Notting Hill Flashcards
(60 cards)
How did bomb damage impact influx of migrants?
-German bombing raids had badly damaged Britain’s major cities
-there was a great need to restore both Britain’s landscape and its economy (Britain was indebted £21 million by 1945)
In London alone, how many buildings had been damaged/ destroyed?
damaged: nearly 2 million
destroyed: 70,000
How did societal reform impact migration after WW2?
-new Labour government elected in 1945 began creating a welfare state: the British Rail, NHS and London Transport all needed worker
Why was there a labour shortage after WW2?
many people believed that they would lead better lives in places like Canada or America and so decided to emigrate
Between 1945-1960, how many people left Britain?
nearly 1.5 million
What was the 1948 British Nationality Act?
it gave everyone in the Commonwealth the right to live and work in Britain
Why was there especially an influx of Caribbean migrants?
-wages in Britain were often 4 times higher than in the Caribbean
-they felt a loyalty to their ‘mother country’ for whom they had fought for two world wars (around 10,000 men from the Caribbean volunteered to join Britain’s armed forces to help defeat Germany)
Why was there poverty and starvation after WW2?
-rationing of all foods didn’t end until 1954
-a severe winter in 1947 disrupted Britain’s coal production and energy supplies leading to further food shortages
Why did Caribbean migrants settle in Notting Hill?
-job vacancies
-British companies such as London Transport advertised jobs in Caribbean newspapers + NHS ran a recruitment program in the Caribbean
-many were living unemployed and in poverty: natural disaster in 1944 led to a decline in the price of its main export, sugar
-railways: Paddington Station is very close to Notting Hill- first station at which the trains carrying Caribbean migrants stopped
-few landlords elsewhere would rent houses to people from the Caribbean (colour bar)
Who were the Windrush Generation and why were they nicknamed this?
refers to individuals who migrated to the UK from Caribbean between 1948 and 1971. The name “Windrush” derives from the ship HMT Empire Windrush, one of the first ships that transported a large group of Caribbean migrants to the UK in 1948.
What housing problems were associated with Notting Hill?
-had to pay high rents; there was no law as to what they could charge ( often 2-3 x what they charged white tenants): landlords took advantage of lack of choice black migrants had
-homes were overcrowded (Landlords applied to change properties into HMOs)
-landlords rarely invested in their properties: wanted to make as much profit as possible
What are HMOs?
Houses of Multiple Occupation: large houses that were split into smaller, often overcrowded, flats or rooms and rented out to multiple families or individuals
Give one example of a slum landlord in Notting Hill?
Peter Rachman:
-owned 80 properties in Notting Hill
-one of few to rent to black people
By 1959, how much was he making a year renting to Caribbean migrants?
£80,000
What was the 1965 Rent Act?
a system to ensure that people were being charged fair rents for housing
Why was this act necessary?
-unlike most white people, Caribbean migrants weren’t protected by a statutory tenancy agreement which controlled rent and ensured that landlords gave a minimum notice period for evictions
Who was Bruce Kenrick and what did he do?
-He was a minister in the United Reform Church
-lived in Notting Hill and was appalled by conditions Caribbean migrants were forced to endure
-in 1963, he founded the Notting Hill Housing Trust which aimed to provide decent houses with affordable rent to people in the community
How much did his first campaign raise?
£20,000
By 1970, how many people did NHH house in Notting Hill and West London?
1,000 people
What was the initial purpose of Portobello Road market?
it’s market adapted to the needs and demands of the new Caribbean community- market traders began to sell new foods which were in demand such as yams, dasheens and sweet potatoes
How did it become a strong music scene by the 1960s?
-in 1969, Island Records, a famous music company, moved from Jamaica to Portobello Road- its most famous artist was Bob Marley
What kind of musical styles did Island Records bring over?
calypso, jazz and ska
Can you give examples of small businesses established by Caribbean migrants in Notting Hill?
due to the colour bar, black people were often rejected from pubs, cafes and restaurants:
-the Apollo on All Saint Road was the first pub to serve black people in London
-in 1959, Frank Chrichlow opened El Rio Cafe which served Caribbean food and acted as a social space for migrants
-he later opened the Mangrove- considered the first black owned restaurant in the area
How did black music and entertainment evolve in Notting Hill?
-radio stations wouldn’t play music written by a black person: ska, reggae, calypso and R&B could only be heard on illegally run pirate stations
