Saturday, November 30, 2024
Sunday, November 24, 2024
Camberwell Communists and the Nigerian Miners Massacre (1949)
In Nigeria in November 2024, the National Commission for Museum and Monuments 'marked the 75th anniversary of the massacre of 21 coal miners at Iva Valley, Enugu, by the colonial masters. It could be recalled that 21 coal miners were shot dead in Enugu on Nov. 18, 1949, by the colonial masters for agitating for better working conditions and improved welfare packages'.
A monument to the massacre in Nigeria |
The massacre took place at a British owned mine under British colonial rule. It sparked protests throughout the country that strengthened the movement for independence. During these protests a young Nigerian who had lived in Camberwell was among those killed, having returned to Nigeria only a couple of weeks earlier. Odilia Asaka was a young Nigerian law student who lived in De Crespigny Park. He had given demonstrations of African songs to Peckham Secondary Girls School and was a member of the Camberwell branch of the Communist Party, and his death was announced at a CP meeting at Peckham girls school by Tom Gibson (I believe the school was on the site of what is now Harris Academy Peckham).
The Secretary of the State for the Colonies at the time was Arthur Creech Jones, the former secretary of Dulwich Independent Labour Party. When he came to speak at a Labour Party meeting at Grafton Hall, Dulwich on 24 November 1949 he was shouted down by Nigerians in the audience with cries such as .‘Our people have been shot. You live on our sweat. When we ask for money you give us bullets'.
The Labour Party blamed the Communist Party for the disruption of the meeting. For their part the Camberwell CP were happy to stand by the Nigerian protestors and passed a resolution that denounced 'the acts of brutality being committed against Nigerian miners who are striking for a better standard of living. For the Labour Government to allow such atrocities to continue is a complete negation of the principles of the British Labour movement and the Colonial Secretary is urged to take action and arrest and charge with murder those who authorised the shooting, grant workers their wage demands, give pensions to dependents of murdered miners and convene immediately a democratically elected constituent assembly and enable them to choose the form any government of Nigeria should take' (South London Observer, 9 December 1949). Nigeria became independent in 1960.
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Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Giggs in Nunhead
Was it really ten years ago that Katy B and Ikonika were chatting online about Ayre's the Baker in Nunhead? At the time I described it as 'the number one bakers for the London post-dubstep scene'. Not sure if there's been too much music action there since - have spotted members of Foals at the shops there in the past, though not actually in the bakers.
But today Ayre's reclaimed its crown. Giggs was not just in the shop but took it over for a day with oat milk company Oatly to promote its brand of vegan custard, much loved by the lactose intolerant Peckham raised rapper. Neighbouring pizza place Dinner for 100 managed to get a photo of hm in there with one of their pizzas.
@dinnerforonehundred |
Thursday, November 14, 2024
People's Habitat: a festival of Alternative Living' - Surrey Docks, 1976
Friday, November 01, 2024
The Water Chorus/Third Revival at Acoustic Anarchy
Another great line up this weekend at Acoustic Anarchy, the regular night at waterintobeer in Brockley (209-211 Mantle Road, London SE4 2EW):
'The next acoustic anarchy on Saturday November 2nd, sees two of our favourite folk groups combine for what promises to be a special night. Third Revival take a mix of traditional songs and their own material and give it a dark edge, with vocals, guitar and fiddle.
The Water Chorus also work with traditional folk songs and have multiple instruments, giving the songs an energetic treatment with a lively dash of humour.
Each group will do a set and then combine to do a joint set, which we're really looking forward to. Regular host Martin Howard completes the bill. Starts at 7.30, music from 7.45. Suggested £5 donation entry, which all goes to the artists! No-one turned away for lack of funds'
I saw The Water Chorus there earlier in the year and think they are going to bigger places, so catch them while you can. Some great Scottish and other songs, including a version of Comin' thro' the Rye.
Update: this was great, Water Chorus' usual singer Caitlin Chalmers was away, with Ali Lawrenson and Jack Saville joined instead by Sophie Grenfell. Nice to hear a few lines of (Scots) Gaelic, they did a version of the old fairy song 'Tha mi sgith' and also did a join set with Third Revival
The Water Chorus and Third Revival at waterintobeer, November 2024 |
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Peckham Day of the Dead
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Edward Said visits C.L.R. James in Brixton
Just been reading Timothy Brennan's 'Places of mind: a life of Edward Said' in which he mentions the great Palestinian/American intellectual visiting Brixton in 1987, 'Paying his respects to an ailing C.L.R. James in Railton Road... Said had made the pilgrimage, in fact, to honor James's contributions to art and to black liberation. But even though, like Said, James had lived for a long time in the United States and praised autodidacts (and was himself one), his political experiences were starkly different. James had spent much of his life in Trotskyist parties organizing labor or battling with Caribbean nationalist leaders in a bid to create a West Indian federation. His tastes as a critic went much more in the direction of popular culture (especially Hollywood film) than Said's. More than anything, though, by the time of his visit, James's familiarity with Said's stature was limited. Only a few weeks earlier, the great civil rights activist and former Black Panther Stokely Carmichael had visited, and it was not clear James (who was not one to stand on ceremony) knew exactly who he was. Only when Said mentioned that he played piano did the two men settle in. In the hour and a half they spent together, they talked almost exclusively about Beethoven's sonatas and their dislike of Verdi and Puccini. Later, Said sent James a cassette of Gould's performance of The Goldberg Variations, to which James warmly replied
A copy of James' letter to Said was posted on twitter by uptownberber last year
As I've mentioned here before, James had many visitors upstairs at 165 Railton Road where he lived out the last years of his life. This visit was in the year I moved to Brixton where I spent much time in Railton Road. Nice thinking about whose paths I may have crossed in the streets
Friday, October 11, 2024
Sydenham Garden
Wednesday, October 09, 2024
20 Years of Transpontine!
There have been 3,111 posts on Transpontine over the last 20 years. At first these were mainly short listings, and even adding photos was tricky. Later things occasionally got more substantial. Here's a selection of some of my favourite posts.
Music has always been a big part of the blog, lots of local up and coming artists have been featured in the Music Monday slot and some more well known ones - who can forget finding out about the A-ha Sydenham connection or Marvin Gaye in Deptford? My personal favourite music post though was the one about Katy B, Ikonica and Nunhead bakers. Also important to me were Little Earthquakes.... Independent Record Labels in SE London (2017) and No Frills Band and 20 years of South London folk sessions. I have enjoyed documenting countless musical, TV and film connections to the Rivoli Ballroom in Crofton Park.
Friday, September 27, 2024
Vox Populi party in Brockley 1993
1993 and a party in Brockley put on by Vox Populi sound system to raise funds to replace their rig which had been stolen from the Deptford Urban Free Festival in Fordham Park shortly before ('local people built the rig for free parties and festivals'). Venue was a furniture warehouse on Mantle Road.
flyer from 56a Info Shop archive |
Krumpo on twitter recalls going to another party at the warehouse, possibly put on by people from Spiral Tribe after most of them had moved to the continent. SE London based Vox Populi also roamed Europe in 1994 helping to spread the free party vibe in France and at early Teknivals in the Czech Republic. They also apparently did a party on a boat at Deptford Creek.
Didn't go to any of these Brockley parties, though I went to plenty of free parties elsewhere in town round then and also to the Fordham Park festival itself.
Any memories of these events or other South London free party/sound system tales? I known Hekate sound system were based at a squat in Brockley's Foxberry Road in the 1990s.
Update:
Have been sent confirmation that Bridge House was the Mantle Road furniture warehouse (as it was in the 1990s) and it was on the site of what is currently the Costcutter store behind Brockley Station. Compare Google pics from 2008 and now (2024). There's more at the planning application from 2007. So next time you are walking the aisles of that shop you may hear the ghosts of free parties past.
Mantle Road 2008, furniture warehouse on left, vacant site from demolished Maypole pub on right. |
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
New Cross Skyline
Friday, September 06, 2024
The World to the Eel is a Net
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
New Beer at Planet Wax, New Cross
Planet Wax, the record shop/bar at 318 New Cross Road has teamed up with brewers Deya to create their very own pale ale: 'Very Good Plus'. They had a launch event for it on Saturday 17th August.
They have the beer on tap as well as in cans and I can report that it is very refreshing pint that goes down well with the traditional Planet Wax diet of drum & bass and electro
Sunday, August 11, 2024
Lewisham Olympic Medals at Paris 2024
I don't think there is an Olympic league table for London boroughs, but think we can claim at least four medals from Paris 2024 for Lewisham, which is more than many participating countries have managed. At least three medalists previously represented Lewisham in the London Youth Games.
Alex Yee won gold in the men's Triathlon with one of the most exciting finishes of the games, and also picked up a bronze medal in the Triathlon mixed relay. Alex grew up in Brockley Road and joined Kent Athletic Club, based at Ladywell Arena, as well as Crystal Palace Triathletes Club. He went to Stillness Primary School and Kingsdale secondary school. After previous success at Tokyo Olympics, his gold medal was painted on to the Brockley train station mural by artist Lionel Stanhope. Now the mural has been repainted as Brockyee.
Alex Yee in 2021 |
photo from JanecandoSE4 |
Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix won a bronze medal in the synchronised 10 meter platform diving. Andrea went to John Stainer Primary School in Brockley and Harris Academy Bermondsey secondary.
Were there any other Lewisham competitors? Certainly some other South Londoners, including Kye Whyte from Peckham BMX who had a crash in Paris and Ethan Hayter who won a cycling silver in the the men’s team pursuit. Hayter hails from West Norwood, and like Fred Wright who took part in Olympics road race, trained as a youngster at Herne Hill Velodrome (as has Alex Yee).
Well done all. Once again this shows the importance of local community sports facilities like Ladywell and Sutcliffe Park running tracks and Herne Hill Velodrome, as well as the volunteer run sports clubs that use them
Thursday, August 08, 2024
Lewisham Stands Against Racism, again
A great turn out at Lewisham clock tower last night for anti-racist rally, part of a big movement of similar actions across the country in response to threats of more far right attacks on mosques and asylum seeker accommodation. After a week of seeing racist mobs on the rampage, including fires starting at a couple of hotels, it it was a great relief to see such large numbers on the streets to oppose them.
In Lewisham there were about 500 people, with banners from Lewisham Trades Council and Stand up to Racism, who called the event. Despite untrue rumours spreading earlier in the day of riots in Lewisham, it was pretty calm with no sign of any far right presence other than a couple of guys spotted wandering around earlier in the day.
Speeches in Lewisham including Stand Up to Racism, local trade unions, Lewisham Islamic Centre etc. One thing that struck me was how often people referred to the local history of racism and anti-racism. Mentions of Lewisham 1977, when the National Front were defeated in street battles, always get a cheer, but there were also references to the movements around the New Cross Fire and the Stephen Lawrence murder. There is a lot of memory and experience in SE London to mobilise, as well as the fresh outrage of a new generation of anti-fascists.
The far right haven't got away and there are challenges ahead, but perhaps a sense that momentum has switched away from them for now.
(I posted a clip of Harold Wilson of Stand Up to Racism speaking on twitter/insta, saying 'If you want to see a migrant go to Lewisham Hospital, we are the ones that are doing the graft'. It went semi-viral getting more than 50k views, which also meant it got some unwanted attention with racists from across the world having something to say about the state of Lewisham of which they know nothing).
See also some other posts on racism, fascism and anti-fascism in South London:
Pro-fascist Tory MPs in 1930s Lewisham
Fighting Fascists in Deptford 1933
'Jews in Lewisham Fight': a 1936 punch up with Hitler fans
Fighting Fascists in Peckham 1937
Southwark Spain Shop, Walworth Road 1937
A racist riot in Deptford 1949
Defending Drag - opposing the far right in Honor Oak, 2023
Tuesday, August 06, 2024
A racist riot in Deptford, 1949
'Coloured man asks: why am I shunned?' |
Sunday, August 04, 2024
Music Monday: Marysia Osa - dreaming of the sea in Lewisham
Marysia Osa is a harpist (among other things) who plays with Levitation Orchestra and Transpontine favourite Laura Misch. Moving from Poland to London as a child, she started playing harp at Trinity Laban in Greenwich. Now signed to Gilles Peterson's Brownswood Recordings, she has an album coming out on October 18th 2024 - 'harps, beats and dreams'.
The opening track 'seatime' has been released and was played on BBC R6 Music this week, with Mary Ann Hobbs saying that it was 'written in a bedroom in Lewisham dreaming of the ocean'.
London Land Justice Fair in Myatt's Fields
Enjoyed the London Land Justice Fair in Myatt's Fields Park in Camberwell last month (21st July 2024), lots of stalls and chats plus a meeting marquee where I went to an interesting session on 'who owns London?'. Before I went I wasn't too sure about the concept of 'land justice' but I came away thinking that it's quite a neat way of framing the connections between housing, environmental, food and other issues which ultimately come down who owns and controls land and buildings, and who determines what uses they are put to.
As explained in 'Towards a Manifesto for Land Justice' (2024):
'‘Land’ is all the earth’s resources: the physical surface of the earth, both land and water, urban and rural, what lies beneath, and the atmosphere above. Land is also more than its physical attributes. Land is home to people and other species. It contains history, memories, stories, dreams and aspirations. It is a ‘place’ that people are rooted in, the context in which their lives are played out.
However, for centuries land has been an economic asset for a small minority, its value determined by how it is used and priced by the market, displacing the majority - physically, economically, socially, politically and culturally'.
'Let's make London a Commons!' |
Anyway People's Land Policy have put together a nice short film of the event which captures its conversational feel -