Notting Hill (Case study)

• German bombing in London=70,000 buildings destroyed, nearly 2 million damaged
• After WWII there were shortages in in everything (housing, food)
• New labour Gov (elected 1945) created a welfare state=NHS, British Rail, national rail network, london transport= needed new workers
• 1945-46 workforce fell by 1.36 million due to death in combat + bombing, retirement, emigrations and restrictions on married women working
• Between 1945 and 1960 1.5 million people left Britain due to believing they could have a better life elsewhere eg: Canada or Australia
• British Nationality Act 1948 allowed everyone in commonwealth the right to live and work in Britain
• • Many in commonwealth felt loyalty to Britain (esp Caribbean) regarding it as their 'mother country'
  • Wages in Britain were at least 3x higher than Caribbean
  • =thousands migrating from Caribbean
• 1945 Harsh conditions

  • Thousands were wating for new houses to be built
  • Bread was rationed for first time +rationing of food ended 1954
  • Severe winter 1947 disrupted coal production and energy supplies + further food shortages
  • Crime increased
• The swinging sixties

  • during 1950s economy improved, rationing ended and almost at full employment
  • in 1960s London=exciting city of new styles, fashion and music
  • Young people had more money, leisure time and freedom
  • young people became politically aware + took part in marches and rallies= affecting political awareness and black communities
• Reasons for migration:

  1. Paddington station closest to Notting Hill
  2. Already had friends and family there
  3. Landlords elsewhere in London wouldn't rent houses to them
  4. Hostility from whites made Caribbeans want to live closer together
  5. British Gov advertised in Caribbean for people to come and rebuild country 'Windrush Generation'
• Housing problems:

  • High rents for poor, squalid housing
  • Over crowding
  • Few landlords made repairs to housing (cause it would reduce their profits)= poor quality
  • Everyone in a single house shared a kitchen and bathroom
• Slum Landlords:

  • Houses were large & cheap to buy due to bomb damage
  • Landlords applied to change houses they owned into HMOS (Houses of multiple occupancy-renting to lots)
  • No rent controls - charge whatever
• Housing Trust:

  • Bruce Kenrich (minister in United Reform Church)
  • 1965-Founded Notting Hill Housing Trust
  • Aimed to improve living conditions at affordable rents
  • By 1970-houses nearly 1000 people
• Portobello Road Market:

  • Migrants sold food (yams, breadfruit, sweet potatoes & Dasheen)
  • Opened small café & 1969 Island Records
  • Gained a reputation as the place to go to for Caribbean music and culture
• Caribbean Culture:

  • set up market stalls selling food & ingredients (spices/seasoning)
  • Pubs, cafes, restaurants Eg: El Rio café- became meeting place
  • 1969-Basing street studios sold Caribbean music meeting demand with performers like Diana Ross (Reggae, soul, Blues)
  • Lots of Caribbean groups with their own cultures
  • cafes, clubs, shebeens became migrants meeting places (Building sense of community)
  • shebeens (unofficial clubs) smoke, drink, listen to music careful of neighbours
  • 1968-Metro club youth club by day and nightclub by evenings (people came from all over London)
• All Saints Road:

  • The Mangrove Restaurant-March 1968
  • Apollo-First pub serving Black people
• The mangrove

  • opened march 1968 by Frank Crichlow
  • all night restaurant serving Caribbean food
  • first black owned restaurant- very popular, people outside community came + celebrities
  • headquarters of activist group British Black Panthers 1968
  • carnival organisers often met here
• Caribbean community set up groups to help & support each other, giving them a clear sense of identity
• The London free school

  • arranged childcare + activities for children
  • Vital because lots of childminders refused to take black children
• The Unity Association

  • owned two properties housing homeless black youngsters
• The Black peoples information centre

  • provided legal advice & welfare support
  • provided information on black history & civil rights
• Pardner scheme

  • some banks didn't allow black people to open accounts
  • some building societies refused mortgages
  • scheme helped people save to buy own homes
• Police officers were mainly white and male
• Black people trying to join police force were rejected due to there skin colour
• black people were refused entry into pubs, restaurants & nightclubs
• The Metropolitan Police= responsible for law & order in Notting Hill- not trsuted by black people
• Notting Hill riots-1958

  1. 30th August 1958- 400 white people angered by seeing mixed race couple outside pub
  2. attacked homes of Caribbean people
  3. Used petrol bombs, iron bars, knuckle dusters & knifes
  4. Black people defended their homes
  5. Riot lasted 5 days before police restored order
• Impacts of the Notting Hill riots

  • Police refused to accept that the riots were racially motivated
  • Black community refused to accept they had been involved
  • Claiming defence of themselves & their property
  • Organisations were formed to fight for black civil rights
  • These were Inter-Racial Friendship Coordinating Council & West Indian Standing Conference
• Murder of Kelso Cochrane 1959

  1. 17 May 1959 Cochrane (32) murdered by gang of white youths (never caught)
  2. black community were angry as police were too busy claiming it wasn't racial instead of finding murderers
  3. Most newspapers agreed with police=further anger by black (supported with visit from PM of Jamaica)
  4. Funeral attended by blacks + whites in support for community
  5. Members of Inter-Racial Friendship coordinating council asked British PM to make racially motivated violence a crime
  6. Gov allowed white defence league to hold rally in Trafalgar square- 24 May 1959
• Union Movement

  • Far right group led by Oswald Mosley
  • Slogan 'Keep Britain White'
  • Had offices in Notting Hill-deliberate to keep black community fearful
• Oswald Mosley

  • 1959 general election-ran for Parliament to win seat of Kensington North (included Notting Hill)
  • In violent, racial campaign falsely claimed black people were criminals & rapists
  • received 8.08% votes- never recovered from defeat
• Teddy Boys

  • Roamed streets looking for Black people to attack
  • Part of gangland culture that flourished in Notting Hill
• Notting Hill became a focus for Anti Immigrant Groups- fear worsened because migrants believed police wouldn't protect them
• White Defence League

  • Violent organisation demanding Britain should be 'kept white'
  • Office in Notting Hill
  • Later joined with British National Party
• British National Party- a move seen as provocative, intended to encourage violent acts against black people
• Claudia Jones

  • Born in Trinidad, deported from USA 1955 due to civil right activities
  • 1958 moved to Britain
  • Set up West Indian Gazette-First major newspaper for black people
  • Persuaded London Transport to allow black people to rise to senior positions
  • Campaigned against 1962 Commonwealth immigration act
  • Her offices in south London received sack loads of abusive mail
  • persuaded west Indian gazette to sponsor first Caribbean carnival 1959
• Commonwealth Immigration Act-restricted immigration from black commonwealth countries
• In 1950s newspapers were good way of spreading ideas & information. West Indian Gazette became a voice for black community
• Notting Hill Carnival

  • took place at St Pancras Town Hall, London 30 Jan 1959
  • first Caribbean carnival featuring black entertainers (Cleo Laine)
  • Claudia Jones instrumental in organising & running- then moved around all of England
  • 2 years later after Jones's death event moved outdoors
  • Now known as the biggest street festival in Europe
• British Black Panthers

  • formed 1968
  • Campaigned against police brutality & social issues
  • Aimed to build a sense of pride in Black community
  • Leaders: Obi Egbuna, Darcus Howe, Altheia Jones-LeCointe & Olive Morris
  • By early 1970s had about 3000 members & worked with other groups tackling racism