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. Save my name and email address in this browser for the next time I comment. In fact, the pier fell even further into decline. The investigation and the inquiry was bungled. There were no safe spaces, says George Ruddock, whose cousins Paul and Yvonne Ruddock died in hospital after the fire. 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? 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 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. 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. [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". Locals and the Friends of Birnbeck Pier have been petitioning for this part of Weston's heritage to be revived to its former glory. [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. Several theories on the cause of the fire have emerged over the years. When safety doesn't come first! We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. 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. A survivor was so horrified by what he saw that he killed himself two years later. 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. 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. These were not just national events that got brushed under the carpet, these were personal events for me. Windows exploded and revellers fled the house. Search by Name Search . 2023 London Remembers, All Rights Reserved. drew on Black British history, and articulated new Black futures. NF logos and W*gs Out written on rucksacks; N***rs Out scratched into school desks. Commander Graham Stockwell, head of south London CID . Email or phone: Password: . Lindsay Birbeck (Image: Lancashire Police). He had been traumatised by the death of his friends in the blaze.[7]. Yvonne loved soft, sweet girl music. 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. Id travelled down from Rugby [in Warwickshire] and wanted to hear rastaman music, he says with alaugh. View the profiles of people named Anthony Cross. For some it was seen as a chance to lay to rest the ghosts of 439 New Cross Road. Upstairs, oblivious partygoers were dancing to The Wailing Souls Kingdom Rise Kingdom Fall. 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. ", Mr Haynes was burnt from his fingers to the top of his arms, 06 May 04 "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. 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 mural has been revealed in honour of 14 young black people killed by a fire in south London 41 years ago. He died, aged 20 years, on 9 July 1983, after falling from the balcony of a block of council flats in South London. 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.'. One event in Leeds in August 1981, branded An evening of black cultural expression, included poetry, music and dance alongside hair-plaiting and painting competitions. [3] There had been some early complaints from neighbours about excessive noise from the party. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); History Workshop is a digital magazine of radical history. The jury returned an open verdict. He adds: There was no outpouring of sympathy. 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. In the face of this silence, activists from across London established the New Cross Massacre Action Committee. National newspapers largely ignored the New Cross fire and the Government remained silent. Initial rumours of a racist attack carried out by far right groups were too easily overlooked by police, it has been claimed. We got there early and crowds began to build. [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. 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. Major Henry Anthony Birkbeck held the office of Justice of the Peace (J.P.) 1 He was awarded the Military Cross (M.C.) The only way was to march through London and disrupt it as much as we could.. The comments below have been moderated in advance. 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 is receiving counselling paid for by the BBC after he participated in the Uprising documentary in July by Steve McQueen and James Rogan, one year after he appeared in a 2020 documentary co-produced by Nadine White about the Black Peoples Day of Action march. 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. Police officers at the scene of the fire initially blamed the neo-fascist National Front. Others believed, however, that the fire started from a dispute between revelers. 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. In towns and cities across England, concerts and readings were held to raise funds for the victims families and those injured escaping the fire. Post Coronavirus lockdown I have returned to seeing clients face to face but am continuing to . 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. Initially. But forensic evidence then suggested it began inside the house. The fourteen victims of the New Cross massacre were: Rosaline Henry; Patricia Johnson; Humphrey Brown; Gerry Paul Francis; Owen Wesley Thompson; Andrew Gooding; Peter Campbell; Lloyd Hall; Patrick Cummings; Steve Collins; Yvonne Ruddock; Glenton Powell; Paul Ruddock; and Anthony Berbeck. 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. Find 10 people named Stephen Birbeck along with free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok profiles on PeekYou - true people search. But yet people are left standing there and speculating. Theres so much more to this story. I am a user experience and communications specialist with a passion for inclusive, accessible and user-focused design. Having grown up in a mixed race neighbourhood and having friends that have taken this to heart I was interested as to why. This is all much to his annoyance because Smithymans confession has been in the public domain for years. Mr Haynes said: "I have been burnt from my fingers right up to the tops of my arms. The people who know what really happened are already dying out and are going to take that to their grave. THAMES NEWS 17.8.83 INQUEST INTO DEATH. The first documented instances of St. Anthony's Fire. He was 14 at the time and claims he had tried to gatecrash the party with another teenager. [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. 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 . The symbolism of the march drew on Black British history, and articulated new Black futures. Cross Fire: With Han Lu, Lei Wu, Shuailiang Liu, Francis Wong. This new evidence is expected to emerge at the inquest, which will last three months. London, 03 Feb 04 I shouted for help. But the probe was shelved shortly afterwards, leaving some officers incensed by the failure to fully investigate the claim. A 14th person, Anthony Berbeck, was described as having died "following trauma brought on by the fire". But if it was a racist attack we wouldve known a long time ago. 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.. Protesters with Owen Thompson memorial poster, Black Peoples Day of Action, Fordham Park, New Cross, March 2, 1981. Twenty-seven others were seriously injured. 1 . The poet Nefertiti Gayle later memorialised the tragedy alongside acts of racist violence in London, the United States, and Apartheid South Africa.[1]. | An assembly of the people consisting of five hundred black Britons was formed to investigate the killings. The third documentary charts escalating racial tensions that led to the Brixton riots in April that year and defined race relations for ageneration. Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4. In October 2002, Lewisham council installed a special stained-glass window at the church in their memory. Peter Fryer, Staying Power: History of Black People in Britain. 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