The Windrush Story

THE WINDRUSH STORY

The Empire Windrush in 1954. Photograph: Hulton Getty

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jan/25/bank-holiday-celebrate-windrush-generation

                                         

                                 © Joseph Haywood Magee / Getty Images, 1956, West Indian Arrivals

http://www.burnedshoes.com/post/43513872763/josephhaywoodmagee

On 24^th May 1948 the Empire Windrush set off from Jamaica and arrived on June 22^nd 1948 at the Tilbury Harbour, Essex in London.  The cargo was four hundred and ninety Jamaicans from the West Indies, seeking a new life in Britain.  The fare was £28.00 and 10 shillings one way. 

The immigrants settled in areas like Kensington, Manchester, West Midlands and Birmingham, but accommodation was in short supply and many British nationals resented the influx of immigrants.  Many were turned away from lodgings, shared and were crammed into one room.  The sign  
    “SORRY NO COLOUREDS, NO IRISH, NO DOGS” was displayed on the doors.

West Indians faced extreme racism and race relations politically, culturally and socially was unstable.  John Richards who came over in the Wind rush Era said" They tell you it is the 'mother country', you're all welcome, you all British. When you come here you realize you're a foreigner and that's all there is to it” (Richard, J. 1948) 

The windrush photographs were taken in order to document and record for historical purposes, by government agencies and the world media.  These images are an important part of the British Empire and how the caribbean immigrant arrived via the windrush.  The windrush photographs are part of an important time in British history as it was document what was happening at the time.

The contents of the photos shows this brought with it an artistic period of caribbean poets, writers, musicians and artists.  A period of mass migration from the new commonwealth countries.  West Indians were the first group of non-white immigrants to settle in Britain after world war two.

Wedding Day March 13th 1965

My Mum and Dad came to England in October 1961 on the ship called the Surrenter, which docked in Southampton.

The journey lasted Ten days and the fare cost $365 Eastern Caribbean dollars.  My parents remember how cold and white it was, as they had never seen snow before or thick black fog.

My parents settled in East London, Hackney and accommodation was difficult as my mum had to share with all men as women were not allowed, she had to hide from the landlord.

Jobs were easy to find in the Transport Industry and the Hospitals, but the people were hostile and unfriendly and they experienced racism.  My Mum remembers Teddy boys causing trouble and picking fights on the streets, just because of the colour of your skin.  However it was not all bad there were some friendly people in London. 

References

BBC- History (2011) BBC- History in depth: Windrush -Arrivals. [Online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/modern/arrival_01.shtm (Accessed 270313)

BBC-Home (2008) Birmingham Your Community. [Online]. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/content/articles/2008/06/19/windrush_60th_anniversary_feature.shtml [Accessed 27/03/13]

Phillips, M., (2011) Windrush -The passengers. [Online]. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/modern/windrush_01.shtml (Accessed 27/03/13) 

http://mylens1.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/the-windrush-story.html

                                          

                         

The New Cross Fire

13 DEAD AND NOTHING SAID

New Cross Fire Victims



http://www.ligali.org/images/new_cross_fire_victims_400.jpg



Learning from the New Cross Fire 30 years on

http://www.ligali.org/images/newcross3.jpg





Some 20,000 people marched through central London on the Black People’s Day of Action in March 1981 (Pic: John Sturrock)

http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/chimage.php?image=2011/2282/actionday.jpg

The 18^th January 1981 was a tragic day when 13 black young people died in a house fire at 493 New Cross road.  They were just 13 ordinary young people at Yvonne Ruddock birthday party,  a happy occasion for what was to be their last.  Many believed and suspected it was a racially motivated attack, but however an inquest concluded and returned an open verdict.

In the 1980s the black community faced a series of racist attacks in South London, such as fire bombings in nightclubs in New Cross and Deptford.  The community blamed the press and the police for the lack of investigation and sympathy for the victims.  This led to the press and politicians going against the local community.  The Sun reported negative images of The Black People Day of Action on Monday 2^nd of March in 1981 headlines read “The Day the Blacks Ran Riot in London”  The New Cross Fire (1981).

The black People Day of Action was the biggest mobilisation of black people ever in Britain, over 20,000 people marched from Fordham Park to Hyde Park carrying plaques and banners read ‘Thirteen dead and nothing said,’ Blood nah go run if justice no come’ and ‘No Police Cover-up. The New Cross Fire (1981)

The images of the victims of the New Cross Fire were taken to document what happened, a historical record.  Also as reminder for memory for the families and friends of the victims in order for them to be remembered, a visual record.

It is now 2013 and no one or persons have been brought to justice.  Its been over 20 years and no further investigation, no answers we are stilling waiting.  However on the same weekend  a number of white teenagers died in a fire at a disco in Ireland, which prompted an immediate response of condolence from Buckingham palace.  To the Black families of those who died in Deptford nothing, which added fire to the fuel that the police and the establishment regarded the deaths of the Black children as unimportant.  To Yvonne Ruddock and others you are important,  gone, but not forgotten.

New Cross Fire 1981 video WATCH & DIGEST

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG9ah0WCRt0



Now at 439 New cross Road is a smart terraced house, but a plaque has been placed on the building in remembrance of those who died.  It's an official recognition of the site where a tragedy occurred.

http://853blog.com/2011/01/18/the-new-cross-fire-30-years-on/

References

AfricansArise (2010) New Cross Fire: 1981. [Online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG9ah0WCRt0 (Accessed 21/03/13)

AfricansArise (2010) New Cross Fire: Black community Responds. [Online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7ASlNOnA_E (Accessd on 22/03/13)

Barling, K. (2007) BBC-Barling's London: New Cross Fire-a turning point?  [Online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/kurtbarling/2011/01/new_cross_fire_-_a_turning_poi.html (Accessed 21/03/13)

4WardEver Uk (2008) The New Cross Fire. [Online] Available at: http://4wardeveruk.org/cases/youth-cases-uk/miscarraiges-2/the-new-cross-fire/ (Accessed 12/03/13)

SuperXavier30 (2010) Bejamin Zephania 13 Dead wmv. [Online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Chm8TtUQp4 (Accessed 22/03/13)


http://mylens1.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/the-new-cross-fire_23.html

Gender Studies: Bettina Rheims

GENDER STUDIES BY BETTINA RHEIMS

Kael T. B. 1, Paris June 2011

http://www.welt.de/regionales/duesseldorf/article106235012/Das-dritte-Geschlecht-mal-Mann-mal-Frau.html 

 Edward V.111 paris , June 2011

http://blog.zeit.de/zeitmagazin/2012/04/20/bettina-rheims-im-nrw-forum/

I visited Hamilton’s a private gallery in central London, I was overwhelmed with a series of B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L portraits.  I had no idea what the exhibition was called or who the artist was.  The faces were perfect and visually attractive on the eye, but their bodies showed a darker side of the portraits, the body in the process of pain and transformation.

Bettina Rheims started her career as a model, journalist and gallery owner; in 1978 she became a photographer. She was born in France in 1952 and became a Photographer in 1978 and embarked upon photographic projects, which brings her closer to herself.  She says 'Being an artist means trying to figure out who you are through your work, drawing closer to what you are and what you don’t want to be-and closer to what you don’t want to go through.' (Rheims, B. 2103)   

Rhiems career has been exhibited worldwide in the public and private collections.  She has worked in the commercial world with leading brands like Chanel and Lancôme and also celebrities like Claudia schiffer and Kylie Minogue.

The Gender Studies project is about transsexuals, men and women changing physically, men to women, women to men and a third gender of dual identity.   The portraits are visually stunning in the facial area.  The prints are chromogenic prints mounted on an aluminium, very professional and it has a three dimensional feel, as if the image is coming out at you.

Overall this exhibition was an eye opener into the world of transsexuals, man or women or other, does it matter.  The answer to the question is controversial debate, however it moved me the beauty in the face, but the pain in the scars on the body made me feel uneasy and emotional.  The face portrays peace and happiness, but the body reveals torment and sadness, like beauty and the beast in one single image.

References

Carey, P. (2013) 'Bettina Rheims Gender Studies 'Review of Bettina Rheims by Paul Carey, Potomonitor. [Online] Available at: http://www.photomonitor.co.uk/2013/02/bettina-rheims-gender-studies/ (Accessed 07/03/13)

Limited, Art (2013) Bettina Rhiems Gender Studies. [Online] Available at: http://www.artlimited.net/news/en/7581980 (Accessed 07/03/13)

Hamilitons (2013) Gender Studies by Bettina Rheims. [leaflet obtained in Hamiltons art Gallery], 1 March 2013.


http://mylens1.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/gender-studies-bettina-rheims.html