Today marks the 30th anniversary of the New Cross fire which claimed 13 lives and for which no explanation has been given. NINA MASSEY revisits the events and speaks to the father of a victim.
THIRTEEN young black people died when a devastating fire ripped through a terraced house in New Cross Road on January 18, 1981.
The youngsters were attending a birthday party at the house when the blaze took hold in the early hours of the morning.
In an initial inquest which was held only three months after the fire the jury returned an open verdict as to the cause of the fire.
A new action in the High Court in 2002 led to an order for a second inquest, which was held in 2004. The second inquest also resulted in an open verdict.
Nobody has ever been charged in relation to the fire.
EVENTS TO MARK THE ANNIVERSARY
A special church remembrance service was held at St Andrew’s United Reformed Church in Brockley Road on Sunday (January 16) and was attended by the New Cross Fire Parents Committee chairman George Francis, Mayor of Lewisham Sir Steve Bullock, and Joan Ruddock MP for Lewisham Deptford.
The church has a strong connection with the victims as many of them attended the youth club there.
Lewisham Council installed a special stained glass window in their memory in October 2002.
In 2006 Sir Steve Bullock, set up an annual bursary as a lasting memorial to the 13 young people who lost their lives as a result of the fire Two £11,500 bursaries are awarded each year to Lewisham educated students to support them through their study at Goldsmiths, University of London.
To mark the 30th anniversary of the fire, a new commemorative memorial plaque was put on the house in New Cross Lane, where family and friends gathered for the unveiling before the memorial service.
Speaking to the father of a victim
George Francis, father of fire victim Gerry Paul Francis said: “It is now 30 years since the dreaded fire and we are still hoping that something may come to light in years to come. “ He added: “The parents of the victims are getting older and older and time is moving on. We hope to get some answers before we depart, as to what happened on that fateful night.”
The 82-year-old who has three grown up children said that they all feel very sad at this time of year and wish that they could have their brother there with them.
Speaking on the events to mark the day, the pensioner said: “We are all hoping for a really lovely memorial and the bursary is a lasting memory to our losses. We will never be able to come to terms with what happened until we get a positive answer. It is just the not knowing.”
The victims:
Andrew Gooding, aged 18
Owen Thompson, aged 16
Patricia Johnson, aged 15
Patrick Cummings, aged 16
Steve Collins, aged 17
Lloyd Hall, aged 20
Humphrey Geoffrey Brown, aged 18
Roseline Henry, aged 16
Peter Campbell, aged 18
Gerry Paul Francis, aged 17
Glenton Powell, aged 15
Paul Ruddock, aged 22
Yvonne Ruddock, aged 16
Anthony Berbeck, aged 20, died after falling from the balcony of a block of council flats in South London on July 9, 1983. He was at the party and became mentally disturbed following the death of his best friends.
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