"We know it [the fire] was not an accident. Today's 29,000+ jobs in Lille, Hauts-de-France, France. 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. This is a proven fact. He died, aged 20 years, on 9 July 1983, after falling from the balcony of a block of council flats in South London. Artists like Linton Kwesi Johnson, Benjamin Zephaniah, and Johnny Osbourne also wrote poems and songs, telling the story of the massacre, and condemning the silence which followed it. The armchair blew up and I ran out. Anthony Berbeck. For some it was seen as a chance to lay to rest the ghosts of 439 New Cross Road. One eyewitness reportedly saw a man throw a missile at the house. Rumours spread it was a racist petrol bomb attack but the Metropolitan Police believed the fire started inside the property. Lindsay Birbeck (Image: Lancashire Police). In addition to the 13 who died in the fire, 27 were injured and a 14th took his own life two years later. For more information about this hero click on the picture of his plaque. "Nobody sent condolences, nobody behaved as they do nowadays or indeed as they would have done then if white children had been lost.". Contradictory claims and reports of a supposed fight in the living room complicatedmatters. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. 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?. 1 Child of Major Henry Anthony Birkbeck Major William Birkbeck+ 2 b. But attempts to get a new inquest were twice rejected, until the High Court finally agreed to demands in 2002. Already serving a life sentence for two murders, including that of his pregnant 22-year-old girlfriend April Sheridan, Smithyman gave a chilling account during 40 taped interviews of how the fire started. Our assessments, publications and research spread knowledge, spark enquiry and aid understanding around the world. Parliament says nothing. . "They [the victims' families] felt they were black people treated as second-class citizens. It seeks to deepen understandings of the past, cast light on the present and agitate for change in the world we live in now. 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". 439, New Cross Road. The police were widely seen to be scapegoating young Black Britons for the tragedy and the media barely reported the massacre. The New Cross Massacre became a clarion call for political action at the beginning of a tumultuous year for Black Britons across urban England. My wife started screaming. A source close to the inquiry said: 'Smithyman said he had a laugh with the arsonist while they were lying on a flat roof opposite the fire on the night. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Tricky emoji quiz will put your knowledge of childhood classics to the test. This week, a new inquest will be opened into all 14 deaths following an extensive forensic reinvestigation by police which includes an analysis of the movement of people at the house party. 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. [9] This second inquest also resulted in an open verdict. On the night of the fire, nine black youth died. NF logos and W*gs Out written on rucksacks; N***rs Out scratched into school desks. All rights reserved. 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. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. Protesters with Owen Thompson memorial poster, Black Peoples Day of Action, Fordham Park, New Cross, March 2, 1981. Sir Collins, who lost his son Steven in the fire, produced a whole album in tribute to the thirteen young Black Britonsthe album features Stevens voice, recorded when he was much younger. A 14th person, Anthony Berbeck, was described as having died "following trauma brought on by the fire". 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. 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. [37][38] The New Cross fire and the protests that followed are pivotal to the 2020 Steve McQueen drama Alex Wheatle,[39] part of the filmmaker's Small Axe series for the BBC. [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]. Commander Graham Stockwell, head of south London CID . Show more 4 months left. On March 2, an estimated 20,000 demonstrators including members of the Black Panther Party, Black Parents Movement, and Black Youth Movement, marched in one of the most massive demonstrations against racial injustice in British history. I don't think so. Feelings of anger in the black community were compounded by the fact that neither the Queen nor the government of the day, under Margaret Thatcher, offered formal condolences to the families of the New Cross fire victims. 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. 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. As the clock ticked past midnight on 18 January 1981, a house party in New Cross, south-east London, was just getting started. I remember feeling it was going to be a momentous day.. There was no shock.. In early April, an estimated 943 peoples were stopped and searched by the police under Sus laws, an addendum to the 1824 Vagrancy Act, and 188 black youths were arrested. He has published on inequality and the inner city in Britain, and his article Truth, Justice, and Expertise in 1980s Britain: the Cultural Politics of the New Cross Massacre appears inHistory Workshop Journal issue 91, where it is available on free access. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The parents of the victims have fought tirelessly to discover the truth about why their children died. BIRBECK, Anthony Correspondence address No 4, Castle Court 2, Castlegate Way, Dudley, West Midlands, DY1 4RH . | They felt as if no one cared about their loss. 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. Twenty-seven others were seriously injured. Before the New Cross Fire, black homes and community centers were targeted and burnt down. 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. . | 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. "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. Policies Link opens in new tab . 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. 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? Anthony Cross. They declared March 2, the Black Peoples Day of Action to demonstrate against the Mets mishandling of the teenagers deaths. Survivor season 41: Who is host Jeff Probst? There was no trust of any kind certainly not from young black people and theirparents.. He said reports claiming police failed to fully investigate a confession made by jailed murderer Michael Smithyman between 1991 and 1993 were triggering and would not help get to the truth. The Black Peoples Day of Action was organised for Monday 2 March thatyear. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Many black Britons viewed those acts the states retaliation for the Black Peoples Day of Action demonstration. The firm's ledgers show that M B . Ruddock was on the third floor when the fire broke out in the ground-floor living room. The events are referenced in The Young'uns song "These Hands" on the album Strangers, which won BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards "Best Album" 2018. Others darted to and from the kitchen where food and drinks were served. But if it was a racist attack we wouldve known a long time ago. We needed to give it the platform itdeserved.. Would the same happen if it had been 13 young white children? Windows exploded and revellers fled the house. A forensic report produced for the Met Police in 2011 ruled out a firebomb attack, concluding that the blaze started when someone in the house set an armchair alight. We provide reliable, state-of-the art technology solutions to our customers, guaranteeing protection and support. Its a sentiment shared by Hassan Howe. The party had begun the night before and gone over into the next day. We expand the work of History Workshop Journal, and continue the democratising spirit of the History Workshop movement. 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. I will always remember him as I saw him the night of the party. Required fields are marked *. Several theories on the cause of the fire have emerged over the years. And Im still in therapy because Ive only just realised how much the fire affected me. The meeting concluded with a march to the scene of the fire and a demonstration there, which blocked New Cross Road for several hours. Archive footage shows a coffin held aloft in the crowd as some waved placards emblazoned with messages like Black People Die Babylon Lie and Thatcher in her Silence Incites Violence. Facebook gives people the power to. Berbeck actually escaped the fire, but became mentally disturbed and died after falling from a balcony, a possible suicide. There were no safe spaces, says George Ruddock, whose cousins Paul and Yvonne Ruddock died in hospital after the fire. [4], The party was a joint birthday celebration for Yvonne Ruddock (one of the victims of the fire) and Angela Jackson (who survived) and was held at No. For ten hours campaigners marched eight miles from Fordham Park, South London to Hyde Park, Central London with placards stating, Thirteen Dead, Nothing Said and No Police Cover-Up.. 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". When news of the tragedy spread in 1981 there was first disbelief and then outrage at what many in the black community felt was indifference shown by those in authority to their plight. But what can I tell you, I am here, I am alive. Stephen Anthony Birbeck, American city official. In towns and cities across England, concerts and readings were held to raise funds for the victims families and those injured escaping the fire. The silence over the loss of thirteen lives was also filled by music and poetry. 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. In the 1960s and 1970s there was a litany of police framing and police brutality. Peter Fryer, Staying Power: History of Black People in Britain. But yet people are left standing there and speculating. 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. Witnesses stated that he threw a Molotov cocktail into the house party. A survivor of the New Cross fire of 1981 which killed 13 Black partygoers has dismissed fresh allegations of police cover-up after renewed speculation that the blaze was started by a racist arsonist. Maurice Boyd Birkbeck and Thomas Anthony Birkbeck, all estate agents. As the clock ticked past midnight on 18 January 1981, a house party in New Cross, south-east London, was just getting started. The jury returned an open verdict. "There were no condolences from the government, there were no condolences from the palace," said Ms Ruddock. An audience member suggested a weekday march to bring the city to a standstill. ", "23 years on, new inquest opens into black youths killed in fire", "Coroner repeats open verdict on New Cross Fire 7 May 2004", "Preface to New Cross Massacre Story published by New Beacon Books", "Black People's Day Of Action: Inside The 1981 New Cross Fire March That Brought Britain To A Standstill", "New Cross Fire 13 dead and nothing said! Name. 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. Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio's travel planner. Thirteen young people were killed, more than 50 injured and one guest - Anthony Berbeck - died two years later at the age of 20. (For some context, this was the time in history when the Vikings were still a major European powerhouse on the . It was a profoundly moving act of memorialisation and defiance. Its a state ofbarbarism.. The group also plan to launch a charity to support those affected by the tragedy and help forward the aspirations of young, Black people of Caribbean heritage. Leverage your professional network, and get hired. London, 06 May 04 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. [8] The inquest into the deaths of the 13 teenagers, began on 21 April 1981. "But when I looked at my hand I realised that it was my own skin that I was rubbing off my face instead of sweat or grit. However, he maintains that the initial police response in 1981 was woefully inadequate and the Conservative government failed to support those affected by the fire - and are still failing in this regard. 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. This led to accusations that the police had not done enough to solve the mystery of the fire. For many, it seemed as though Black lives did not matter. | Within months an inquest returned an open verdict. Some 300 police officers and 65 members of the public were injured in three days of violent unrest. Published: Feb. 22, 2023 at 7:59 AM PST. Warning chocolate lovers ultra-processed foods might make you depressed, study claims. Refreshments are available both before and after the service. So what new news have we found out from the same damn man?. Facebook. Writer and broadcaster Darcus Howe said: "On the morning waves and waves and waves of black humanity were coming over the hills. [30], The deaths in the fire were commemorated or mentioned in a number of reggae songs and poems at the time, including Johnny Osbourne's "13 Dead and Nothing Said", Benjamin Zephaniah's "13 Dead", Linton Kwesi Johnson's "New Crass Massakah"[31] and UB40's "Don't Let It Pass You By". But at 5.40am the joy turned to tragedy when a fire ripped through the house. National newspapers largely ignored the New Cross fire and the Government remained silent. All Rights Reserved. Role Active Director Date of birth April 1956 . Sign up hereto stay up to date with the best new TV. Search by Name Search . 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. 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 . Police chiefs have been accused of failing to fully investigate the confession of a jailed murderer who revealed how a house fire started 40 years ago, killing 13 young black partygoers. After several subsequent failed inquests by The Metropolitan Police, (the Met) black Britons were convinced that the police had failed the black community by not treating the thirteen black youths deaths seriously. Through the occupation of urban space, the marchers filled the silence rendered by the states indifference to the loss of Black lives and proclaimed: Come what may, we are here to stay. Yvonne's brother Paul, aged 22, also perished. After being turned away, the other boy whom he named began the fire in revenge. 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. Police reopened the investigation into the fire in 1997 after lobbying by relatives and local MP Joan Ruddock. 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. I'm a Feng Shui expert and these are the three things I will never allow in a bedroom. This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated: Username. Your email address will not be published. Anthony Cross. Stephen Birbeck. 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. THAMES NEWS 17.8.83 INQUEST INTO DEATH. Tram 1h. [34][35][36], In 2020, a BBC Radio 4 documentary entitled "From the Ashes of New Cross", an episode in the series Lights Out, was broadcast to mark the 40th anniversary of the fire. Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4. The exhibition[28] shows photographs documenting the Black People's Day of Action, taken by Vron Ware, who had attended the march on 2 March 1981. Cordelia J Birkbeck. Many believed the move demonstrated naked contempt towards a black community inmourning. CROSS for fire safety Region: CROSS-UK Published: 29 March 2021 Neil Gibbins discusses CROSS's expansion into fire safety and the benefits that this will bring to the fire safety sector. I remember it as if it was yesterday. For a generation of black Britons, the New Cross fire ranks alongside the Brixton riots and treatment of the Windrush migrants to Britain as a symbol of this country's troubled attitude towards race relations. The investigation and the inquiry was bungled. But, as Darcus Howe said on the 30th anniversary of the fire in 2011 it is the blaze we cannot forget.. Sylvia K Birbeck. Prince Andrew 'fears he won't be able to afford Royal Lodge if King Charles cuts his 250K grant - but is Can you solve this trivia riddle? Sir Steve McQueen praises resilient black people who protested against racism after the New Cross fire, I remember growing up and someone in my family always knew someone, who knew someone [who died in the fire], says Sir Steve McQueen, who co-directed Uprising with James Rogan. Ruddock, whose cousins Paul and Yvonne Ruddock died anthony birbeck new cross fire the contents are! One eyewitness reportedly saw a man throw a missile at the beginning of a supposed fight the. Room complicatedmatters of his plaque Birkbeck and Thomas Anthony Birkbeck Major William Birkbeck+ 2 b accident. Information about this hero click on the am PST 1 Child of Major Henry Anthony Birkbeck Major William 2! 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