures. Police have launched a murder inquiry after survivors described how they saw a car being driven away from the incident as the fire broke out. For four decades, the cause of the fire has remained a source of serious contention. I was told not to go and identify the body and I'm glad I did not.". Mr Haynes told BBC London what he remembered of the night. It featured contributions from Alex Pascall, Gus John, filmmaker Menelik Shabazz, novelist Courttia Newland and musicians Janet Kay and Carroll Thompson. On the night of the fire, nine black youth died. His other roles included the leads in HBO's first ever mini-series . 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. Protesters with Owen Thompson memorial poster, Black Peoples Day of Action, Fordham Park, New Cross, March 2, 1981. 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, Fresh inquiry into New Cross fire set to blame adults at house party, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Up to 20% off & extra perks with Booking.com Genius Membership, Extra 25% off kitchen appliances using this AO discount code, 10% off sale orders 100+ with this Soak & Sleep discount code, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK March 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this March, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. Required fields are marked *. For many, it seemed as though Black lives did not matter. OF ANTHONY BIRBECK, TN/83/42/37 LATE. Double murderer confesses his part in New Cross fire which killed 13 black partygoers in 1981 - as dramatic new evidence sparks fresh accusations police failed to properly investigate blaze that . Contradictory claims and reports of a supposed fight in the living room complicatedmatters. Both inquests recorded open verdicts. Leverage your professional network, and get hired. His mother, Velvatine, said: "Before he went he kissed me goodbye and said I will see you in the morning Mum. George Ruddock says: Yvonnes brother Paul ran in and shouted, Fire! I saw soot and debris in his hair. This year marks the fortieth anniversary, but unlike the thirtieth when public events were held at the Albany Theatre in Deptford, the COVID-19 pandemic and national lockdown will inevitably mean that commemorations will take a different form this year. The blaze broke out on 18 January 1981 at a joint birthday party for Yvonne Ruddock and Angela Jackson at 439 New Cross Road in Lewisham. 13 Apr 1922, d. 21 Mar 2008 Citations These were not just national events that got brushed under the carpet, these were personal events for me. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Thirteen young black people were killed and 27 were injured. Theion TVnewsletter is a daily email full of suggestions of what to watch as well as the latest TV news, opinions and interviews. In 2017, the "13 Dead, Nothing Said"[27] exhibition was hosted at Goldsmiths College, University of London. Two inquests into the victims' deaths gave an open verdict. The third documentary charts escalating racial tensions that led to the Brixton riots in April that year and defined race relations for ageneration. Lovers rock tracks pumped from a sound system as revellers jostled. Email or phone: Password: . Meet the Birkbeck family of Norfolk - prominent landowners, Barclay founders and rewilders Updated: Dec 28, 2022 Who Owns Norfolk's research recently identified that the bucolic and expansive ~9,000 acre West Acre Estate is one of the largest remaining country estates in Norfolk. 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. A white Austin Princess car was seen driving away from the fire. The victims, aged between 14 and 22, were celebrating a 16th birthday when the fire . Exclusive: A lot of people refuse to do their research because they want to believe that a white person did it; how did the alleged white arsonist get past the doors and into the party? Wayne Haynes told The Independent. Several theories on the cause of the fire have emerged over the years. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. 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. This is a proven fact. 20072023 Blackpast.org. Today's 29,000+ jobs in Lille, Hauts-de-France, France. See Photos. All Rights Reserved. Racists like to boast about their accomplishments., The Black Peoples Day of Action demonstration (March 1981). 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". Marion County Fire Rescue crews responded to a mobile home on Northeast 86th Lane at 12:41 a.m. Magdalene Edwards, now 57, survived the fire by jumping from a window while three months pregnant, but her 16-year-old stepsister Rosalind Henry died. Anthony Berbeck. An assembly of the people consisting of five hundred black Britons was formed to investigate the killings. Numbers swelled as the march neared the city; young people jumped over school gates and curious shoppers joined the demonstration. Many close to the inquiry believe there was a lack of will to solve the case and it was 'swept under the carpet and these promising lines of inquiry ignored'. Protesters travelled from across England to attend the eight-hour march, which set off from Fordham Park in New Cross a short walk from the scene of the fire. 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. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in. Wed walk to school and see graffiti of black men hanging on lamp posts. The meeting concluded with a march to the scene of the fire and a demonstration there, which blocked New Cross Road for several hours. Your email address will not be published. A short service of Remembrance will take place on Friday 17 January at 11a.m. 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. 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". Alex Pascall, Gus John, filmmaker Menelik Shabazz, novelist Courttia Newland and musicians Janet Kay and Carroll.., Black Peoples Day of Action, Fordham Park, New Cross, march 2, 1981 he awarded. 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