The press the following day focused on pictures from Blackfriars Bridge with headlines such as When the black tide met the thin blue line (the Daily Mail), the Day the blacks ran riot in London (the Sun) and Rampage of a mob (Daily Express). Shabazz says it was a racist attack and it is a widely held assumption in black communities that the fire was started by fascists, most likely using a petrol bomb. They were playing lovers rock and everyone was singing. In a way this is my lasting memory. In the final death toll 14 young black people between the ages of 14 to 22 had their futures stolen from them that night. Assistant Electrician on the RMS Titanic. What can be learned from the legacy of the outcry and activism that followed? National Rail services run to London Bridge in ten minutes. 23,831 brave WW2 seamen remembered on the monument at Tower Hill. Brockley, SE4. Initially the police said they thought the party may have been firebombed. Chant Joseph, who is writing a book on British black power, stresses the need to remind people that in recent history white people in this country made bombs and threw them at us. Local history appeared to support the theory that the fire was a racist attack. Crew member of the 'Olga'. Despite the eight-page briefing there have been no charges. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. It was a remarkably peaceful march until we neared Blackfriars Bridge when the police tried to separate us. FOR SALE - See 5 photos - 439 Rock Cross Road East, Prince Edward County ON MLS# 40315391 - Market stats & Travel times . Front and rear gardens with large open plan kitchen and dinning area perfect for the whole family! At around 4am, someone came in and said theres a small fire in the kitchen and everyone has to leave, Magdalene recalls. Ten years before, in 1971, a Caribbean house party had been attacked by firebomb in Sunderland Road, in nearby Forest Hill, leaving 22 injured. The Modern House has not tested any services, The initial police suspicion was that the party had been fire-bombed, either as a revenge attack or in an attempt to stop the noise - there was also an alternative theory that a fight had broken out, from which the blaze emanated. His death was registered in the Greenwich registration district and he was buried . As Paul Gilroy commented recently, photographs of the young people who lost their lives were carried as a demonstration that their humanity mattered. Out of the ashes of the New Cross fire, we saw the spirit, determination and organisation of black communities across Britain. Police raids on parties and accusations of brutality were ever present. New Cross Gate is ten minutes walk away and offers identical services city wide. Local call rate, 020 3910 0873 David adds: As black people we suffered years and years of being racially abused, attacked, arrested by the police and beaten up for no reason and Im afraid all the frustrations came out it was a peaceful march until then.. The hallway itself has a micro-cellar accessed by a hatch in the floor. She was a three-months-pregnant teenager when she survived a notorious blaze in South London by jumping from a second-storey window. Trinidadian intellectual CLR James had an important impact on the black power movement in Britain and Hassan Howe recalled his advice to not assume that London is Britain. Support was so widespread that 50 of the 19,000 raised for the families came from black prisoners at Wormwood Scrubs. Covering over 2,100 sq ft, this house also benefits from a 100 ft rear garden & lower ground floor basement. Im not saying its a racist attack but the way the police handled it was racist. As Johnny Osbourne sang pointedly 13 Dead (and Nothing Said). With a lovely wide and mature garden and potential to extend (STPP) this is a unique opportunity in a special and sought after location. 8th Apr 2022. Forty years on, recalling the events seems vital, especially in this moment of renewed optimism after the Black Lives Matter protests, because the legacies of New Cross still resonate. 18th May 2022. Flat 13, Crossleigh Court 407b, . It is fast becoming one of South Londons most fashionable areas. ft. Property photos. Local call rate, 020 3856 4168 Beat the energy price rises in New Cross Road, London SE14 6TA Yearly saving up to: 667 Detached house 532 Semi-detached house 473 End terrace house Compare energy deals The march was the biggest gathering of black people we had seen besides the Notting Hill Carnival. In the days that followed there was little coverage of the terrible loss of young life in the newspapers, with the exception ofThe Sun reporting it on their front cover, and no statement of condolence from then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. 1 sq. 256 New Cross Road, New Cross, London, SE14 5PL. Hassan Howe explained they were eager to make sure it was not a traditional leftwing demonstration where they marched, had no impact and then went back to their lives. Smithyman was 14 at the time and is claimed to have made the confessions between 1991 and 1993 during police interviews. Spread Four Bedrooms | Two Bathrooms | Semi-Detached | Period | Garden | Central Location | New Cross | Zone 2. Endwell Road. The party had started the night before on January 17, 1981 but the fire started around 5.40am the following morning.. This is according to the current Zoopla estimates. And just three years before in 1978, Deptfords Albany Empire community theatre was burned down, with the National Front claiming responsibility. That day of action after New Cross was supported by black university students, who were gaining their first significant foothold on campuses. "That was the norm in the 70s and 80s. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. There is a bath, shower and further storage space. It is important to remember the shameful indifference to these deaths at the time within the media and the political establishment. Map data OpenStreetMap The night was a birthday celebration for 16-year-old Yvonne Ruddock and 18-year-old Angela Jackson at the Ruddock family home 439 New Cross Road in South London. It wasnt until she was checked over at a hospital that Magdalene was told she was pregnant with daughter Rosalyn, named after Roseline, and who is now 40. The New Cross Fire of 1981 is the subject of Steve McQueen's new documentary. Shardeloes Road, London, Greater London, SE14. The flame-ravaged house in New Cross Road, Deptford, south London in 1981. But early on January 18, 1981, 13 black partygoers including Magdalenes stepsister Roseline Henry were killed when the fire ripped through the three-storey Victorian house. In terms of property types, flats in SE14 6TA sold for an average of 303,486 and terraced houses for 580,471. As one of the protesters insisted in Blood Ah Go Run, this is the beginning not the end. Its a shock to our system to know that 13 young people ended up dead during a birthday party. I remember it rained. George Francis, Gerry's father and chair of the New Cross Parents' Committee, told BBC London: "Some people have gone mental through this fire. Kehinde Andrews is professor of black studies at Birmingham City University. Violent scenes during the protest march that followed the fire in March 1981. We couldn't find what youre looking for right now. Paul Ruddock. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. Hassan Howe remembers a hostile environment in what was then the home of the newspaper establishment, which included racial abuse and even bananas being hurled at the protesters. (LogOut/ Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. A day later, The Sun screamed The Day The Blacks Ran Riot in London. We are delighted to present this beautiful three bedroom home with direct access to Charlottenburg Park via Wycombe Street. As someone who regularly engages in media debates I can certainly testify to this. One of our journalists will be in contact before we publish, so please do leave contact details. I survived because I managed to jump out of the window and I am still haunted at the scene of all these young people panicking when we realised we were going to die. New well installed with 20 GPM. . . Lovers Rock review Steve McQueen throws the best party ever, Transmissions: the Definitive Story: Lights Out: From the Ashes of New Cross - review, Top10 books about the Windrush generation, Lenny Henry on his Windrush series: 'We felt the sting of injustice sharply', Kadish Morris on culture inspired by the New Cross fire. There have been two inquests in April 1981 and in February 2004 which both returned open verdicts. Local call rate, 020 3834 8457 This cleverly conceived two-bedroom apartment is positioned on the second floor of a former Victorian residence on New Cross Road in south-east London. Change). Enticing opportunities exist as either a future buy to let investment or a full development project reinstating the property back int Five Bedrooms | Three Receptions | Semi-Detached | Period | Large Garden | Great Investment Opportunity | Telegraph Hill | Chain Free | Zone 2. 2019. Just over a month later Brixton erupted in uprisings against police abuse, which spread across the nation and the decade. Local call rate, 020 3909 6611 New Cross is fundamental because it contains all the features of racism that black people in Britain have long suffered: the racial violence, police abuse, neglect by the state; in turn, it tells us of the communitys resistance. 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. Out of the meeting came the New Cross Massacre Action Campaign (NCMAC). The house was packed with around 200 people and the party was in full swing. The blaze killed 13 young black people aged between 14 and 22, and one survivor took his own life two years later. War Reserve Constable who joined the Met Police on 3 September 1939. As much as the Black Lives Matter summer may seem like a new moment, an opportunity for dramatic change, we have been here before and looking back is essential to moving forward. The result is this, that in the case of each and every one of the deaths, I must return an open verdict. He said he was satisfied that the fire was not started by a petrol bomb or any other incendiary device, either thrown from outside or inside the house in New Cross Road.) If youre having trouble using the form, click here. Weekly meetings were held and momentum built up for the National Black Peoples Day of Action, which was to be an eight-hour event on 2 March 1981. New Cross is fundamental because it contains all the features of racism that black people in Britain have long suffered: the racial violence, police abuse, neglect by the state; in turn, it tells us of the communitys resistance. . Neighbouring Addresses To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. He advises that you cant be optimistic, all you can do is organise to the best of your ability in whatever circumstances you find yourself. Forty years later, families are still grieving and wondering who caused their sons, daughters, brothers and sisters to die in that dreadful inferno. Your responses are secure as the form is encrypted and only the Guardian has access to your contributions. The film includes testimony from Armza Ruddock, whose children Yvonne and Paul both died: Every time I close my eyes I can only see the fire, and the children were screaming, and when they stopped screaming I said, oh God theyre dead. Shabazz describes his reaction as similar to the experience people felt at Grenfell. Joseph feels this lack of education of black Britains past is intentional because it allows people to treat racism as a non-essential issue in society. 1 Bedroom. It began on the evening of Saturday, 17 January 1981, and continued throughout the night and into the early hours of Sunday, 18 January. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Excellent potential to extend, subject to relevant permissions. 4 bed, Semi-Detached 255,000 29 Jul 2011 Freehold No other historical records 15 23, New Cross Road, London, Greater London SE14 5DS 4 bed, Terraced 5 Flat D, Christopher Court, 9, New Cross Road, London, Greater London SE14 5DS Flat No other historical records Flat A, Christopher Court, 11, New Cross Road, London, Greater London SE14 5DS Flat Wayne Hayes, who was 17 at the time, recalled the carnage in an interview for HuffPost last year. Oleander was supposed to go to the party but it clashed with a family bash. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. A bathroom is positioned off the hallway and employs bold colours against the same tiles. No one has ever been charged in connection with the fire and the case remains unsolved, leading to a complete lack of faith in the official investigations. As a teenager I remember passing the ruined house at 439 New Cross regularly on my way to college at Goldsmiths. Chants on the day included 13 dead and nothing said. People were saying it was the National Front that started the fire, he says. 1 Bathroom. Saying nothing in the face of racism was - and is - complicity, whether it is the media at the time ignoring that the violence happened at all or police harassment and neglect or laughing at the jokes of racist comedians or agreeing with casual hatred conveyed over the kitchen table. As part of the Race Today Collective, Hassan Howe, along with her future husband, activist Darcus Howe, John La Rose, representing the Black Parents Movement, Roxy Harris and others arranged a community meeting at the local Moonshot club following the fire. On January 18 1981, at about 6am, a fire swept through a house at 439 New Cross Road, London SE14, where a joint 16th and 18th birthday party was taking place. We will carefully consider any new information. . Our young are still treated like suspects even when they are the victims and they are continuously having to prove their innocence., Whenever the anniversary comes around Magdalene admits: Im not in the best place on that day. Call agent: 020 3856 4168. An opportunity to purchase this stunning end of terrace Victorian terrace house offering approximately 3,421 sq ft. The New Cross Massacre Action Committee (NCMAC) was set up, chaired by John La Rose, and organised weekly meetings in New Cross, which saw increasing participation as the police investigation announced that there was no evidence of arson and that the fire was believed to be accidental. Speaking about the ordeal, the now 57-year-old grandmother says: Every time the anniversary comes around I dont feel good at all. I remember thinking, God please dont forsake me when I jumped. This year will mark the 40th anniversary of the New Cross Fire, which occurred during a birthday party at 439 New Cross Road for Yvonne Ruddick and Angela Jackson. More properties from this agent. . Fire had been a staple weapon of racist violence and there had been other arson attacks on black community centres and youth clubs. Enquire Map Book a Viewing Video Tour. Thirteen young people were killed, more than 50 injured and one guest Anthony Berbeck died two years later at the age of 20. 13 young people were killed, more than 50 injured and one guest Anthony Berbeck, actually escaped the fire but became mentally ill, Berbeck died after falling from a balcony of a block of council flats. Gutzmore dismisses the idea that the current moment is a time for optimism. Gutzmore remembers that they were keen not to rush into the march, we needed to give ourselves time to organise and mobilise properly. Although the route had been agreed, the police erected a cordon as the march approached. Collectively, we remember the event as the New Cross massacre, where there has been no justice for 14 black young people. 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. Leila Hassan Howe, one of the key figures in the black communitys response to the New Cross fire. 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