NOTTING HILL walk (Part 2)
From POWIS SQUARE to GOLBORNE ROAD
In this chapter:
- housing problems and slum landlords - deprivation, resentment, racism: the 1958 RIOTS
- origins of the NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL
Powis Square and around
Originally built as upper-middle class residences, the area experienced dramatic social decline in the 20th century and was described as being "largely a slum area" by the 1930s. The square and surrounding areas were later exploited by the notorious slum landlord Peter Rachman who, in the 1950s and 60s, had acquired many properties on the square and in the surrounding area.[2]
In 1968, the council bought the garden square[1] after a series of 'break-ins' by activists campaigning for social change towards the end of slum-era Notting Hill.[3]Today, Powis Square Gardens is now one of three publicly-accessible pocket parksin the Portobello Road area along with Tavistock Gardens, and Colville Square Gardens
No 25. “Performance” film location and POWIS SQ. GARDENS
In 1962, The Rolling Stones' Brian Jones lived on the west side of the square.
25 Powis Square was used for exterior scenes in Nicolas Roeg's 1970 film Performance, starring James Fox and Mick Jagger (TURNER’S HOUSE in Performance. Mick JAGGER is TURNER PURPLE, jaded rock star).
The square is also referenced in the 1985 song "E=MC²" by Big Audio Dynamite, which was partially inspired by the film.
Lemmy Kilmister made his debut as a bass player for Hawkwind at a free open air concert at a park on Powis Square in August 1971 (NHC).
Roy Stewart ran a basement gymnasium at 32A Powis Square, Kensington, west London which was opened in 1954.
Site of ALL SAINTS HALL. 1966. PINK FLOYD
Meetings to plan community action. Many concerts in aid to fund LONDON FREE SCHOOL (26 POWIS SQ)
Used as well for children in plays and theatrical events (SHAKESPEARE IN HARLEM)
PINK FLOYD virtually launched their career.
1969. HOWLAND and GROUP X.
BOWIE, QUINTAESSENCE.
Talbot Road
ROUGH TRADE moves here. 1983
1985. NIRVANA
1991. KURT COBAIN & COURTNEY LOVE. RAINCOATS reform. Tour with NIRVANA. Before KC shots himself.
103. Site of GLOBE BAR
Progressive rock. YES group practice mid-70s.
SHEBEENS
Peter Rachman, slum landlord, and Rachmanism
By the end of the 19th c. the houses dilapidated, lack of funds to upkeep them. Divided into flats, rooms.
Students.
WREN COLLEGE. Young men destined for the Indian Civil Service (“Little India”).
Decline continued into the 1950s.
PETER RACHMAN came to the scene: this became the heart of his shady empire. And others, like controversial, erratic MICHAEL X emulated him.
Polish (b.1919). WW2 Resistance. From an estate agency in SHEPHERD BUSH to an empire of up to 100 rundown , subdivided, houses. Taking advantage of the suppression of statutory rent controls. , with the arrival of immigrants from Africa and the West Indies, helped them find accommodation but overcharging them and evicting them when he wanted, as he had done with the working class white people who previously lived here.
Flats, prostitution , gambling, night clubs, property development… A network of 33 companies, as discovered by the MET. POLICE. MX and JOHNNY EDGECOMBE (Jazz promoter and the man who fired the shots that set off the PROFUMO AFFAIR) helped run.
PR was prosecuted for brothel keeping.
In 1960, PR had a deal with the KRAY TWINS.
The truth investigated in The Real Rachman was much more mysterious. How could it fail to be when only four photographs of him exist? When there is no film or recording of him to reveal the sinister high-pitched voice that witnesses describe?
A biographer who investigated the tales of harassment in 1979 could not find any tenants to authenticate the claims made in the media. He was said to be the only landlord who would let rooms to West Indian immigrants (‘the first man who put a roof over my head and I will always be grateful to him,’ says one elderly ex-tenant who arrived from Trinidad) and was even called ‘too soft to be a landlord’ by the estate agent who sold him properties around Powis Square in the very different Notting Hill of the late 50s.
NH August/September 1958 Riots
Insalubrious dwellings. A community of downtrodden white residents. Racism.
4 days of violence. Mobs congregating around POWIS SQ. and going on a smashing rampage against West-Indian homes,
First tension was building up.
“BYE BYE BLACK BIRD .KEEP BRITAIN WHITE” chanted the racists in LADBROKE GROVE
IN BRAMLEY RIAD, MAJBRITT MORRISON was called "Black man's trollop". She was also hit in the back with an iron bar and somebody from the mob called out: "Kill her!” She was arrested when confronted.
Outside a Blues party, BLECHYNDEN ROAD: chants of KILL THE NIGGERS.
Then, Sunday 31rst youngsters congregated around LATIMER ROAD STA. armed with crowbars and knives, to attack randomly black . They turned against the police: COPPERS ARE NIGGER LOVERS.
Monday, 1st Sept: JEFFRE HAMM, associate of OM makes inflammatory statements in front of 700: NH being turned into a brothel… Some shout GO ON BOYS GET YOURS SOME BLACK!
White gangs roaming NH with broken bottles, iron bars… and petrol bombs being thrown into houses.
SEYMOUR MANNING, 26 years old African student, attacked in BRAMLEY Rd.
Tueday 2nd and successive days
Calm descends in the area, still some anti black chants though, a sea of broken glass, with blood everywhere…
NORMAN MANLEY, PM of JAMAICA visits
Aftermath of the riots…
A burst of black pride.
UNITED AFRUCA-ASIA LEAGUE and COLOURED PEOPLE PROGRESSIVE ASSOCIATION founded. “United we stand, Divided we are lumbered “.
The ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLOURED PEOPLE, of AMY DASHWOOD GARVEY (MARCUS GARVEY’s widow) sets up a local office… From this group emerges the idea of a local CARNIVAL.
https://radicalteatowel.co.uk/radical-history-blog/amy-ashwood-the-other-garvey/
A carnival?. Scroll down
PAT McDONALD GATE
In the wake of the riots this area became the focus of community action: I.e lack of safe playing areas
A goat was thrown into an abandoned area of green grass (a good curry goat!)…protests… then council bought the parcel to establish a playground. It took years to get a hut and today’s equipment…
ALL SAINTS church
At the centre of Rev.WALKER’s development project. It had to be abandoned due to lack of funds. 1855.All Sinners in the Mud. Walker’s Folly. Finally opened in 1861, in a more modest style.
Restored after WW2. NINIAN COMPER.
Symbols of ULTRA HIGH CHURCH worship for which it had been renowned under Vicar (1931-61] FATHER JOHN TWISADAY., flamboyant character.
Small CHAPEL OF OUR LADYBOF WALSINGHAM. Pilgrimages.
Statues of saints by DUPOW of BRUGES.
ST.GEORGE’s altar. WW1 MEMORIAL.
Stained glass windows: ST. COLUMBA and 4 national patron saints. WALKER was from ST.COLUMB MAJOR, CORNWALL.
Altarpieces CHAPELs of ST.COLUMBA.and LADY.
Musical tradition and support for MANGROVE STEEL BAND.
Former TABERNACLE, now a community centre
Evangelical churches are founded in the slums of N.K targeting the working classes. Devotional churches but as well social care, education, clinics, soup kitchen..
Founded (here)by a barrister, GORDON FURLONG. But as well many tradesmen (CHARLES DERRY (of D & TOM) set up those places of worship.
Now a social centre and a place of entertainment.
1988. JOE STRUMMER - LATINO ROCKABILLY played here, paying homage to his PORTOBELLO MARKET roots.
CLAUDIA JONES plaque
Carnival Village honours Claudia Jones, 1915 - 1964, publisher, political activist and mother of the Notting Hill Carnival. Organised the first Caribbean Carnival in Britain, 1958.
Born Trinidad. Moved to New York where she became a Communist. Caught up in the McCarthy trials she was imprisoned and then extradited to Britain in December 1955. Became a community organiser after the Notting Hill race riots in 1958. Started an indoor annual event which grew to become the Notting Hill Carnival. Contributed to the lives of West Indians in London. Died at home, Lisburne Road, Gospel Oak. Buried Highgate Cemetery, beside Karl Marx in what was for a long time an unmarked grave but then "a group of youngsters from the Afro Caribbean Organisation in King’s Cross ... raised money to buy a headstone in 1984." From the Camden New Journal.
Basing Street
Former ISLAND RECORDS studios, then ZTT, then SARM WEST. The most important pop & rock site in NH
CHRIS BLACKWELL’ s IR was the first big independent label.
Ska, rocksteady, reggae , then folk, progressive glam rock
JETHRO TULL (Chris Wright’s CHRYSALIS had an ISLAND licensing deal for JT), ROXY MUSIC
1963. BOB MARLEY.
And again in the 70s with THE WAILERS. EXODUS recorded here after BM being shot in Jamaica. Punk-reggae. Rock and reggae fusion. BM was initially sceptical .“ PUNKY REGGAE PARTY recorded by BM, LEE PERRY and ASWAD to accompany JAMMING. “Catch a fire” album.
1973 Stones and BM & W recording at same dates.
1979. Punk girl group THE SILTS signed for ISLAND. Then quit for ROUGH TRADE.
ELVIS COSTELLO.
STONES, LED ZEPPELIN (Stairway to Heaven)
Here Carnival 76. ASWAD. THREE BABYLON. Rioting, evacuation. Later on they played in METRO YOUTH CLUB (TAVISTOCK CR.) surr. by police
VIRGIN was f. with an ISLAND distribution deal for M OLFIELD
1984. ZTT, offshoot label of ISLAND (stolen from VIRGIN). FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD
Band Aid. “Do they know it’s Christmas?”
80s pop stars: Bono, Boy George, Ph.Coll., Duran D, Spandau, Sting, G.Mich, Status Quo, ASWAD…in benefit of the ETHIOPIAN famine
All Saints Road turbulent history NHC’s spiritual home and backstage, epicentre of young Black London, main REGGAE artery
Frontline
From late 60s to early 90s. No-go area. Drug dealing.
Focal point for Black people. Rastafari colours were everywhere and the sound of reggae wafted and boomed from every other car. Shebeens, nearby.
Crowds chatted in the pavement.
MANGROVE STEEL BAND still practices in the street
BOB MARLEY ghost haunts these places
AHDN film location (RINGO)
CARNIVAL TIME OUT 2003 cover. AMY WINEHOUSE.She signed to ISLAND and performed at COBDEN CLUB (KENSAL
Frank Critchlow. THE MANGROVE RESTAURANT
FC from TRINIDAD op. late 60s. His previous venture was the RIO CAFÉ on WESTBOURNE PARK RD., a Black communal centre and a, slightly risqué meeting place for white adventurous people, such as COLIN MACINNES and, later, CHRISTINE KEELER and friends. All types of people in high places used to go down the ghetto , for their quaint cup of coffee. COURTNEY TULLOCH, Black activist, called it SLUMMING.
Here was a more ambitious project. FC wanted a smarter place, with tasteful decor, and good Caribbean and English food. A social centre for local people during the day and, in the evening, academics, politicians, actors, musicians… SAMMY DAVIS, NINA SIMONE, V. REDGRAVE, MAURICE BISHOP (revolutionary, coup in Grenada), WALTER RODNEY (father of PANAFRICANISM), DARCUS HOWE, CLR JAMES (lots of people wanted to hear him) FC in WINDRUSH?
But police was always around. Those hippies and bohemians that came to NH scored their dope in ALL SAINTS ROAD… The MR and other venues were regularly raided, in a manner quite disproportionate to the level of crime.
Eventually, in exasperation, FC led a protest March in 1970. Police tried to alter the route, trouble broke out, arrests, and 9 came to trial : THE MANGROVE NINE case. Jury found them innocent..
Conflict continued into the 80s. Drugs became a serious problem. It culminated in 1987 with FC’s arrest. 36 offices gave testimony ag. him but it was proved to be a trumped-up drug charge. Released. He was awarded compensation 3 years later, but he felt defeated. Unable to restrain the conflict between the youth and the met, that would escalate around CARNIVAL days. He sold the restaurant.
PEOPLE’S SOUND RECORDS
MERCURY CARS and MANGROVE INFO.CENTRE, gone,
13 Guitar shop and NINON ASUNI’S bicycle workshop, gone
Site of PHILSEN’s “PHIL INN STA”, a take away, now RIPE TOMATO
SCHMICK
8 Site of CERES Hippie Health Food
Now, classy shops and eateries
St.Luke’s Mews
35
Lemmy of MOTORHEADS squatted l here
Mc.Gregor Road
AMY GARVEY HOUSE
LORD PITT OF HAMPSTEAD
Indian curries or French coffee and pastries?
Site of APOLLO STUDIOS. First ALL SAINTS band.
1992. SHAZNAY LEWIS, SIMONE RAINFORT, MEL BLATT met here. RON TOM took tapes to BASING ST SARM WEST STUDIOD and ZTT signed the girls… and the rest is history.
Tavistock Road
St.Luke’s Road
1964. AHDN. RINGO STAR
W.H. HUDSON (1841-1922]
Born in a ranch in the Argentinian Pampas. In Britain he produced a series of ornithological studies
Founding member of RSPB.
He wrote the novel GREEN MANSIONS and about the English countryside. HEMINGWAY references him. THE SUN ALSO RISES.
By Anglo-Argentinian Society, unveiled by Arg. ambassador Campora.
A town and several public places in B.A named after him.
HYDE PARK. HUDSON MEMORIAL & BIRD SANCTUARY
Tavistock Crescent
Former METRO YOUTH CLUB and LONDON FREE SCHOOL.
LFS was founded in 1966. F. by white social worker LASLETT and J.HOPPY HOPKINS. Inspired in US free universities and Jewish Free School: play group,adult educational projects, community action… by old guard left: CND, housing activists, a new beatnik and hippie generation… A NOTTING HILL FAYRE, in ALL SAINTS HALL, where PINK FLOID and ANGELICAXHOUSTON played
1968 NH CARNIVAL
Mohammed Ali visited at the request of activist MICHAEL X (MICHAEL DE FREITAS).
The METRO was a popular venue for Black youth often subject of MET raids . Acquittal of METRO FOUR.
More to the West, Aldridge Villas
SARDAR PATEL, GANDHI’s lieutenant
Walkway across A40 WESTWAY and railways. See next chapter
You can skip this part and head towards Portobello Road
After THE PELICAN PH, along TAVISTOCK ROAD. After TAVISTOCK GARDENS, pedestrian area off PORTOBELLO ROAD
4 plaques!
NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL
1959
The first Carnival, organised by local TRINIDARIANS took place in ST.PANCRAS TOWN HALL.
Claudia Jones, Trinidadian, human rights activist based in London, put on a BBC broadcasted indoor ‘Caribbean Carnival’ at St Pancras Town Hall back in 1959. She is widely credited with planting the seeds for Carnival in the UK by doing so.
An appetite for the indoor Caribbean carnival was fed by Trinidadian husband and wife booking agents Edric and Pearl Connor who along with many partners including the West Indian Gazette (which was founded by Claudia Jones) began promoting indoor events in halls dotted around 1960s London.
1965
First Modern Day Carnival: a donkey cart, a clown and jugglers, and, invited by RHAUNE LASLETT O’BRIEN, RUSSELL HENDERSON, who was accompanied by his pan band members Sterling Betancourt, Vernon “Fellows” Williams, Fitzroy Coleman and Ralph Cherry, parading with a steel drum around their neck along TAVISTOCK ROAD, PORTOBELLO ROAD and neighbouring streets, followed by a fire engine. 7.000 people attended, and the police arrested a pantomime horse.
LASLETT was the original organiser of the NHC. Eastender of Native American and Russian origin. An activist, Sheeran from her home a legal advise service. With HOPPY HOPKINS, she founded the LONDON FREE SCHOOL, for adults.
Her dream, her vision was that of a HAMB’ECHA, a festival to bring values to light, to remedy social and racial tensions….that plagued the rundown slum that was this part of London.
Palmer participated in the annual Notting Hill Carnival street festivities since its inaugural event in 1966, and had also been back to Trinidad to study the organisation and artistic forms of the carnival tradition there. He had been thinking of how the London event could be improved, by broadening it to make it more inclusive of all the Caribbean islands as well as of British-born black youth, and he was given the opportunity to begin implementing his plans after taking on the role of carnival organiser in 1973.
ANTHONY PERRY provided the premises from which to operate at 3 Acklam Road. "I don’t think there was a Notting Hill Carnival as the world knows it until 1973 when Leslie Palmer really put some juice into it and turned it into an all-island event".
In the words of Tom Vague: "Under the administration of Leslie Palmer, the Notting Hill Peoples Carnival was transformed into an urban festival of black music, incorporating all aspects of Trinidad’s Carnival... getting sponsorship, recruiting more steel bands, reggae groups and sound systems, introducing generators and extending the route. The attendance went up accordingly from 3,000 at the beginning of the 70's to 30–50,000."
1966
A Nigerian, GINGER JONHSON, an Irish, AGNES O’CONNELL a white NEW ORLEANS style marching band… this was the first multi-cultural H
1969
Situationist group KING MOB featured in his float MISS NOTTING HILL, a girl with a needle stick out f her arm, from which it poured ketchup… a send-up of society’s preoccupation with drugs.
1970s
1970.100.000 people attend the events. Thanks to ALEX PASCAL and the BBC’s BLACK LONDIN radio station. 1976.250.000. Insensitive policing. Police protecting themselves with dustbins lids. Looting. 60 arrests. 450 injured.
1981
1981.New policing methods tested for crowds control: deployment of snatch squads
1987. The worst riots. Indiscriminate violence. A man knifed to death. A man prowling bathe streets with a broken bottle which he shoves into people’s faces. Cara alight. Police charge
1990s
Strenuous efforts have been made during the 80 and 90s to ease the tensions between the Black community and the police, but there are still plenty of doubters among the area’s wealthier and mostly white residents, most of whom switch the alarm system and leave town for the CARNIVAL weekend.
WILLIAM HAGUE leader of the Opposition visits.2 mill
Participants from all London’s ethnic communities. HHC becoming hip. NHC has grown into Europe’s biggest street carnival (RIO is another world). Authorities even consider moving it away.
MAS
STEEL BANDS
STAGES with LIVE MUSIC and DJs
SOUND SYSTEMS
FOOD & DRINKS STALLS
