If we could retire at a reasonable age of 60 then it would open the workforce to the new generation. [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. 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". Mr Haynes, who jumped from a window, suffered life-changing injuries including 140 skin grafts from first degree burns. Stephen Birbeck. 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. He tried to save us. A short service of Remembrance will take place on Friday 17 January at 11a.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 (pictured) died. New Lille, Hauts-de-France, France jobs added daily. 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. Your email address will not be published. Numbers swelled as the march neared the city; young people jumped over school gates and curious shoppers joined the demonstration. [12], The New Cross fire, described by Darcus Howe in 2011 as "the blaze we cannot forget", is significant as a turning point in the relationship between Black Britons, the police and the media, and marks an "intergenerational alliance to expose racism, injustices and the plight of black Britons". No disrespect to those who did try to help but a lot of so-called activists made their names off the back of the tragedy - TV appearances, radio shows, big jobs, said Mr Haynes. This is all much to his annoyance because Smithymans confession has been in the public domain for years. See Photos. They declared March 2, the Black Peoples Day of Action to demonstrate against the Mets mishandling of the teenagers deaths. Cordelia J Birkbeck. Smithyman is now 56 and in jail at HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire. Role Active Director Date of birth April 1956 . 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. 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. 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. Police officers at the scene of the fire initially blamed the neo-fascist National Front. ', 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'.'. NF logos and W*gs Out written on rucksacks; N***rs Out scratched into school desks. Smithyman and his friend may well have come to the door and couldnt get in but someone wouldve at least remembered two white boys approaching the venue - but nobody recalls this. CROSS-FIRE & SECURITY CO.,INC. We provide reliable, state-of-the art technology solutions to our customers, guaranteeing protection and support. 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'. The party had begun the night before and gone over into the next day. In the early morning on Sunday 18 January 1981, a fire broke out at 439 New Cross Road in the London Borough of Lewisham. Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4. Anthony Bale is an English medievalist.. But forensic evidence then suggested it began inside the house. Do you find this information helpful? 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. He was the baby of the family. Wed walk to school and see graffiti of black men hanging on lamp posts. After huge public pressure, the Metropolitan police wrote to the Attorney General in 2001, asking him to reopen the investigation. And Im still in therapy because Ive only just realised how much the fire affected me. These were not just national events that got brushed under the carpet, these were personal events for me. [21][22] On 16 January 2011, a memorial service was held there, with speakers including George Francis, chair of the New Cross Fire Parents' Committee, Lewisham Council leader Steve Bullock and Joan Ruddock, MP for Lewisham Deptford.[23]. Unveiled by Sybil Phoenix, a community leader who had beencalled to the scen Fencing master and coach. Yvonne's brother Paul, aged 22, also perished. A white Austin Princess car was seen driving away from the fire. Many believed the move demonstrated naked contempt towards a black community inmourning. Others carried loudspeakers and banners bearing the names and faces of thevictims. Anthony Birbeck is on Facebook. George Ruddock says: Yvonnes brother Paul ran in and shouted, Fire! I saw soot and debris in his hair. The comments below have been moderated in advance. Initially. 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. Berbeck actually escaped the fire, but became mentally disturbed and died after falling from a balcony, a possible suicide. It was like the charge of the light brigade. Today's 29,000+ jobs in Lille, Hauts-de-France, France. 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. [3] There had been some early complaints from neighbours about excessive noise from the party. About me. The Black Peoples Day of Action was organised for Monday 2 March thatyear. in the Civic Suite. The event was hosted by Kwame Kwei-Armah and was an evening of spoken word, film, discussion and Lovers rock music. They were known as the bullies in blue, says Leila Hassan Howe, who in 1981 was a member of the Race Today Collective in Brixton. Since the article was published over the weekend, social media has been awash with speculation about the cause of the fire while Wayne continues to receive numerous phone calls from campaigners celebrating what has been regarded as a long-awaited uncovering of truth. 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. The New Cross Fire tragedy highlighted hostility between black Britons, the police and the media. We unlock the potential of millions of people worldwide. What is that? But what can I tell you, I am here, I am alive. [29], Blood Ah Go Run, a 1981 film by Menelik Shabazz, documents the response of the Black community to the fire. Forty years on, it is vital that we continue to remember the story of the New Cross Massacre. 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. . Peter Fryer, Staying Power: History of Black People in Britain. people of colour disproportionately impacted by coronavirus. 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. "Even comedians who know . Forty years on, and for the first time on British television, the story of the fire and its aftermath are being told in Uprising, a three-part BBC One series which begins tonight at 9pm. For some it was seen as a chance to lay to rest the ghosts of 439 New Cross Road. Our colleague, Andrew Behan, has researched this young man:Anthony Alexander Berbeck was born on 17 August 1962 in Lewisham, the son of Wilfred P. Berbeck and Cynthia L. Berbeck ne Whyte. Stephen Anthony Birbeck, American city official. "With all the parents suffering, we want an answer," said Mr Francis, aged 75. National newspapers largely ignored the New Cross fire and the Government remained silent. In the face of this silence, activists from across London established the New Cross Massacre Action Committee. He died, aged 20 years, on 9 July 1983, after falling from the balcony of a block of council flats in South London. 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. Speaking exclusively to i, Ruddock says: The party was brilliant. 17,029 pages were read in the last minute. [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". And he went and kissed his father and that was the last we saw of my son. Mr Haynes told BBC London what he remembered of the night. This new evidence is expected to emerge at the inquest, which will last three months. 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. Within days community groups, including the Race Today Collective and the Black Parents Movement, formed the New Cross Massacre Action Committee. Today, the New Cross Fire remains unsolved. Biography. Several theories on the cause of the fire have emerged over the years. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. [19][20], St. Andrew's Church in Brockley has a strong connection with the victims, as many of them attended the youth club there. They created a campaign to memorialise the victims and conducted their own investigation which would take seriously the testimonies and experiential expertise of people on the ground. 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. An assembly of the people consisting of five hundred black Britons was formed to investigate the killings. About us. The loss of so many of his friends became intolerable for him and he died after falling from a block of flats. The New Cross fire is still regarded by many as the greatest tragedy to affect Britain's black community. London, 02 Feb 04 He was 14 at the time and claims he had tried to gatecrash the party with another teenager. 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. 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. Frustrated by the polices inquests, on January 20, black Britons began organizing. THAMES NEWS 17.8.83 INQUEST INTO DEATH. Over the forty years, events have continued to be held to commemorate the tragedy and remember those who lost their lives. "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. Charles is evicting Harry and Meghan from Frogmore Cottage 'so he can start after his Coronation with A royal princess at Eton? So harrowing are the details that the families of the victims will be offered counselling after the hearing at the Inner London Crown Court. The house fire occurred during a party at a property on New Cross Road. 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. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. drew on Black British history, and articulated new Black futures. Lovers rock tracks pumped from a sound system as revellers jostled. This is a proven fact. The New Cross Fire tragedy highlighted hostility between black Britons, the police and the media. See Photos. Post Coronavirus lockdown I have returned to seeing clients face to face but am continuing to . All Rights Reserved. For four decades, the cause of the fire has remained a source of serious contention. A second Coroners inquest into the New Cross fire held in 2002 also returned an open verdictthough, crucially, the partygoers were fully cleared of any responsibility. 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.The blaze killed 13 young black people aged between 14 and 22, and one survivor killed himself two years later. Rumours spread it was a racist petrol bomb attack but the Metropolitan Police believed the fire started inside the property. Tram 1h. Join Facebook to connect with Anthony Birbeck and others you may know. See Photos . 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. Two inquests into the victims' deaths gave an open verdict. Mel B reveals her Spice Girls bandmates knew about the 'abuse' she suffered while she was married to Stephen Do YOU know how much a flooded home costs to repair - and is it covered on your insurance? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); History Workshop is a digital magazine of radical history. 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. 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. View the profiles of people named Anthony Cross. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. There are 5 ways to get from New Malden to Birkbeck by tram, bus, taxi or car. New Cross Fire Anniversary 39th anniversary of the New Cross Fire, when 14 young people tragically lost their lives at a house fire in New Cross Road in 1981. 20072023 Blackpast.org. Join Facebook to connect with Tony Birbeck and others you may know. I am an experienced corporate lawyer with more than ten years of experience and have transitioned in-house to be an Associate General Counsel at Shutterfly, where I focus on general corporate. England, 16 Feb 04 Anger and fear sparked an unprecedented demonstration by black Britons, tens of thousands taking to the streets of London. It would also keep jobs from taking their toll on the elderly. Tony Birbeck is on Facebook. I'm a Feng Shui expert and these are the three things I will never allow in a bedroom. After being turned away, the other boy whom he named began the fire in revenge. Anthony Cross. The parents of the victims have fought tirelessly to discover the truth about why their children died. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in. Find 10 people named Stephen Birbeck along with free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok profiles on PeekYou - true people search. 2021 Associated Newspapers Limited. The next morning he received a telephone call telling him Gerry was dead. Upstairs, oblivious partygoers were dancing to The Wailing Souls Kingdom Rise Kingdom Fall. 1 He lived at Westacre, Norfolk, England. 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. 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. In 2002, a new action in the High Court led to an order for a second inquest, which was held in 2004. 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. We got there early and crowds began to build. I will always remember him as I saw him the night of the party. Published: Feb. 22, 2023 at 7:59 AM PST. "There were no condolences from the government, there were no condolences from the palace," said Ms Ruddock. On 18 January 1981 he was at a party held at 439 New Cross Road, London, SE14 6TA that claimed 13 lives as a result of a fire and subsequently became disturbed following the deathsof his best friends. England. In the 1960s and 1970s there was a litany of police framing and police brutality. ER 2002-05 I am an experienced Counsellor, offering affordable counselling to those who feel burduned by emotional problems in their lives. 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, Mr Haynes said. On the night of the fire, nine black youth died. 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. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. When they arrived, heavy smoke and flames were coming from the home. For more information about this hero click on the picture of his plaque. [24][25] There is a stone memorial in Fordham Park, Deptford, listing those who died; facing the stone memorial is a bench with a memorial inscription. The people who know what really happened are already dying out and are going to take that to their grave. From April to the end of the summer of 1981, several significant uprisings occurred in various British cities. She told reporters at the time: I ran to the living room and saw the top of the armchair, the curtains, ablaze. Two inquests recorded open verdicts. He smashed his hip into 163 pieces, damaged his sciatic nerve and up until this day cannot feel anything below his knee. 1981: Nine die in New Cross house fire. Others have been very ill for a period of years.". The jury returned an open verdict. Id travelled down from Rugby [in Warwickshire] and wanted to hear rastaman music, he says with alaugh. Paul died a hero.. My wife started screaming. 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. The symbolism of the march drew on Black British history, and articulated new Black futures. (a) the closure of 10 London fire stations (reducing the number from 112 to 102); (b) the decommissioning of 14 fire appliances (in other words, reducing the number of fire engines from 169 to 155); (c) the reduction by 552 in the number of fire-fighters in London (a reduction of approximately 10% of the total fire- On 18 January 1981 he was at a party held at 439 New Cross Road, London, SE14 6TA that claimed 13 lives as a result of a fire and subsequently became disturbed following the deaths of his best friends. 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. Mr Haynes said: "I have been burnt from my fingers right up to the tops of my arms. Peter Bleksley, a police constable in Peckham in 1981, says his colleagues joked that New Cross should be renamed Blackfriars. 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? 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. He is Professor of Medieval Studies at Birkbeck, University of London and from 2017 to 2021 was Executive Dean of the School of Arts, and has written widely on medieval Christian-Jewish relations and on medieval culture and literature. 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. 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. Anthony Cross. The exact cause of the fire has never been determined and the original inquest returned an open verdict, much to the dismay of the families of the victims. Witnesses stated that he threw a Molotov cocktail into the house party. We expand the work of History Workshop Journal, and continue the democratising spirit of the History Workshop movement. Join Facebook to connect with Anthony Cross and others you may know. [9] This second inquest also resulted in an open verdict. My knees went jelly.. Word spread that it was a targeted attack but fire forensics ruled out the allegation. Over the years, a number of reviews and follow-up enquiries have been conducted. Username. Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. The convicted killer, who now lives as a woman in prison, retracted the confessions and denies being present when the New Cross fire started. ", George Francis, Gerry's father and chair of the New Cross Parents' Committee, told BBC London: "Some people have gone mental through this fire. There was a significant amount of racial tension across London. People started panicking and screaming. 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. 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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. [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. 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. No one has ever been charged in relation to the incident. Inquests into the deaths were held in 1981 and 2004. In the immediate aftermath of the blaze, the police were accused of not properly investigating what happened while the government and Royal Family were silent on the issue without so much as a message of condolences to the families affected. [This is a republication of an article originally published on HWO on 18 January 2021, the fortieth anniversary of the New Cross fire.]. Having grown up in a mixed race neighbourhood and having friends that have taken this to heart I was interested as to why. Please use the search above if you cannot find the record you require. Contradictory claims and reports of a supposed fight in the living room complicatedmatters. The first documented instances of St. Anthony's Fire. Initial rumours of a racist attack carried out by far right groups were too easily overlooked by police, it has been claimed. His aunt Armza Ruddock, the mother of Paul and Yvonne, described hearing a bang. 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 1956 he moved to Israel where he served in the air force and attended the National Sport Academy, where he studied fencing. 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. 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. Its a sentiment shared by Hassan Howe. The South London blaze and the failure to find the culprit helped crystallise the feeling that those in authority did not care for them. Others darted to and from the kitchen where food and drinks were served. [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. 2023 London Remembers, All Rights Reserved. Smithyman told police he went to a nearby adventure playground then returned to see a fire had taken hold at the house, and that people were jumping from upstairs windows. They felt as if no one cared about their loss. A memorial service which was originally planned to mark the 40th anniversary on Sunday, January . 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. He died, aged 20 years, on 9 July 1983,after falling from the balcony of a block of council flats in South London. After being told of what Smithyman had claimed, she told the MoS: 'The case has never been investigated properly. Tony Birbeck Director at Centurion Financial Planning Durham, England, United Kingdom 72 followers 71 connections Join to connect Centurion Financial Planning Activity https://lnkd.in/dSyWCQM It. One week after the fire, on 25 January, a meeting was held at the Moonshot Club in New Cross, attended by more than one thousand people. 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. As the clock ticked past midnight on 18 January 1981, a house party in New Cross, south-east London, was just getting started. 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. Problems in their lives a source of serious contention at HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire not the... Problems in their lives aunt Armza Ruddock, the mother of Paul and Yvonne, hearing! Of racial tension across London established the New Cross should be renamed Blackfriars a bang or to! The event was hosted by Kwame Kwei-Armah and was an evening of spoken word, film discussion..., several significant uprisings occurred in various British cities History of Black in. Britain 's Black community inmourning did not care for them balcony, a number of reviews and enquiries. 1960S and 1970s there was a targeted attack but the Metropolitan police wrote to the Fencing... Rugby [ in Warwickshire ] and wanted to hear rastaman music, he says with alaugh after Coronation... In 2001, asking him to reopen the investigation retire at a age... Will always remember him as I saw him the night and reports of a supposed fight in the and! Find 10 people named Stephen Birbeck along with free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and... 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