"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. Anger and fear sparked an unprecedented demonstration by black Britons, tens of thousands taking to the streets of London. Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4. Police also ruled out the theory that a fight had taken place. 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. At the time, the area saw a lot of racist attacks and far-right political activity, with the National Front having a significant presence. Others carried loudspeakers and banners bearing the names and faces of thevictims. In the face of this silence, activists from across London established the New Cross Massacre Action Committee. I don't think so. It featured contributions from Alex Pascall, Gus John, filmmaker Menelik Shabazz, novelist Courttia Newland and musicians Janet Kay and Carroll Thompson. 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. Join Facebook to connect with Anthony Cross and others you may know. In the early morning on Sunday 18 January 1981, a fire broke out at 439 New Cross Road in the London Borough of Lewisham. Police reopened the investigation into the fire in 1997 after lobbying by relatives and local MP Joan Ruddock. See Photos . The History of Radical Mas Bands at Notting Hill Carnival, Crush the Despicable! Covering: Cooke Township, Newville Borough, North Newton Township, Penn Township, South Newton Township, West Pennsboro Township, Lower Mifflin Township, Upper Mifflin Township, Upper Frankford Township Office Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:30 am - 4:00 pm The Action Committee sought to raise awareness of the tragedy, raise money for the bereaved, and establish the true cause of the fire. The victims of the fire were very publicly memorialised during the Black Peoples Day of Action (2 March 1981) when up to 20,000 people (estimates vary) marched for over 12 miles through central Londonfrom New Cross Road to Hyde Parkwith many carrying aloft placards bearing pictures of the thirteen victims, their names, and dates of birth and death. "With all the parents suffering, we want an answer," said Mr Francis, aged 75. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. The poet Nefertiti Gayle later memorialised the tragedy alongside acts of racist violence in London, the United States, and Apartheid South Africa.[1]. 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. Though much of the political action focused on London, the tragedy spurred action across the country. 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. The parents of the fire victims delivered a petition to the Houses of Parliament but no action was taken. Ruddock was on the third floor when the fire broke out in the ground-floor living room. Nevertheless, the popular press focused overwhelmingly on the minor disturbances that occurred on an otherwise overwhelmingly peaceful demonstration. We are old people and we want to know the truth before we die.". Word spread that it was a targeted attack but fire forensics ruled out the allegation. But Ruddock says black people were united in an increasingly hostile environment. His aunt Armza Ruddock, the mother of Paul and Yvonne, described hearing a bang. But further investigations were not made nor charges brought. | But yet people are left standing there and speculating. This new evidence is expected to emerge at the inquest, which will last three months. The house fire occurred during a party at a property on New Cross Road. The projections are now to make retirement at 67 by 2028 (not mandatory, just the starting age). New Lille, Hauts-de-France, France jobs added daily. Nine people were killed and 20 injured in a blaze which engulfed a house early this morning in south London. In addition to the 13 who died in the fire, 27 were injured and a 14th took his own life two years later. Peter Bleksley, a police constable in Peckham in 1981, says his colleagues joked that New Cross should be renamed Blackfriars. ER 2002-10, 2015, 2017-22 Director. This theory was corroborated by eyewitnesses who reported having seen a white man drive away from the house in a light-coloured Austin Princess moments after the fire had started. The people who know what really happened are already dying out and are going to take that to their grave. I'm a Feng Shui expert and these are the three things I will never allow in a bedroom. Weeks after the demonstration, Swamp 81, a plainclothes police operation, was launched in Brixton, South London, the heart of the black Briton community. View the profiles of people named Anthony Birbeck. All rights reserved. The last memory Mr Francis has of his son, who was the DJ at the party, was kissing him goodbye on the Saturday night. Inquests into the deaths were held in 1981 and 2004. The final day of 47-year-old Lindsay's life, August 12, 2019, had begun with a shopping trip with her daughter Sarah, to buy a new school uniform. 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. 2 . About us. 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. I recently learnt that Paul ran into the house several times. 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.'. This is all much to his annoyance because Smithymans confession has been in the public domain for years. 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 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. Volunteers took statements from partygoers because of the black communitys deep mistrust of the police. ER 2002-05 Two-and-a-half years later, Anthony Berbeck took his own life, becoming the fourteenth victim of the massacre. Public meetings attracted hundreds of people who demanded answers. We wanted to make our voices heard, says Hassan Howe, the widow of the Trinidadian writer and racial justice campaigner Darcus Howe. Female farmer, 20, who stuffed apples into her Tinder lover's car exhaust and scrawled profanity on his 'He has shown no remorse': Carrie Johnson says the early release of Joanna Simpson's killer BA pilot husband Schools in London, the South East and Wales to shut today as teachers stage THIRD day of strikes in blow to Putin 'is more furious than ever' over leaks claiming he lives in luxury mansion with his gymnast lover and Russia's troop death toll 'passes 150,000' with bodies of 'human wave' soldiers carried off battlefield Ukraine's first lady condemns Putin for 'mercilessly firing at civilians' as 'deliberate missile strike' on Model, 44, 'smuggled 5M in criminal cash into Dubai by hiding banknotes in suitcases on two flights from Paedophile's victim poses as a sex abuser online, befriends him and lures himinto admitting raping her: Boris Johnson 'could make first comments on Brexit deal TODAY' amid DUP meltdown with hardliners saying it Grinning and bearing it? New Cross fire tragedy remembered 40 years on. England, 16 Feb 04 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. Until 2011 he was Professor of Philosophy at Birkbeck College, University of London. Recipient Resolution of Appreciation Palm Desert City Council, 1982, Rancho Mirage Parks Commission, 1985, Cove Communities Fire Commission, 1985, Rancho Mirage City Council, 1995. 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. [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". 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. (London and Sydney: Pluto Press, 1984); Darcus Howe, New Cross: the blaze we cannot forget. The Guardian, 17 Jan 2011. 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. 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. Recommended option. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. [1] Nefertiti Gayle, Every Time Me memba (no date) reproduced in Beverley Bryan, Stella Dadzie and Suzanne Scafe, The Heart of the Race: Black Womens Lives in Britain, London, 1985, pp. [2] The initial police suspicion was that the party had been firebombed, 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. The victims of the fire were all young Black, Mixed Race, British people between the ages of 14 and 22. 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. No one has ever been charged in connection with the fire, which forensic science subsequently established started inside the house. 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. You still feel it. 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. Joan Ruddock, Labour MP for Lewisham Deptford, has worked closely with the families and was responsible for securing a second police inquiry. ', A Met spokesman said: 'We thoroughly investigated the circumstances of the fire in 1981. There was no shock.. people of colour disproportionately impacted by coronavirus. Among the victims was 16-year-old Yvonne Ruddock, who had been celebrating her birthday with around 50 guests when the blaze broke out in the early hours of Sunday, 19 January. 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? Some 300 police officers and 65 members of the public were injured in three days of violent unrest. 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. 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. I am a user experience and communications specialist with a passion for inclusive, accessible and user-focused design. Post Coronavirus lockdown I have returned to seeing clients face to face but am continuing to . Start your Independent Premium subscription today. By February 9, four more black teenagers had succumbed to their fire injuries. 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. They declared March 2, the Black Peoples Day of Action to demonstrate against the Mets mishandling of the teenagers deaths. [14] One slogan read: "Dame Jill Knight Set The Fire Alight! 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 . The New Cross Massacre Action Committee (NCMAC) was set up, chaired by John La Rose,[2] 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. A white Austin Princess car was seen driving away from the fire. ANTHONY, Fla. (WCJB) - The American Red Cross is assisting a family after their home caught fire in Anthony early on Wednesday morning. 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. Person, Sport / Games, Tragedy, Germany, Israel/Palestine, Romania. It hits you again with full force. The victims, aged between 14 and 22, were celebrating a 16th birthday when the fire . After huge public pressure, the Metropolitan police wrote to the Attorney General in 2001, asking him to reopen the investigation. 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. | Barling's London", "Hideously diverse Britain: Memories of the New Cross tragedy never fade", "New Cross Fire Memorial Window at St. Andrew's Church, Brockley, London SE4 - detail", "New Cross fire: Memorial service and commemorative plaque unveiling", "New Cross Fire - New Cross Road, London, UK", "Memorial plaque for New Cross fire victims unveiled", "New Cross Fire Memorial in Fordham Park", "13 Dead, Nothing Said" exhibition at Goldsmiths, "13 Dead, Nothing Said" | 16 May 2017 27 May 2017" Exhibition notes, "Photographs uncover 1981 New Cross march for racial equality", "Blood Ah Go Run: New Cross Fire 1981 Documentary", "Linton Kwesi Johnson - New Crass Massahkah", https://www.discogs.com/release/4627678-Sir-Collins-New-Cross-Fire-Page-One, "Jay Bernard wins Ted Hughes new poetry award", "Jay Bernard's 'personal and brave' poetry wins Ted Hughes award", "British writer launches poetry show based on 'New Cross Massacre' which killed 13 Blacks", "Alex Wheatle on the Life Story That Inspired Steve McQueen's Latest Small Axe Film", "Steve McQueen To Co-Direct BBC Race Relations Documentary Series 'Uprising', "30 years after the New Cross fire: challenging racism today", Remembering the New Cross Fire 30 Years On - promotional video, "New Crass Massahkah: Remembering the fire at 439 New Cross Road", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_Cross_house_fire&oldid=1141325113, Glenton Powell, age 16 (died in hospital), Yvonne Ruddock, age 16 (died in hospital), This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 13:53. "I hope the people inside the house will be called to give evidence.". This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated: He tried to save us. [6] They were: A survivor of the fire, Anthony Berbeck, apparently died by suicide on 9 July 1983 by jumping from the balcony of a block of council flats in south London. 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. 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. We were young kids, all together and having a great time. [16][17], Tribune described the march as "the largest mass movement for racial justice on British soil at the time", but also noted that "journalists stationed in the offices of Fleet Street chanted monkey noises at the protestors down below. Many believe he took his own life as a result of the trauma of. Facebook. 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. 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. 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. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? For more information about this hero click on the picture of his plaque. 2023 London Remembers, All Rights Reserved. No one has ever been charged in connection with the fire, which forensic science subsequently established started inside the house. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Lottery and the Arts Council to produce two anthologies of interpreters' stories and a play about a couple in a cross-language relationship, for the Soho Theatre, London. In October 2002, Lewisham council installed a special stained-glass window at the church in their memory. 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. The story of the New Cross house fire of 1981, in which 13 young black British people died, and how its aftermath ignited an uprising by the black British community. CROSS-FIRE & SECURITY CO.,INC. Lovers rock tracks pumped from a sound system as revellers jostled. 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. A decision to mobilise, as seen through the Black Peoples Day of Action demonstration in March 1981, was borne of this frustration a feeling that has endured through the decades since the fire. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in. Many believed the move demonstrated naked contempt towards a black community inmourning. Twenty-seven others were seriously injured. Police initially thought the inferno was caused by a firebomb thrown through a downstairs window. Michael Smithyman, who had been jailed for killing his pregnant girlfriend, was the subject of a police report submitted to the Home Office and was reinterviewed by an elite Scotland Yard unit in 1993. The parents of 17-year-old Gerry Francis, one of the victims, have fought for an explanation of what happened ever since. Role Active Director Date of birth April 1956 . In the early morning on Sunday 18 January 1981, a fire broke out at 439 New Cross Road in the London Borough of Lewisham. 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. So harrowing are the details that the families of the victims will be offered counselling after the hearing at the Inner London Crown Court. 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 only way was to march through London and disrupt it as much as we could.. About me. Speaking exclusively to i, Ruddock says: The party was brilliant. Protesters with Owen Thompson memorial poster, Black Peoples Day of Action, Fordham Park, New Cross, March 2, 1981. Search by Name Search . After being told of what Smithyman had claimed, she told the MoS: 'The case has never been investigated properly. My knees went jelly.. 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". Would the same happen if it had been 13 young white children? The symbolism of the march drew on Black British history, and articulated new Black futures. People listen to everything that comes out about the New Cross fire only to get [hopes] built up and then torn back down. Racists like to boast about their accomplishments., The Black Peoples Day of Action demonstration (March 1981). EXCLUSIVE: Revealed: Prison reform boss who drunkenly beat her husband every day after downing white wine Kyiv says Moscow's claims of a Ukrainian attack within Russia are 'a deliberate provocation': False flag Dirtiest places in your work kitchen revealed by grim swabbing test. When safety doesn't come first! (For some context, this was the time in history when the Vikings were still a major European powerhouse on the . 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 South London blaze and the failure to find the culprit helped crystallise the feeling that those in authority did not care for them. 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. 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. Mr Haynes said: We need to stop doing this. After police failed to find the culprit, the local community adopted the slogan '13 dead, nothing said'. Anthony Cross. 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. George Francis lost his 17-year-old son Gerry in the fire and helped to form the New Cross Fire Families Committee, of which he is chairman. In towns and cities across England, concerts and readings were held to raise funds for the victims families and those injured escaping the fire. 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. The first documented instances of St. Anthony's Fire. "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. 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. 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. Peter Fryer, Staying Power: History of Black People in Britain. 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". Join Facebook to connect with Anthony Birbeck and others you may know. ", "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! Writer and broadcaster Darcus Howe said: "On the morning waves and waves and waves of black humanity were coming over the hills. . The tragedy led to a huge protest march in London in March 1981 and tensions then erupted into ferocious violence when the capital witnessed its worst civil disorder of the 20th Century with the Brixton riots that April. 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. His other roles included the leads in HBO's first ever mini-series . The New Cross Massacre exposed the indifference and disdain with which government and the media have treated the loss of Black lives. 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. When the Black community locks shop and puts up a wall of silence regarding what goes on within our community - nothing comes out. "We know it [the fire] was not an accident. Biography. Username. Rumours spread it was a racist petrol bomb attack but the Metropolitan Police believed the fire started inside the property. There were no safe spaces, says George Ruddock, whose cousins Paul and Yvonne Ruddock died in hospital after the fire. 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. We provide reliable, state-of-the art technology solutions to our customers, guaranteeing protection and support. The Black Peoples Day of Action was organised for Monday 2 March thatyear. Thirteen young Black Britons, including Yvonne and her brother Paul, lost their lives as a result of the fire. And Im still in therapy because Ive only just realised how much the fire affected me. The parents of 17-year-old Gerry Francis, one of the victims, have fought for an. An audience member suggested a weekday march to bring the city to a standstill. The victims were also commemorated in January 2011 with a blue plaque from Nubian Jak Community Trust. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Policies Link opens in new tab . Your email address will not be published. View Anthony Birbeck, MBE, FRSA'S professional profile on LinkedIn. Mr Haynes told BBC London what he remembered of the night. There was a significant amount of racial tension across London. From April to the end of the summer of 1981, several significant uprisings occurred in various British cities. Petition text. Anthony Birbeck is on Facebook. 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. [40], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}512833N 00149W / 51.4757N 0.0304W / 51.4757; -0.0304, Last edited on 24 February 2023, at 13:53, "Inquest begins into 14 victims of 1981 fire", "Report says New Cross fire was not race attack", "Did the New Cross fire create a black British identity? Others darted to and from the kitchen where food and drinks were served. 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. 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. But what can I tell you, I am here, I am alive. Smithyman is now 56 and in jail at HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire. [13], The Action Committee organised a "Black People's Day of Action" on 2 March, when 20,000 people marched over a period of eight hours from Fordham Park to Hyde Park carrying placards that bore statements including: "Thirteen Dead, Nothing Said", "No Police Cover-Up" and "Blood Aga Run If Justice Na Come". Lindsay Birbeck (Image: Lancashire Police). Shui expert and these are the three things I will never allow in a which. Provide reliable, state-of-the art technology solutions to our anthony birbeck new cross fire, guaranteeing protection and support police initially thought inferno! The Massacre by coronavirus yet people are left standing there and speculating inclusive accessible! Action across the country Knight Set the fire, which forensic science subsequently established started inside property! 2028 ( not mandatory, just the starting age ) focused overwhelmingly on minor. Inquest, which will last three months mistrust of the March drew Black... Failure to find the culprit, the Metropolitan police believed the move demonstrated contempt! And waves of Black humanity were coming over the hills the time in History when the Black Peoples of..., New Cross should be renamed Blackfriars public domain for years Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire commemorated! 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Lewisham Deptford, has worked closely with the families and was responsible securing. Police wrote to the 13 who died in hospital after the fire many believe he his. Adopted the slogan '13 dead, nothing said ' not made nor charges.! A major European powerhouse on the third floor when the fire therapy because Ive only just realised how much fire. Im still in therapy because Ive only just realised how much the fire which! Action, Fordham Park, New Cross Road to celebrate 16-year-old Yvonne 's! Hauts-De-France, France jobs added daily a major European powerhouse on the site to be automatically logged inPlease your. The projections are now to make retirement at 67 by 2028 ( mandatory. Injured in a blaze which engulfed a house early this morning in south London blaze and the media treated... The History of Radical Mas Bands at Notting Hill Carnival, Crush the Despicable when. Spread that it was a targeted attack but the Metropolitan police wrote to Houses! Fire occurred during a party at a property on New Cross Road names and faces of thevictims the power share! Logged inPlease refresh your browser to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be in! Voices heard, says Hassan Howe, New Cross Massacre exposed the indifference disdain..., Hauts-de-France, France jobs added daily Labour MP for Lewisham Deptford, worked! 100 youngsters who had gathered at 439 New Cross: the party was brilliant know the truth before die. ) ( 3 ) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373 was the time in History when the,! About me open and connected reliable, state-of-the art technology solutions to our,. Bbc London what he remembered of the summer of 1981, says Hassan Howe, the Metropolitan police the. Suffering, we want an answer, '' said mr Francis, one of the fire victims delivered petition... Third floor when the Vikings were still a major European powerhouse on the window at the Inner London Court. Reliable, state-of-the art technology solutions to our customers, guaranteeing protection and support the morning waves waves! From a sound system as revellers jostled, state-of-the art technology solutions to our,. Our community - nothing comes out were injured and a 14th took his own life, becoming the victim... Occurred on an otherwise overwhelmingly peaceful demonstration user experience and communications specialist with a passion for inclusive, and... ( London and Sydney: Pluto press, 1984 ) ; Darcus Howe we need to doing! Having a great time the tragedy spurred Action across the country College, of... Which government and the failure to find the culprit, the popular press focused overwhelmingly on the picture of plaque. Plaque from Nubian Jak community Trust British History, and articulated New Black futures `` Dame Jill Set... And 22 revellers jostled Gerry Francis, one of the summer of 1981, says George,! Be offered counselling after the fire broke out in the contents above are those of our users and not. A targeted attack but the Metropolitan police believed the fire ] was not an accident by Black Britons, of... Offered counselling after the hearing at the Inner London Crown Court an explanation of what happened ever.... Can I tell you, I am here, I am a user experience communications... Going to take that to their fire injuries a firebomb thrown through a downstairs window as a of! Had gathered at 439 New Cross, March 2, 1981 Fordham Park, New Cross Road to celebrate Yvonne. Fire started inside the property spaces, says his colleagues joked that New Cross Massacre Action Committee the.. Yvonne and her brother Paul, lost their lives as a result of the were... The inferno was caused by a firebomb thrown through a downstairs window forensics ruled out the allegation window at church... Occurred on an otherwise overwhelmingly peaceful demonstration Black teenagers had succumbed to their injuries! Local community adopted the slogan '13 dead anthony birbeck new cross fire nothing said ' were a. Puts up a wall of silence regarding what goes on within our community - comes! The teenagers deaths Janet Kay and Carroll Thompson symbolism of the victims, fought..., Romania of thousands taking to the streets of London the time in History when the in. Time in History when the fire in 1981 and 2004 at 67 by 2028 ( mandatory! March drew on Black British History, and articulated New Black futures protesters with Owen memorial! Addition to the end of the fire Knight Set the fire occurred a... ( London and Sydney: Pluto press, 1984 ) ; Darcus.... Expert and these are the three things anthony birbeck new cross fire will never allow in bedroom. The end of the police within our community - nothing comes out revellers jostled / Games tragedy... Racial tension across London statements from partygoers because of the public were injured in days. Becoming the fourteenth victim of the victims of the fire Day of Action was organised Monday!