Episode 2 Back in Time for Brixton

Meet the Irwins - Janice...

Oh, I'm in heaven!

..Weininger...

HE LAUGHS

..Tiana...

Did people actually eat these?

..Breanne...

I thought you said rat.

..Shelasah and Romane.

ALL CHEER

They're going back in time, through 50 years of black British history.

Starting in 1948,

they'll discover how post-war Caribbean immigration

changed the way we all live,

from leisure...

to work...

Any more fares, please? Any more fares, please?

BELL DINGS

..music...

..to sport...

-Oh!

-LAUGHTER

..and how it all started in one London suburb.

Look at this room, I'm going to die.

Last time, the Irwins found out about the hard work and achievements

of the Windrush generation...

Any more fares, please?

Double six, see that?

Three, two, one.

..as they lived through the 1950s and '60s.

I had one of these literally sitting on my bed.

Now, in 1970, the Irwins are moving into a new era.

# People moving out People moving in

# Why? Because of the colour of their skin

# Run, run, run But you sure can't hide... #

It's 22 years since the Windrush docked and mass immigration

from the Caribbean began.

But the mood is changing.

An infamous speech by Conservative MP Enoch Powell

marked a turning point.

In 15 or 20 years' time,

the black man will have the whip hand over the white man.

And by 1971, a new immigration act would settle

all automatic rights for Commonwealth citizens

to settle in the UK.

But there was already a sizeable black British community

and as antagonism towards them rose, racism was freely voiced.

There never has been and there never will be a coloured Englishman.

In Brixton, there was a new generation of black Britons,

born in the UK,

who would have to find their way through these tumultuous years.

I'm back in Brixton with social historian Emma Dabiri

to see the Irwins' new house

and find out what changes this decade will bring to the family.

Whoo-hoo! Look at this. It's a house this time.

Yeah, so they've certainly upgraded, lots more space.

A whole different proposition.

And there seem to be sort of plastic runners on the floor.

That's very typical of the Caribbean home, that's to preserve the carpet.

Everything has to look really top-notch, spick and span,

that's really crucial.

This isn't the space to just chill,

this is very much in the tradition of the Caribbean front room,

which takes its cue from the Victorian parlour room.

Except for vast amounts of booze.

Yeah, we've got the pineapple that we recognise from the previous flat,

the ice bucket, yeah.

Glad the pineapple's come with it, but this is new.

Yes. This is, in fact, a radiogram

and we can see that despite the name -

which suggests that a radio is the central function -

it's actually all about this record player.

So, home entertainment's greatly improved.

The Irwins haven't just got new mod cons, they're now homeowners.

In the 1970s, councils were building thousands of new homes,

but many black families found it hard to get on the housing lists.

So the alternative was to buy.

And the 1971 census reflects this.

OK, so, private households, persons and rooms by tenure,

-what does this tell us?

-So, this tells us a lot about the figures

for homeownership in the different London boroughs.

What about Lambeth, which is where we are?

If you compare Lambeth to Islington,

it is a far more traditionally white working-class area,

we see 20% has privately owned accommodation,

whereas in Islington it's only 13%.

So, we see there's quite a stark difference

between Lambeth and Islington.

So, in a black borough,

there is a higher level of home ownership than in a white borough -

why would that be?

Um, we can't so starkly kind of define them as black boroughs

and white boroughs,

but we know that for black people at the time, they're still...

It's quite challenging to access council housing.

That kind of leads to this push in private homeownership.

So, in some ways, this shows the difficulty for black people

in getting into a council house, because they had to buy.

Yeah, but then it shows as well

that they're not relying on council houses.

They're actually using their own initiative,

working often multiple jobs, incredibly long hours

and they're actually buying their own homes.

And to buy their houses,

enterprising Caribbean families clubbed together

using a savings scheme brought to Britain by the Windrush generation.

Pardnas - patois for partner - are an informal saving system,

where a group of people pool their money

and each get access to the pot.

Pardnas meant families like the Irwins

could get a deposit for a house much quicker

than if they'd saved on their own.

And in 1970,

houses in Brixton were selling for less than £5,000.

MUSIC: Move On Up by Curtis Mayfield

It's time for the family to step into the '70s

and discover their new home.

Both Weininger and Janice were born in the '60s,

so this is the decade of their own childhoods.

# Hush now, child... #

-Oh, wow.

-Whoa!

Oh, my God!

Look at the plastic on the floor! This is what we had.

-Is that the drinks tray?

-Yeah, the drinks tray.

We've got a nice dining area...

Oh, this is nice.

This is the social area,

cos we've got our seating and we've got a lovely sofa.

Weininger! Did you have a cushion like this?

-Ooh!

-Look here, look here.

-Look at this!

-Look at the Hoover.

-Wow!

-Lovely fridge.

-Oh, yes, yes! Get in!

-Chocolate fingers?

-Yes!

This is still somewhere in our household.

# ..Just move on up... #

'Emma and I are bringing the family

'something to put the finishing touches on their new home.'

-Hi, guys.

-Hi, family!

-JANICE:

-Good, looking good. The hair!

-Brilliant.

-How are you, sir?

All right? I'm very good. How are you?

-Hi, Giles.

-Hi, kids, everything good?

-KIDS:

-Hi!

So, you own your own home now, and what a beautiful home it is.

You're moving onwards and upwards.

You're now going to be driving the bus, not conducting,

-so you'll have more money coming in, so more status.

-OK.

-You're going to be a matron now, so that's...

-Good.

..promotion as well.

Tiana, you're going to be mucking in and helping out.

You three are still at school.

You're the second generation,

so you've got a different relationship to the country

than your parents might have. But despite that,

that doesn't still stop the occasional shouts of "go home"

when you go out on the street.

It being the 1970s,

you're not satisfied without home improvements.

I've brought you a little something,

some exciting wallpaper to remind you of the Caribbean,

which I'm hoping you're going to hang.

-OK.

-That should be interesting.

And from the looks of things, you might think you have enough doilies,

but you can always squeeze in a few more,

-so this is for you and the girls.

-Oh, lovely! Thank you.

There's instructions on what to do with them.

You briefly thought that was dinner, didn't you?

-I did, yeah.

-Yeah.

Home ownership was to boom in the '70s

and so was the nation's love of DIY.

By the end of the decade,

Britain was buying over 21 million gallons of paint

and hanging over 600,000 miles of wallpaper.

And black Britons were no exception.

Weininger and the boys get started,

bringing a bit of the Caribbean to their Brixton home.

-Oh, wow.

-Oh, my days.

Meanwhile, Janice and the girls get to grips with their task,

something vital for every house-proud West Indian mother -

starched doilies.

Having frills all around your house I remember was a big thing

and at the time, as children, we thought it was...

We thought it was nice.

Don't touch 'em, you'll get sticky!

So, we'll start from there...

Bosh!

I think me and Breanne's doilies

will be better than whatever they do there

because my dad's not really a DIY person, so...

-Yeah.

-I think, because I'm part of the project, it'll just be great.

-Yeah, all right!

-Romane, come with the paste for me, please.

Well done, son!

This is a work of art, man.

Your mum's going to want me to do it at home.

How's it going, boys?

-Nearly there.

-It's looking good.

Reminds me of the West Indies.

Pull it over.

Wicked. Touch me.

Unfortunately for the girls, the doilies are a flop.

Yeah, I think the boys actually have done better than we have.

Janice, come and take a look at what we've done.

Let's have a look.

-Oh, wow.

-Wow.

Gives us a nice warm feeling.

-Are you impressed that your dad could do this?

-Yeah, I am.

-KIDS:

-Dad!

-No, no, no, but your dad...

-You know what I mean.

-Irwin and Son!

-Yeah, a bit shaky in the middle.

-A bit shaky in the middle.

-Well, that's the bit that Shelasah put up, innit?

-What?!

# Give me just a little more time... #

So, it's the 1970s and...

yes, this is all my hair.

No wig, natural hair, gang.

This is just so hazy for me, like,

this just feels like an out-of-body experience,

like, wearing this with the cuffs...

Mixed feelings about the next decade we're going through,

but also joyful ones.

Another day means another year in Brixton, and it's 1972.

For Weininger and Janice, both working full time,

tonight's a rare chance to go out together.

I'm ready.

OK, bye, guys!

-ALL:

-Bye!

-Take care, take care, all right.

MUSIC: Shanty Town by Jimmy Cliff

They're off to see The Harder They Come,

a Jamaican film which had its UK debut in Brixton.

# A shanty town

# Dem a loot, dem a shoot Dem a wail

# A shanty town... #

It made a star of singer Jimmy Cliff,

with a soundtrack that brought reggae to the world.

# ..A shanty town

# And rude boy bomb up the town... #

But to begin with, the film struggled to find a UK distributor,

and so the director promoted it himself.

He stood outside Brixton Tube station handing out flyers.

Once word got round, it played to packed houses for over a month.

Weininger and Janice are seeing the film at the same cinema

where it was first shown in 1972.

# You can get it if you really want... #

Wow.

# ..You can get it if you really want... #

Perry Henzell.

# ..You can get it if you... #

-Are you going to rate it all the way through?

-No, but...

# ..Try and try

# You'll succeed at last

# Mm-hm, mm-mm... #

BOTH LAUGH # ..Persecution you must fear... #

With her parents out, Tiana's in charge of dinner.

Luckily for her, the '70s saw a boom in convenience food.

Children my age probably would have had to take care of their siblings,

just make sure the house is in working order

while their parents had gone out.

You can't just let everything go up in the air

as soon as they want to do something else.

Right. Here you are.

-No, it's all right, I don't want any.

-Are you sure?

I'm not hungry.

Yeah, it's fine. Here.

Did people actually eat these?

-Is that cheese?

-Or maybe, but, like... Maybe they didn't.

Maybe that's why Mummy was so skinny when she was younger.

Shels, can you get me that paper, please?

What's on now, then?

Um... Right now, it says Love Thy Neighbour.

"New comedy series about the ups and downs of two couples."

That sounds good.

'Send out one bad man!'

Meanwhile, at the Ritzy, the film has reached its dramatic climax.

'Draw!'

GUNFIRE

I loved the movie. I just saw things in there that I haven't seen before.

And I've never seen him not sleep during a film, so that is amazing.

# Love thy neighbour... #

Love Thy Neighbour was one of ITV's top-rated shows,

with around 9 million tuning in each week.

It was the first British sitcom with a black lead,

but that's its only similarity to The Harder They Come.

'Look, they don't really want us here, man.

-'Yes, we do.

-No, we don't.

-'Eddie Booth...

-I'm agreeing with Bill.

'I don't blame YOU, you know.

'You've been conditioned by your society.

'Yeah...

'Just a minute, what's wrong with our society?

'It supports discrimination against black people.

'No more than you do against us whites.

-BARBIE:

-'Well, have you ever seen a black MP?

'No, but I've never seen a white witch doctor, either.'

I just didn't find it funny. I didn't see...

Shels, I know you found it funny.

No, it just looked ridiculous cos...

I found it funny cos it looked ridiculous.

That's what I found funny.

That's probably what people found funny back then as well.

They just thought it was stupid. But I just don't think...

But it's harmful.

It displays really negative stereotypes of black people

and then what they said about the discrimination thing...

Although people are laughing about, you know, there's no black MP,

but there's black witch doctors and stuff, it...

Like, they're turning it into comedy.

# My life, my life, my life, my life in the sunshine... #

It's 1976, and the family are packing a picnic.

The girls are preparing a traditional Jamaican snack -

sweet bun and cheese.

What, are you just putting that in a sandwich for you?

# ..Everybody loves the sunshine... #

The summer of '76 was famous for a ten-week long heatwave

when Britons basked in temperatures

more often seen in the Caribbean than Brixton.

# ..Folks get down in the sunshine

# Ooh-ooh... #

Taking advantage of the weather, the family have gone to the park.

# ..Yeah-hey

# Folks get brown in the sunshine... #

Along with bun and cheese, they're trying a brand-new drink.

# Lilt

# With a totally tropical taste

# R-R-Refresh... #

Lilt, with its Caribbean flavours and reggae-infused jingle

was actually made in Britain for the UK market,

a sure sign that West Indian culture was becoming mainstream.

# ..A totally tropical taste

# Refreshing... #

But at the same time, the political mood was souring.

In local elections in Leicester that year, the National Front -

a far-right whites-only political party - won almost 20% of the vote.

We do not want to see specifically the city of Leicester

and generally the country as a whole

turned into some sort of mongrelised, multiracial community,

we violently oppose this.

MUSIC: Disco Inferno by The Trammps

Against this backdrop,

the West Indies cricket team arrived in England for what would become

a legendary Test series.

The England team was captained by a white South African, Tony Greig.

The West Indian team, who would go on to win the series,

was led by Clive Lloyd, who's come to meet the family today.

-How are you?

-Hello!

-WEININGER LAUGHS

-How are you keeping?

-Pleased to meet you.

-An absolute pleasure, sir.

-Yeah...

Clive's here to tell them all about the tour

and the incredible impact it had.

# Burn, baby, burn... #

We were probably one of the best teams in the world at that time.

Tony Greig didn't think so.

So he said he would make us grovel, it was quite demeaning.

-Right.

-And here was a white South African, during apartheid time,

telling black guys that he'd make them grovel,

that sort of gave us the impetus that we needed.

-Right.

-And we did extremely well, we won 3-0

and West Indies cricket just grew and grew from there.

MAN YELLS

I remember everybody glued around the television, watching that game.

I remember my neighbours, cos I was in a white area.

They used to be saying, "Why are you cheering on West Indies?

"You were born here!" I said, "I'm West Indian!"

The English were always quite staid and they all sort of...

-They all sort of clapped...

-Yeah, that's right, yeah.

We were very vociferous and enthusiastic

and we made cricket a spectacle.

MAN YELLS

What d'you think of the West Indies team this year?

-Oh, we can murder them.

-They can't be beaten.

-No problem. We can murder them.

-The only time...

-CLIVE:

-The West Indians who were there

then felt, you know, this glue that brought us together...

-Yeah.

-..because if we came from Barbados or Trinidad or Guyana,

when you came to England, you knitted as one,

you felt that you were part of this great team that we had.

Sport brought a lot of things out into the open and people started to

respect us a little bit more.

When you went to work, when you went to school, you walked with an air,

your chest in the air, you know?

-You're just as good as that guy next door.

-That's right.

Since Clive is here with the family,

it would be rude not to play a bit of cricket.

It's right on target!

I can't bend in these pants!

-Aah! Catch...

-Catch it! Catch it!

CHEERING

LAUGHTER

So, we met Clive Lloyd,

captain of the West Indian team in 1976,

which was, you know, it was... amazing.

During that time with everything that was going on,

for West Indians to see, like, other West Indians winning a game

generally dominated by English people,

would have just been, I think, just so uplifting.

MUSIC: Exodus by Bob Marley

# Exodus... #

It's 1977, the year of the Queen's Silver Jubilee.

# ..Movement of Jah people! #

While their parents go out shopping for the celebrations,

Emma has sent the kids something to help them understand

the mood of the 1970s.

-Wait, wait, wait... Shhh!

-"Hi, guys.

"The first generation of British-born Caribbean kids

"were a lot more militant than their parents.

"They fought back against racism, sometimes literally."

That would be you.

"I'm sending you some outfits to get into the mood

"of the times. Emma."

Oh, Shelasah!

Oi!

Look at these boots.

-This trackie's amazing.

-That's...

The style of the Black Panthers and Rastafarians were familiar sights

on the streets of Britain.

These two radical movements

were being taken up enthusiastically by young black Britons.

They gave an identity to a generation born in the UK

that wasn't prepared to quietly put up with discrimination.

Our parents were told that we would be given equal chances

to work with whites and do the jobs that the whites were doing.

And what are we doing now?

I don't feel in any way sort of attached to this country.

This is just somewhere where I live.

I've got to stay here because this is the system,

this is where everything happens.

This is the root of the tree.

And if you can break this root, you can fell a tree.

# ..Next generation

# Will be, hear me... #

On 13th August 1977,

the National Front held one of its biggest rallies.

Up to 1,000 members provocatively marched across south London.

But over 4,000 marched against them.

# ..All the peacemakers

# Turn war officers

# Hear what I say

# He-he-he-he-hey... #

Look at you two!

You look like the poster boys for Jamaica.

-Let me see.

-Yeah...

I want one of these.

It's colourful to say, like, "This is who I am,"

and then in terms of me and Breanne,

I would say it's more a uniform to show sort of solidarity.

What's that big smile on your face?

Cos I've got the beer in the thing, innit?!

-Hi, Mum.

-Hi, Mum.

-Ooh!

-JANICE AND WEININGER LAUGH

People would walk down the street like this, like, yeah, you know?

No, YOU would walk down the street like that.

No, but I'm telling you! When I see you like that, yeah,

but for me, it brings back memories.

Because I know for myself,

going to school, chased by the National Front,

so we needed that kind of...

I don't know, that armour.

We've grown up in an area that was...

more white, and we were trying to find, "Where do we fit?"

We're born here, but it's a West Indian feel.

If people have got a problem with us, it's their problem,

don't make it ours, stand firm. So, yeah, this is...very good!

But it's still the Queen's Jubilee

and we've still got a barbecue to put on.

So, that's it, go out there and show some black British pride.

In June 1977, Britain came together to celebrate the Jubilee.

The Queen toured the country

and even made a special visit to Brixton.

# Queen Elizabeth

# We love the Queen... #

The Irwins have invited friends and family over

to enjoy a Caribbean-style barbecue.

-Wait, is this nice?

-Romane, no-one's had it yet, so we're not sure.

Eat up, be merry. It's all about the Jubilee right now.

Paul, do you remember the Jubilee party?

Sandwiches, crisps, nuts...

Back in 1977,

Janice went to a Jubilee party in her all-white neighbourhood.

It was like a feast for us, and we couldn't wait to go

and everyone dressed up.

We were a very, very, very small minority in our street,

so we were just happy to be there and joining in the celebrations.

-APPLAUSE

-Yay!

Guys, I've got ice cream and some chocolate Flakes and Coke

for Coke floats, if you want.

-Oh, Coke floats!

-JANICE LAUGHS

Lovely!

MUSIC PLAYS OVER SPEECH

Lovely.

I liked the Jubilee party.

I like the clothes that I've got, like...

Let me show you.

Roots, rock and reggae.

It's 1979, and the family have settled into their '70s lives.

# Tarzan, lucky man Swinging from a rubber band

# Fell down, broke his arm What colour was his blood? #

I've got to, guys,

because I really do not want to do anything in this house.

Emma and I have sent the Irwin kids

something to get them into the latest grove.

"We've sent you some home-recording equipment,

"so like every young person in the '70s,

"you can make your very own compilation tapes.

"They weren't called mix tapes then.

"Have fun. Emma and Giles."

Wait...

What is...? Oh, is it a stereo?

-Oh-oh-oh!

-It's a radio CASS-ette recorder.

-Oh, cass-ETTE!

-You're an idiot!

This is why we don't let you read.

Oh, I've got some records.

# Boom, yeah Yeah, yeah, yeah... #

-A microphone.

-Stickers.

As a new generation of black Britons came of age,

they began to create their own music.

And the late '70s saw Lovers' Rock hit the airwaves.

# You... #

It was a distinctly British style of reggae.

Melodic and romantic, it was soon storming the UK charts.

Try it the other way.

-This way?

-No, that's not going to work.

-That's the wrong way.

-Oh, done it.

-Shall I just press "record", then?

-Yeah.

-Right.

Well, that's not it.

You lot are all idiots.

What?

BREANNE LAUGHS

Oh...

MUSIC PLAYS

-It's not turning.

-Probably because...

If the counter's moving, that means that it's turning.

-But the counter's not moving, either.

-So...

-I don't know how to do this at all.

-Breanne, you're supposed to be...

Shall we call Mummy?

Mum, none of us know how to get it to record.

-Oh, you've got it in the wrong way, so take it off.

-Oh!

Shhh!

MUSIC: Silly Games by Janet Kay

I told you we should do that.

-Oh, the counter's moving as well.

-Shhh!

BOTH MOUTH

# I've been wanting you

# For so long, it's a shame

# Oh, baby

# Every time I hear your name

# Oh, the pain

# Boy, how it hurts me inside... #

So, it rewinds...

-Mm.

-Oh, my gosh...

-Oh, so you've got to go all the way back?

-Do you want to play it?

-Mm-hm.

MUSIC PLAYS

You can't hear it properly.

-It's got, like...

-SHE HUMS

It sounds like it's under water.

It is just so time-consuming, yeah.

It's long.

You would never have to do anything like this today.

-You just shuffle your music.

-Yeah.

-You don't have to rewind.

-None of this having to rewind.

-Yeah!

-Oh!

-Cos that's all long.

-Doesn't that Silly Games one...

Doesn't it remind you of just being on the chair, like, tired,

and then all your parents are dancing?

TIANA AND BREANNE GROAN

-"Mum, I'm tired!"

-Yeah.

-"No, just this one!"

-"One second, one second."

-TIANA AND BREANNE:

-# Silly games! #

It's quite funny to see how us kids,

that are meant to be, like, technology-era kids,

couldn't even do something that most adults would see as just so simple.

# Your private life drama, baby Leave me out... #

It's 1980.

There are now large Caribbean communities throughout the UK.

It's the dawning of a decade that would be defined by divisions.

There was prosperity for some,

but much of black Britain would find itself left behind.

Right now, I can't find myself having no prospect, man.

You walk in and they say to you,

"Oh, the vacancy's been filled, apply later."

# ..Your private life drama, baby Leave me out... #

The Irwins, with their own home and steady jobs,

are among the lucky ones.

And they're back to discover the changes

the new decade has brought to their house.

Oh! The couch has changed.

-Oh!

-Yeah, the couch changed.

-Oh, my God.

-Look at the leather couch.

-Leather chair.

-And the hi-fi.

-Colour TV.

-Colour TV.

Oh, my gosh, a toasty!

-Yes!

-A posh toaster.

We have a note here, let's have a look.

-Addressed to...

-ALL:

-The Irwins.

OK. "Welcome to 1980.

"I hope you're enjoying your revamped house.

"Janice and Weininger, you are still working,

"but hospital closures and transport deregulation

"are around the corner, and life feels less secure.

"Among young people, unemployment is increasing

"and for young black people, it's even worse.

"Tiana and Breanne, you are both looking for a job.

"Romane and Shelasah, you're still at school,

"but you'd better knuckle down, because it's a bad world out there."

I went to the States in the '80s,

cos the UK wasn't looking too pretty for me, as a black teenager.

My father was living in the States, and things just seemed to be so much

better in the States.

I realised it was difficult to get work,

cos I had been turned away.

I can only say it was because of the colour of my skin,

cos they didn't ask me a question.

So when I got the opportunity to do a National Computing Centre course -

that was basically getting paid to learn -

I just grabbed it with both hands.

From there, it put me in a position

where I was able to live life as I wanted to.

My life was playing sport, working and partying.

So '80s was just a brilliant decade for me.

To go with their new-look home, they've also got a car,

perfect for Janice and the girls who are picking up dinner.

OK, we're going to have KFC today.

In the '80s, Britain fell in love with American fast food,

and thousands of US-style takeaways opened across the country.

-TV REPORT:

-'Fast food is big business in Britain.

'The estimated annual turnover of the thousands of takeaways

'in our high street - £900 million.'

For me, it's great,

because I feel like I've spent three decades in the kitchen.

-Yeah.

-And now there's all this convenient food about

and we've got a car,

it makes it a lot easier for me to just get in the car.

We used to do fried chicken, and it tastes close enough

to our fried chicken for us to want to eat it.

-Hi, guys.

-Hey.

-Dinner. Look what we've got.

Brought to us by car, we've got KFC.

OK.

# You can make it to the top... #

I've got the breast, I'm super happy.

# ..We'll be grooving... #

-There's the beans.

-Wein, do you want to turn the telly on?

And to go with their fast food,

the family have got some very 1980s entertainment.

'And have you heard of a PP...'

In 1980, black people were something of a rarity on British television,

so it was worth concentrating in case you missed the moment.

'And what we want...'

LAUGHTER

Oh, shame.

That wasn't supposed to happen.

'I've got to tell you what he just said. Do you know what he just said?

'He said, "My job is making artificial legs." '

LAUGHTER

'I can't wait to watch his face. Show him.'

Oh, right.

-That was good.

-Yeah, that was good.

-That was good.

-I didn't get it.

-It made it look like the props were falling to bits,

-but they weren't.

-Oh.

-The chicken's nice.

Dinner over, Weininger and the boys have gone to the park

for a kickabout.

Oh!

THEY LAUGH

And I'm here to give them a run for their money

in the greatest colours of all - Queens Park Rangers.

-Hey, how you doing, Giles? How's it going?

-All right. Very well.

Hello, boys. Well, I'm very excited to see you in the 1980s.

Nice shorts, though.

-Do you feel good in those?

-No.

-And something's terrible

happened to your shirt.

-What's that?

-Oh...

Until the late '70s, football was an almost entirely white affair.

But by 1980,

the nation's pitches were starting to feature a few brave black players

who had had to endure racism not only from the terraces,

but also from management.

Most football managers come out with the bland words

that players, if they're black, have no bottle,

which is their word for saying that they lack courage.

I don't believe that you can say that black boxers lack courage,

because they're dominating the world.

So how you can say that suddenly a new breed of people,

because they play with their feet

instead of using their fists, are any different.

It's incomprehensible to me.

I went to the FA Cup final replay in 1982,

between Queens Park Rangers and Spurs.

-I've still got the programme, randomly.

-Wow.

And it's the first-ever...

FA Cup final programme with a black player on the front.

In fact, it's got two. It's got the great Bob Hazell,

QPR centre-half of the old school, and Chris Hughton of Spurs.

Before the '80s, my recollection was Georgie Best and things like that,

so when players like John and Justin Fashanu came on the scene,

I was more than happy that we had some sort of representation.

And did you latch onto them?

Them and Cyrille Regis and Brendan Batson, those guys,

did you sort of latch on to them more?

Well, because... You would watch more.

For me, it just made the game a little bit more special

and it made me feel more included watching the football.

They faced all sorts of difficulties getting into the game and then abuse

from fans in the '70s and in the early '80s.

Would you have been aware of that?

I don't think I was aware of it from watching on telly.

No. Because you probably wouldn't have caught any of that,

but I'm sure if you spoke to any of them,

they could tell you stories that would just be shockers.

But the fact that they had to play and also put up with that

kind of abuse, that's only testament to the character of players

of that time.

MATCH OF THE DAY THEME PLAYS

Look. Look, look, look.

Look at your shoe!

THEY LAUGH

That's mine!

MUSIC: Tonight's The Night To Unite by Black Uhuru

It's 1981.

-NEWS REPORT:

-'Just before six o'clock this morning,

'the singing and dancing gave way to panic,

'as flames shot through the upper floors, and screaming teenagers

'began to leap from the windows.'

In the early hours of Sunday 18th January,

a fire broke out at a house party in New Cross, a few miles from Brixton.

13 young people died...

all of them black.

Against a backdrop of 31 documented racist murders in the previous

five years, the black community assumed that the fire

was another racist attack.

To draw attention to the deaths and the perceived indifference

of the authorities, a demonstration was organised on

the 2nd March 1981.

20,000 people gathered in New Cross to march on Parliament.

-NEWS REPORT:

-'For the first time in the history of the black community

'here in Britain, blacks from all over the country

'were meeting to march in protest through the capital.

'We're going first to the House of Commons.

'We shall be meeting a delegation

'to hand it to the Speaker of the House,

'expressing the same kind of dissatisfaction

'we've been expressing over the last few weeks.'

The demonstration was peaceful

until halfway, when it was split by the police, creating confusion.

-NEWS REPORT:

-'The pace of the march accelerated across

'Blackfriars Bridge. The police were beginning to lose control.'

"Black day at Blackfriars. Riots and looting as marches run wild."

And look at the headings, right?

If you didn't read anything - "militants in control",

"running battles", "angry chants".

Everything is to make it look like

they're just an aggressive, out-of-order mob.

I remember the Deptford fire.

It could've been anyone, it could have been me.

-It could have been Janice.

-Even just reading that now,

I kind of feel that anger again,

because it was like our lives did not matter.

And this was in 1981.

Two inquests into the fire returned open verdicts

and the case remains unsolved to this day.

MUSIC: Inglan Is A Bitch by Linton Kwesi Johnson

But it left the atmosphere in Brixton volatile.

When the police enacted a 19th-century law,

giving them the right to stop and search anyone

they thought suspicious, tensions reached boiling point.

In just five days in Brixton, 943 people were stopped and searched,

the majority of them were black.

On 11th April 1981, Brixton exploded into violence.

-NEWS REPORT:

-'There is official bewilderment as to how a riot

'on this scale occurred.

'For nearly six hours last night,

'police struggled to retain control of Brixton's decaying streets.

'Their antagonists were 500 or 600 mainly black teenagers, whose fury,

'it appears, was aimed primarily at authority but, in the end,

'was vented on the buildings of their own community.

'It was one of the worst riots seen in Britain.'

That night, many families stayed inside,

waiting for the violence to stop.

The Irwins have left their Brixton home to meet Emma and find out more

about the riots.

OK, so, the reason that I've invited you all to meet me here is...

this is the site of the pub, called Windsor Castle that, in 1981,

during the Brixton riots, was razed to the ground.

-Wow.

-Yeah.

-NEWS REPORT:

-'There was, this morning, a strange silence

'as residents tried to comprehend what had happened.

'Only last night, the Windsor Castle had been serving drinks.

'Now it's completely devastated, as if it had been blown up by a bomb.'

This is one of the key sites where the action unfolded,

and there was so much damage done during the riots.

There were 61 private vehicles burned, 56 police vehicles

burnt out, over 30 buildings razed to the ground.

So Brixton really went up in flames.

Today brought back a lot of memories for me.

The sad and depressing situation

that was happening with people

of my age group.

I do A-level history...

..and I'm doing Britain as a topic,

and the fact that I don't know about this is pretty shocking.

MUSIC: Rockit by Herbie Hancock

It's 1983, and Janice is back from work.

-What are you watching?

-No Problem.

Oh, wow.

-'Who is it?

-No, don't open your eyes yet, hold on!'

Channel 4 had launched the previous year, and part of its remit was to

produce programmes that truly represented minorities in Britain.

The following year, No Problem hit the small screen -

the first home-grown all-black sitcom.

'It isn't?

'It is.'

It was created by the cast,

which included Lover's Rock star, Janet Kay.

# I've been wanting you

# For so long, it's a shame. #

Janet's on her way to the house with a key piece of '80s technology.

KNOCK ON DOOR

Who's that?

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

-You all right?

-Guys, this is Janet Kay.

-Hello.

-Hello!

Oh, the beads.

Janet, there you are, look.

No way!

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God!

It's like musical chairs.

It's a VCR! I said it, I said it's a VCR.

-Wait, wait, hold on, hold on!

-I said it's a VCR.

Oh, it's a VHS! Wicked, man!

See, in my house, we had...

Well, I had a VCR.

And whenever a black person came on TV, I'd be like, "Everybody!"

So I'd have it half stuck in there.

-Mm-hm.

-And then as soon as someone came on TV,

in it went and record, and it would always be in the right place.

'Use your head, woman!

'Who you calling woman?

'I'm calling the shopping bag woman.'

When our programme came out on Channel 4,

as one of the first programmes to come out on the channel,

it was such a new thing for them,

having this group of black kids on this show,

that nobody wanted to put their money in to advertise.

-Oh, wow.

-So, when the commercial break came, you saw the clock!

-Really?

-Yes!

-No?!

You saw the clock.

Because as far as they were concerned, nobody's watching this.

-Oh, my gosh.

-And it wasn't till a little while afterwards, BWIA,

which was a black airline...

-Yeah, yeah.

-..they did an ad. They put an ad in that space.

But it didn't fill the whole space.

-You still saw the clock.

-Wow.

What's really funny is that the people that come up to us now

and then, you know, saying how much they enjoyed the show,

it's not just black people.

-No, exactly.

-It's everyone, it's Indian people, it's all our peers,

all the people that we went to school with,

-they were all watching it!

-That's right.

For us, I think it was hearing the accents and,

you know, a little kiss teeth, a little this... It felt...

-It felt familiar, it felt real.

-Yeah.

I'm looking at you in there and looking at you now,

-and, no, this is no lie - amazing.

-Oh, really?

-Absolutely, yeah.

-Me and Breanne are always saying,

at all of our family parties, at every party we go to,

towards the end, they'll have all of the Lover's Rock songs

and your song will always come on and, in fact, me and my dad

were walking to go and get food yesterday, and someone was...

-Silly Games was on in the car...

-No way?

Yeah! ..as we were walking past.

So, you're like a living legend.

-BOTH:

-# I've been wanting you

# For so long, it's a shame

# Oh, baby

# Every time I hear your name. #

Oh, the pain.

# Oh, the pain

# Boy, how it hurts me inside. #

We met Janet Kay, which was absolutely amazing,

because she's pretty much like a living legend, and the fact that she

was on Top Of The Pops in a time when you didn't really even see

black people on television, let alone a black woman,

was just amazing.

It's an honour to meet her as well, just absolutely...

Yeah, it's been a great day.

MUSIC: Trapped by Colonel Abrams

In the mid-'80s, more riots flared up in Britain's cities.

Brixton had another one in 1985.

# Oh, oh, I'm trapped

# Like a fool I'm in a cage

# I can't get out

# You see I'm trapped. #

But in the general election two years later,

and almost 40 years since the Windrush docked,

black Britons finally gained a voice in Parliament.

MUSIC: You've Got The Love by Candi Stanton

There'll be a sizeable line-up of new faces in the Commons.

Three black MPs from London, all Labour,

are Bernie Grant in Tottenham,

Diane Abbott in Hackney North, and Paul Boateng in Brent South.

I've come to meet David Lammy MP to learn all about

this historic moment.

Do you remember that as a moment?

Was that an important time for you?

It was huge.

I mean, I remember being in my sort of mid to late teens,

in Tottenham, on that night,

not really imagining that they would be elected, genuinely elected.

-It was amazing that they were standing.

-Hmm.

And it was still a time in those days where,

when you saw a black person on TV, you sort of cheered and shouted

and everyone gathered round.

And one by one, over the course of that general election night,

we saw these amazing...

..resonant figures bounce onto the political stage.

I mean, Paul Boateng gave an amazing speech.

We go now as tribunes,

socialist tribunes of all the people,

black and white, in Brent South!

CHEERING

Coming out of the riots, I think we felt quite isolated,

so these figures on the national stage

was a huge, huge breakthrough moment.

# No moneyman can win my love... #

It's 1989, and Britain's club scene is reflecting the confidence

of multicultural Britain.

DJs, producers and musicians were creating a new sound,

produced by home-grown black talent.

Tiana and Breanne have invited their friends to a club in Brixton

to enjoy a party in true '89 style.

THEY GIGGLE

The music of the moment came from Soul II Soul.

# Back to life, back to reality

# Back to the here and now, yeah. #

Headed by London-born DJ and producer Jazzie B,

they created legendary club nights,

and hits that would go on to sell millions around the world.

In 1989, their single Back To Life spent four weeks at number one,

selling over 200,000 records.

# ..However do you want me... #

-Hi.

-ALL:

-Hi!

I'm here to wreck your party, is that OK?

-Is that OK?

-Yeah!

I love your dress sense, very '80s, I love the hairstyles.

-Thanks.

-And that was really important for us, as young people.

I guess the same for you nowadays.

We wanted to create our own style,

so we came up with an idea called the funky dreads.

We took a little bit from here and a little bit from there

to create our own ideology,

which was a happy face, a thumping bass -

which was always about the sound system - for a loving race.

Our idea was about being inclusive,

so that everybody was a part of all the dancing,

the clothes that we wore,

the attitude that we carried.

That was all part and parcel.

And I guess we would have been round about the ages of

sort of 18, 19, coming into our 20s,

which is why it was really important for us to have our own look.

# Keep on moving

# Don't stop like the hands of time. #

I'm a English geezer, and in Britain and Europe,

we were coming through at a really interesting time

in the mid- to late-'80s, cos things were changing.

The Wall in Germany was coming down,

people's attitudes were really changing

and, I guess, we were on the cusp.

So I guess, in a kind of weird way, without even thinking about it,

we took all... even certain negative things,

wrapped them up nicely in a great parcel,

and this was against a backdrop of things like the Deptford fire...

-Yeah.

-Right? Us getting stopped EVERY DAY.

I mean, it was literally an occupational hazard.

-Hmm.

-Which is quite interesting, now I reflect,

that all of the things that happened to us,

that was what was going on in the atmosphere, as it were.

And somehow, we still got through.

Meeting people like you and Janet Kay, amazing people,

pioneers for music and things that uplifted so many people

during the time when it seemed like the whole world

was against you,

it's just amazing, and I think it really has helped me.

-I'm going to take a lot away from this.

-That's good.

-Let's all just get along. You feel me?

-Yeah.

-Well, thank you so much.

-Oh, my God, blessings.

It was lovely meeting you.

And I'm coming down your way to eat.

What are we going to have?

Fish and chips.

No, what about pie and mash?

Oh, God, no. No, definitely not.

# I know the time will really come when

# You'll be in my life My life always. #

A lot of the things

Jazzie B and I talked about really resonated with me,

and speaking to him also made me realise...

..being here in Brixton and experiencing all of this...

..I've found a piece of myself I didn't realise I was missing.

MUSIC: On A Ragga Tip by SL2

The Irwins are stepping into 1992, and once more,

they're about to discover how the new decade

has transformed their Brixton home.

Oh, wow.

Nearly 45 years since the Windrush, and there's very little

Caribbean influence left in the Irwins' '90s house.

This is a nice colour.

And look, all the doilies and all of that stuff has gone,

so it just makes everything feel a lot clearer.

We've lost our Caribbean...

Our wallpaper!

Oh, we've got a new table top.

Oh, look, we've got new white goods, so we now have a dishwasher.

All to help Mother.

Ooh! Hard dough bread!

Look, Dad, nourishment!

Back in the '60s, only a few specialised shops and stalls

stocked Caribbean ingredients and flavours.

But by the 1990s, Britain's shops and supermarkets

were selling food that catered to multicultural tastes,

and tapped into the growing power of the black pound.

Our mothers used to have to make these, make up the seasoning.

We can just buy it, saves time.

STEEL-BAND MUSIC PLAYS

The Irwins have invited their family over tonight, and it's Tiana's job

to get to grips with the new jerk chicken mix.

-Use my hands?

-Yeah.

-You sure?

-I'm positive.

Go on, get into it, love.

Knead it, go on.

And Weininger's in charge of drinks.

Oh, hello!

The guests have arrived, and they've come to watch one of the biggest

TV hits of that year - Gladiators.

-COMMENTATOR:

-Jet, Shadow...

First seen on British TV in 1992, it immediately became a huge hit,

with over 11 million tuning in for the final.

The gladiators and their contenders reflected modern Britain.

Better than wrestling.

Better than Hulk Hogan?

Yeah! Shadow is.

What do you like about Shadow?

Oh, he's the man. He's a real man!

And for the Irwins, it's even more special.

Taking part is someone they all know very well.

-COMMENTATOR:

-'Weininger Irwin from London.'

CHEERING

Oh, wow.

Wow, wow, wow, wow.

'Whatever endeavour I take,

'I always take it with a positive instead of a negative,

'so I'm very, very confident right now.'

Weininger was 29 and hadn't even met Janice when he beat

all the contenders and made it through to the Gladiators final.

'Three, two, one!

'Go!'

Go, Wein! Go, Wein!

Go!

Go!

-COMMENTATOR:

-'Already ten foot across...'

Go, Wein!

THEY LAUGH

Yeah!

Go, go, go, go!

Watch that, watch that, watch that!

Yeah!

-COMMENTATOR:

-'His father proudly applauding him in the audience.'

Number one! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Thank you very much, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Here's Mum! Here's your time, Mum!

You look like...

Mum looked like she did it!

LAUGHTER DROWNS SPEECH

You know, watching the Gladiators, that's a high.

When I won, it's like the whole room just erupted,

so it brought back good memories.

For me, just sitting down there watching it,

it felt almost as good.

I know he's won, but you still have that sort of adrenaline

when he wins, you're like, "Yeah,"

even though you knew what the outcome was going to be.

MUSIC: Ready or Not by The Fugees

It's 1996, and a year that would go down in history for Brixton.

Decades after the first Windrush arrivals made Brixton their home,

it has become a go-to destination for visiting black celebrities,

from Jesse Jackson...

..to Muhammad Ali.

In 1996, Nelson Mandela made an historic visit to Britain.

Freed from prison and now President of South Africa, he made,

amongst other appointments, a personal request to visit Brixton,

recognising it as a place of struggle.

-NEWS REPORT:

-'10,000 people crammed the streets to see him.

'It's been a wildly successful state visit,

'but these were surely the most remarkable scenes of all.

'Everyone we met had the same reaction.'

Second Coming. Like seeing God!

He's a wonderful example, for our black people especially.

Well, you've seen every colour here today and it was fine.

It is literally the fulfilment of a dream...

..that I've been able to visit this place.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

I want to assure you...

..that I love each and every one of you here without exception.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

-ALL CHANT:

-We love you!

MUSIC: Rewind by Craig David

It's 1999 - the last year of the Irwins' time-travelling experience.

To celebrate, they're off to join an enormous party -

the Notting Hill Carnival.

MUSIC: Follow Da Leader by Nigel & Marvin

What started as a community response to challenge racism

had grown into one of Europe's biggest street parties,

and 1999 was one of the biggest yet.

'We're going to jump and wave!'

Emma and I have come down to meet the Irwins at the carnival.

-'Let's go! One..

-Get ready to jump.

-'Two.

-Get ready to wave.

'One, two...'

Welcome to Carnival 1999.

OK, so that was the 35th Notting Hill Carnival,

a million people came.

You look amazing, you look very 1999.

So, how's the experience been, overall?

Wow. It's been an eye-opener. I don't know from the children's

point of view what they think.

Learning so much about our history

and actually getting to live it, means that it's even more personal,

I think, now to us.

What was one of the most significant experiences that you had

-from the whole thing?

-Do you know what, it's probably the first one,

when we went down to the bunkers,

because I hate being underground and stuff like that,

so it just made me think how people must have felt.

I loved the bus conductor experience.

For me, it was pretty significant,

for the fact that my dad was a bus conductor and then, boom,

here I am, landing a role as a bus conductor.

And what about the food?

I mean, you were doing most of the cooking, weren't you?

Were they grateful?

For them, it was an horrific thought, eating corned beef.

For us, it was normal.

Tell me, girls, what about the effect it's had on the family?

What's the experiment taught you about how you relate to each other?

It's given us the opportunity to just become close as a family,

so it has really helped, I think.

And I learned that Tiana can actually cook a bit.

A little bit.

Well, that's done, then. The experiment is over.

We're at the carnival. Shall we go and party like it's 1999?

-Because it is!

-Why not?

Let's go.

# Jump and wave

# Jump and wave

# Jump, jump, jump, jump Jump and wave

# Jump and wave. #

Come on, Breanne!

This is... I don't dance with you guys!

# ..Follow the leader

# Follow the leader, leader Leader... #

I probably learned not to complain so much about everything

cos people have been through worse, and...

..know your history, and that's something I was sort of...

I feel like everyone should do.

You've got to know where you came from

so you can appreciate where you are.

The thing that I think most often about people my age during that time

is about how strong they were to endure the racism,

the discrimination. It must have been so, so difficult.

Because they went through all of that, today, my life is much easier.

So I thank them.

I mean, even as I'm speaking to you now,

I'm kind of getting goose pimples,

but just having my children experience what I experienced

in the '70s, and them just taking part in this,

I'm jumping up and down, I'm just elated.

I think the best bit was when I caught the ball in the park

with Clive Lloyd, because I can't catch.

I came into this expecting to go on a bit of a nostalgic trip

and what it has actually done is

reminded me how the years here

for West Indians, as much as we've had great times

and we've forged our way through,

it's been latticed with injustices all the way,

simply due to the colour of our skin.

We are so much stronger than we realise, and these guys that were

the pioneers has just proven to me again

that we are strong and you can succeed.

If you put your mind to it, you can succeed at whatever it is

you want to do.

MUSIC: Something Inside So Strong by Labi Siffre

# Something inside so strong

# I know that I can make it

# Though you're doing me wrong

# So wrong

# You thought that my pride was gone

# Oh, no

# Something inside so strong

# Oh-oh-oh-oh

# Something inside so strong... #