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People, Places, Events


September 5th: Today’s Feature - The Flamingo Club
The Flamingo Club was a Jazz nightclub in Soho, London, between 1952 and 1969. It was located at 33–37 Wardour Street from 1957 onwards and played an important role in the development of British rhythm and blues and modern jazz. During the 1960s, the Flamingo was one of the first clubs to employ fully amplified stage sound and used sound systems provided by ska musicians from the Caribbean. The club had a wide social appeal and was a favourite haunt for musicians
Sep 5


September 4th: Today’s Feature - Tilbury Docks, Essex
On 22 June 1948, 492 Caribbean people were brought to Tilbury Docks, Essex, in the UK, on the Empire Windrush ship. News reports at the time reported that the number of people was 492, but the ship's records show that the ship was carrying 1,027 passengers. According to the passenger lists, 802 of those on board the ship gave their last country of residence as somewhere in the Caribbean. After World War II, the United Kingdom's economy needed to be repaired. To do so, the Bri
Sep 4


September 3rd: Today's Feature - Nurse Princess Campbell
Princess Campbell MBE was born on 9th July 1939 in Kingston, Jamaica. Her family always listened to the radio and heard the invitation ‘Your mother country needs you’. Princess told us that she had no idea what the Mother Country’ was but it sounded like a good place and many of her young relatives and neighbours were leaving home for other countries, to find a better life.  So Princess, aged 23, encouraged by her mother, took a ship (just like the now famous Windrush) to Eng
Sep 3


September 2nd: Today’s Feature - Pt II Frank Bruno 1995 Heavyweight Boxing Champion
Growing up with five brothers and sisters in a terraced London house, Frank Bruno started at age 9 at the local Wandsworth Boys Club. He learned to box seriously while at Oak Hall School in Sussex, an establishment for ‘problem’ children.
As an amateur boxer he amassed a 20-1 career, losing only to (and eventually beating) Joe Christie while representing the Philip Game Amateur Boxing Club.His amateur career culminated with Frank boxing for Young England and becoming the you
Sep 2


September 1st: Today's Feature - The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE)
The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom which aimed to address racial discrimination and promote racial equality. The commission was established in 1976, and disbanded in 2007 when its functions were taken over by the newly created Equality and Human Rights Commission.
History
The Commission was established by the Race Relations Act 1976, under James Callaghan's Labour government.
Sep 1


August 31st: Todays Feature - Jean "Binta" Breeze
Jean "Binta" Breeze, MBE (11 March 1956 – 4 August 2021) was a Jamaican dub poet and storyteller, acknowledged as the first woman to write and perform dub poetry. She worked also as a theatre director, choreographer, actor, and teacher. She performed her work around the world, in the Caribbean, North America, Europe, South-East Asia, and Africa, and has been called "one of the most important, influential performance poets of recent years".
Aug 30


August 30th: Today's Feature - Notting Hill Carnival Riots 1976….3 Perspectives
In August 1976 I was sent to cover the Notting Hill carnival for the Socialist Worker. There was the smell in the air of trouble brewing. The police had already said there was going to be a strong presence, because there had been some trouble the year before. Based on the fact – or fiction – that there were pickpockets in crowds, police in that period took a consistently heavy-handed approach to any large group of black people.
Aug 29


August 29th: Today's Feature - David Lawrence
Born in Gloucester, England to Jamaican parents, by the age of 17, David Lawrence, was playing for Gloucestershire, opening the bowling with Courtney Walsh. His vigorous bowling action generated great pace, although at times he was also prone to inaccuracy. He toured Sri Lanka with an England 'B' side in 1985-6. He was later named the 1985 Cricket Writers' Club Young Cricketer of the Year.
Aug 28


August 28th: Today's Feature - The Voice Newspaper
The Voice, founded in 1982, is a British national African-Caribbean newspaper operating in the United Kingdom. The paper is based in London and was published every Thursday until 2019 when it became monthly. It is available in a paper version by subscription and also online.
History
The Voice was founded in 1982 by Val McCalla who was working on a London local paper called the East End News in 1981. He and a group of businesspeople and journalists created a weekly newspaper
Aug 27
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