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7/26/2019 Barbershop Magazine (2008)
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GANGLANDIs Preston going to same wayas Manchester and London?We go from the Chief of Policeto the City Streets to nd out.
BARBERSHOP CUPBarbershop launches Prestons biggestever football tournament. And it wasbloody brilliant.
COMIC STRIP Junior steps out of hospital and into the heart of gangland
ON THE EDGEEvery day the media tells us that a knife crime epidemic is sweepingthe country. But what is the truth behind the headlines?
the magazine that looks after you Issue 4 - Summer - 2008
THE MAGAZINE
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editorial contentsBarbershop the Magazine
www.colourmind.co.uk
Published by:The FreeRange collective
Soundskills7-9 Lancliffe Rd
Brookeld, Preston
www.thefreerangecollective.com
Editor:Tyrone King
Creative Director:Chris Mason
Project Manager:Tony RobertsSub Editor:
Chris Davis
Contributors:Chris Davis, Tony Roberts,
Tyrone King, Jamie OConnor, ChrisMason, Lawrence Taylor, Adam Bully,
Trevlyn Goldboune, Junior Archer,Adrian Murrell, Zainab Dhukai, Hajra
Sardar,Pearly Gupta, Richard Lace,
Shaun Noteman
Photography:Chris Davis, Chris Mason, Junior
Archer, Tony Roberts, Hajra Sardar,Zainab Dhukai, Pearly Gupta,
Tyrone King Additional stock photoscourtesy of www.sxc.hu
With Thanks to:Lancashire Police, Richard Bayly,
Nicky Evans, Mr Pond, Mr and MrsHill, Dell Coke, Mrs King, Omar
Khan, Arif Patel, Gulab Singh,Ashlie Richie, Theo Webber, Mark
Anderson, PlayFootball.net and, ofcourse, all the Barbershops
Special Thanks toDavina Brown & Stephen Poleon fortheir continued support with the
rewind project
The Barbershop Magazinewelcomes all information onmens health, well being and
community activity, email us at
[email protected], or ll ina comments sheet in your local
barbers
(c) Barbershop Magazine 2008.All rights reserved
This magazine may not be reproduced, in whole or in part,
without written permission from Barbershop Magazine.The views and opinions of individual contributors do not
necessarily reect the views of Barbershop Magazine.
Although we endeavor to ensure that details are correct at
the time of going to press, details may vary or be s ubjectto change. Images and text within the magazine are the
property of their original creators and are used under
license.
Ganglands the gang scene in Preston going the same way as Manchesterand London? And if so, what can be done about it? We go fromthe Chief of Police to the City Streets in search of the answer.
Untold StoriesIts 60 years since the Windrush docked in England, bringingpeople from the Caribbean to these freezing shores. What madepeople leave their tropical homes and settle on a small island in theNorth Atlantic?
Impossible DecisionsYoure on the 100th floor of the WTC on 9/11. Flames are all aroundyou. You have no hope of rescue. Would you jump to certaindeath? Or would you stay? We take a provocative look at suicideand ask: why is no-one talking about it?
Barbershop CupBarbershop Magazine launches Prestons biggest ever football tournament.
And it was bloody brilliant.
Comic StripJunior steps out of hospital and into the heart of gangland, where the lure ofa beautiful woman ends in a kick-ass fight.
Something for the WeekendBarbershops have been around for over 6000 years. In the first of threearticles celebrating Barbershops, we look at their history and how theyvebecome gossip central for men.
Biggest Gang in TownWith their foot soldiers, uniforms and fast cars, what are the policedoing to reduce fear of crime? Read our exclusive interview with ChiefSuperintendent Richard Bayly.
Rivers of BloodIts 40 years since Enoch Powell made his explosive speech aboutimmigration. We take a look at the man, the speech and the legacy he leftbehind.
Editors RantTyrone King reckons he could have been the next Pele. Whatever.MasterclassHow a Preston school has turned to the street to tackle exclusion.
Preston FM goes on air, 24/7And this time, its full time.
NHS BaftasIts official. Barbershop is the dogs bollocks
On the EdgeBehind the headlines of knife crime
Celebrity BreakdownWhy Amy Winehouse needs a good wash.
Prison BreakWhat happens to reduce re-offending when prisoners are released ? Notbloody much, it seems. Except...
Kutting KrewZainab Dhukai spends the afternoon at the barbers.
Whats Going On?Adrian Murrell investigates why young peopleare turning to gangs.
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featurearticles
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s Rant Editors Rant
04 page05
Tyrone Kingspeaks out
about theBarbershopCup and hasother stuff onhis mind.
editors
rant
Welcome to the 4th edition of the
Award Winning Barbershop. I will start
my rant by apologizing for the delay in
getting the magazine out. The reason
for the delay was due to the fact that
we have been listening to you, our
trusted readers, about the magazine
and we have taken those suggestions
on board. I hope that you like the
changes we have made in this issue.
Since the launch of the prison
edition of Barbershop, we have been
inundated with requests from otherareas who want Barbershop Magazine
in their towns and cities. We are now
working with Angela Simmonds and
David George from Birmingham to
launch Barbershop Birmingham in
September.
We have also been busy organising
the Barbershop football tournament
(more about that later!), and several
other projects. However, we hope that
our efforts will compensate for the
delay.
If youre still annoyed by the delay then
remember: Its free. So shut up and get
a life. Or bette r still contact me and get
involved! Only having a small editorial
team is a challenge for all involved in
producing Barbershop, so if you want
it delivering on time, then get in touch.
Cos although Barbershop is about well
being, its not a black magazine, or an
Asian magazine or a whit e magazine.
Any one can get into it. Its rather like
Chinese food, everyone eats it. So
thats the apology done and dusted.
Now back to editors thought or should
that be editors rant!
On the 8th June 2008, I came to realise
how the footballing gods of the calibre
of Pele, George Best, Thierry Henry
and Maradona feel while playing the
beautiful game. Naturally, I do not
process the speed, the rst, second
or third touch of theses guys, but this
did not stop our opposition in theBarbershop Cup targeting my good
self.
There is no video evidence with which
to sue, and I am sure that the ref was
being bribed. But believe me when I
say that I was kicked. Yes! KICKED.
Not tackled, but KICKED. I know that
this is so hard for you to believe. After
only 4 minutes of the second game I
had to retire injured.
I also have to say that I did not get
one ounce of sympathy, I can only
guess that my quality, skills, and goal
scoring celebrations were seen as a
major threat in the rst game, where
Old Skool - Touch of Class won 4-0.
So those who did not have a chance
to watch true quality on the day will
have to wait till next years tournament.
Which will be even better. And which
we will win. By miles.
In the mean time I am in discussion
with one of the world biggest sports
distributors about my planned football
training DVD, entitled What You
Missed a Football Genius: Tyrone King
the Modern Day Pele. We are aiming
for a Christmas release date so you
had better get your orders in early as
it is bound to get sold out.
So what have we got install for you
in this issue? Well, rst up - they
have been described by many in the
community as the biggest gang in
Preston, wearing their unique colours,
having armed foot soldiers and fast
cars with ashing blue lights. We were
given access to their main man Richard
Bayly and his Chief Inspector Nicky
Evans from Lancashire Constabulary
to discuss the issues of policing the
community, fear of crime, gang crime
and much more.
Also, as we celebrate the 60thAnniversary of the NHS by winning
its top awards, we also celebrate the
untold stories of those rst migrants
who came to this country, many of
them to work in the NHS, in the 40s
50s and 60s. The stories of people
who travelled to the mother country in
search of a better life.
I hope that you enjoy this issue and I
only ask that if youve got anything to
say, or want to get involved then PUT
UP or SHUT UP.
Tyrone King
Editor
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n
eege
on the edgee edge
06 page07
Every day themedia tellsus that anepidemic ofknife crime is
sweeping thecountry. Butwhat is thetruth behind theheadlines?
It seems like everyone, from the media
and politicians, to the bloke in the pub,
thinks that Britain is on the edge of a
gun and knife crime epidemic. But
what is really going on? In this issue
of Barbershop, we go from the Chief
of Police to the city streets in search
of some answers. But rst, lets have
a look behind the headlines.
In May this year, the Sun ran a front-
page headline about carnage on the
streets of London, and went on to list
the 14 fatal stabbings that had taken
place to date in the capital. Then, on
the 29th June, Ben Kinsella,
half-brother of East Ender actress
Brooke Kinsella, was killed on the
streets of Islington, sparking a public
outcry.
Politicians immediately jumped on
the bandwagon and started talking
tough. David Cameron spoke of a
broken society and of compulsory
prison sentences for anyone carrying
a knife. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith
unveiled new plans to teach young
people about what impact stabbing
has on its victims. Doctors called for
kitchen knives to have blunted tips.
A new multi-million pound media
campaign was launched, featuring
graphic photos of stab wounds.
In Preston, since february 2006 to
august 2008 their have been 18
discharges of rearms in preston.
In December, police woman Katie
Johnson was shot in the leg during an
armed raid on a pub. Two young men
were injured in a shooting on the Callon
estate in January and, in February,
David Cornall died after being stabbed
in the back in Ribbleton. A man was
shot in Deepdale in April and, in July,
another young man brought a small
army of police down on Ribbleton
whilst he ran around with a handgun.A recent study found that one in ve
teenagers carry a knife. Does all this
mean that we need to cower behind
our curtains in fear? Are we more at
risk now than ever before?
Ofcial crime statistics, if you believe
such things, say that violent crime
is actually coming down both
nationally and locally. Both gun and
knife crime has gone down 14%, with
youth violence down by 7.7%. You
could argue that these gures are
massaged, or that crime is under-
reported. But murder is also down
15%, and its hard to see how those
gures can be manipulated.
However, the fact is that we dont
believe these numbers. The British
Crime Survey, which interviews
thousands of people nationally about
their perception of crime, shows that
fear of crime is going up. This leads
to a vicious cycle, where we are more
afraid of violent crime, so were more
likely to want to protect ourselves with
a knife. This means that were more
likely to be involved in a knife attack
because were the ones carrying the
damn things.
There was an incident in Nottingham
last year where a young lad called
Rickell Corey Patterson was carrying
a knife because he was scared out of
his wits by some other lads who were
threatening him. One day, Timothy
Smith, a 40 year old man, was riding
home on his bike from the library
when he accidentally bumped into
Patterson who, terried, thought he
was being attacked. Instinctively, he
whipped out his knife and stabbed
the Timothy Smith in the chest, killing
him. Patterson was sent to prison for
14 years. This kind of nonsense has
to stop.
The problem is perception. That
one in ve teenagers study actually
found that only 1 in 100 teenagers
had carried a knife for the purpose for
an attack. The rest carried one for a
hobby or for self-defense. Four out of
ve teenagers never carried a knife
at all. Put another way, the researchshowed that 99% of teenagers have
no intention of stabbing anyone.
But that doesnt make for good
headlines. Death and carnage sells
newspapers. Thats a fact. But the
media has a responsibility to reect
the world around us without distorting
it for commercial gain.
Do we think there is an epidemic
because there is one, or because the
media and politicians tell us there is
one. And since when did we trust the
media and politicians to tell us the
truth?
Because if violent crime is going
down, where have the media and our
politicians been for the past 15 years?
The answer lies not in the numbers of
people being attacked, but in the type
of people being attacked.
Black teenager Stephen Lawrence
was murdered at a bus stop in 1993.
A 1997 inquest ruled he had been
unlawfully killed in a completely
unprovoked racist attack by ve white
youths. But despite an extensive
reinvestigation, his killers have never
been convicted.
The media only report things that are
out of the ordinary. The truth is that
Black on Black crime has been so
common across the country, that the
media has paid no attention to it. Its
only now that gun and knife crime has
seeped out of the Black communities
and the inner cities and into the
suburbs that the media is showing any
interest. And their lapdog politicians
are following suit, afraid that middle
England will have to suffer the kinds
of violence that has plagued the
ghettos for decades. This, in itself, is
criminal.
Also, its the capital. Is what happens
in the capital a problem because
thats where the media and politicians
are? Stuff has been going on in
Manchester and Liverpool for years,
but never captured media attention or
led to parliamentary debates.
But the real issue is not the knives
or the guns, but the reasons why
people feel the need to carry them.Its no coincidence that violent crime
is highest in our more deprived areas
Deepdale, Ribbleton, Avenham,
Callon.
Knife and gun crime is a symptom of
poverty and deprivation. Politicians
should be be looking at providing
people in these areas with real
opportunities and hope, rather
than punishment and the threat of
imprisonment.
Its nocoincidencethat violent
crime ishighest inour moredeprived
areas Deepdale,Ribbleton,Avenham,
Callon.
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The Awards NHS - The awards
08 page09
Barbershop wins the
NHS BaftasInspiring
Local songwriter Theo Webber, whose
personal story featured in the rst
issue, also joined the Barbershop
team at the awards ceremony. Its
great that the magazine is getting the
message out there, he said.
Barbershop inspired me to writea song about mental health called
Any1, which is now on YouTube. Im
really glad to have been involved in its
success.
Tony Roberts has managed the
development of the magazine. He
said, Winning the NHS award is great
news for the community of Preston.
Barbershop has gone from strength
to strength over the last year. It has
been inspired and driven by the
community.
Local TalentBarbershop beat professors and
specialist treatment services to get
to Wembley. Were delighted that
the NHS has recognised the value of
working together with local people,
who are the most talented and
committed people Ive ever worked
with. This just shows what you can do
when you really engage with the local
community.
The North West Director of Public
Health Dr Ruth Hussey told us
that she was extremely proud that
Barbershop had won the NW award
and been selected for the National
Finals. Barbershop is an amazing
piece of work, she said. You deserve
the recognition. I was really proud to
see you representing the North West
at Wembley.
Now others are asking us to replicate
Barbershops success across the
country. Teams in Birmingham, Stoke,
Teesside, Wirrel and many other places
have contacted us, all wanting us to
do Barbershop in their communities.
Regional WinnerEarlier this year, over 2500 teams from
10 regions across England entered the
awards. In April, we won the North West
Regional award for Mental Health and
Wellbeing.
Tyrone King, who has been the driving
force behind the magazine, congratulatedeveryone who has been involved.
Barbershops are cornerstones in
society, he said. We couldnt have
done this without the involvement of all
the barbers, the artists and community
groups who have supported the
magazine.
This award is for them, they are the
heart of the community and it is a delight
to work with them.
National FinalistAll 10 regional winners were then
considered for the National nals, with
only the best 3 being selected to go
to the Finals at Wembley Stadium on
July 2nd.
As youll know, the cornerstone of
Barbershop magazine is our regular
comic-strip about real life problems.
Trevlyn Goulborne, whose comic
artwork inspired the rst magazine,
said Working on the magazine is
brilliant. It gives me a chance to
develop my artwork and to learn about
issues of mental health. Ive learned a
load of new skills, which I can now
pass on to others so they can get
involved as well. Going to Wembley
Stadium was excellent and its great
to have been part of it.
Mark Anderson, who did the comic-art
for the second issue, was delighted to
join the team at the awards ceremony.
He said this award is great. Im really
proud to have been involved in the
magazine. Its made me more aware
of the mental health problems that
people face on a daily basis. Everyone
is really pleased.
The Health and Social Care Awards are the agship awards of the Department ofHealth. And with 2008 being the 60th anniversary of the NHS, this years awardswere particularly special.
ts official. Barbershop is the dogs bollocks.And you dont have to take our word for it.Weve got two count em, two - certificatesto prove it. In July, the Department of Health selectedBarbershop Magazine to be a National Finalist in theprestigious NHS Health and Social Care Awards.
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the biggest gang in townggest gang in town
10 page11
the
biggest gangin townWhen it comes to gangs, thepolice are often thought of asthe biggest gang in Preston.What are they doing to
engage with local communitiesto change this perception?Barbershop magazine was given anexclusive interview with ChiefSuperintendent Richard Bayly andChief Inspector Nicky Evans to nd out.
What have been the major changesto policing over the years?
Richard Bayly: Where do I start?
Obviously there has been lots of
changes in legislation over the years,
some problems have changed some
problems have intensied. 24 years
ago, when I started in Rawtenstall, we
only had a couple of drug dealers and
maybe ten, fteen people who took
drugs. We didnt have the problem
with knives, offensive weapons or gun
crime that we have today.
Back then, we didnt engage with the
community the same as we do now. We
only had community meetings when
things had gone horribly wrong. We
had community beat mangers of a sort
but it wasnt the same commitment as
it is now. Things have moved on and
we have better resources and more
commitment now.
As a constabulary, we have really
come along. Look at the last 10 years
and we have really driven forward. Its
about reassurance and about reducing
the fear of crime. However we are not
naive enough to think that we have
cracked it and all the problems are
solved.
Nicky Evans: I think for me the main
changes have been around technology.
All our logs and phone calls are
recorded and its more ethical. It has
enabled ofcers to research areas
before they go out and it helps them
to nd out whats gone on.
What are the main issues ofconcern facing the community
today?Richard Bayly: Issues that concern
the communities are around social
behaviour, quality of life issues and
minor disorders, such as kids kicking
footballs, dogs fouling footpaths and
people speeding.
All of these issues affect the quality
of life of the communities. We are
rarely given negative feedback around
murders, rapes or serious violent
crimes. Most complaints are around
low level anti-social behaviour.
What do you mean by a fear ofcrime?
Richard Bayly: Our research shows
that people of 35 and upwards say
that they fear coming into Preston on
a Saturday night because they think
they will be attacked, robbed or there
will be a lot of drunken disorder. Our
statistics show that they are actually
the safest group of people.
If you question people between 18 to
24, they say its alright, that there is
no ghting and that its a great place.
They dont feel threatened, but our
statistics show that they are more
likely to get into trouble or end up
being a victim.
So what I mean by fear of crime is
about people thinking that they cant
go down town because they have aperception about it from what they
have read in a newspaper or heard on
the news.
We do accept that the fear of crime
is a very real issue, and we do
need to work on that through our
engagement with people in the wider
areas of Preston. Papers are there to
provide information, but a lot of the
misconceptions are about the way in
which crime is reported.
How do you think you are perceivedin the community?
Richard Bayly:I think there is still a lot of
distrust, a lot of suspicion and a lot of
anecdotal perceptions going around
that the police pick on people. We
do have our African Caribbean issues,
and we know there are perceptions
about how we approach people and
how we conduct our pace ones (stop
and search).
When something happens in London,
we are all tarred with the same
brush. However, we havent had a
complaint from a black member of the
community for over six months. But
we dont know if that is because they
dont trust us or if we are providing a
good service. Thats why we need to
engage more and more and hopefully
get some feedback.
There is a genuine commitment to
improve our service and engage
better with our communities. Our
recognition of our faults has improved,
around community engagement and
our approach to diversity. I think those
are the things we have shifted our
attentions to, to improve our service.
Continue>
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We are putting vast amounts resources
nto it, but we are still a long way from
where we need to be.
How does the ethos you have getthrough to your foot soldiers on the
ground?icky Evans:It is all very well providing
principle for ofcers to work by but if
hats not getting across to the people
hey work with, then we need to work
n that. Again, thats where we needhe feedback from the community.
How are the new emergingcommunities affecting
the way you police?ichard Bayly: We havent had any
ignicant changes as such. The
ifculties are sometimes practical,
uch as not understanding each others
anguage, and some cultural issues.
he largest community we have had
ere recently is the Polish community,
ut we have had a Polish community
n Preston for over 50 years.
icky Evans:Its about mapping where
hey are and working with them. We
eed to provide the information they
eed in their own language, not only
or the services and help they need,
ut also for the legislations we have
ere. We now have Polish-speaking
members of staff. We need to make
he Polish community realise that we
re not against them and we are here
o help.
How many of your 324 officers arefrom the Black and Minority Ethnic
communities?ichard Bayly: In Preston, we have 11
Cs, no sergeants and two inspectors.
Across Lancashire, we have 88
fcers at the rank of constable, 13 of
ergeant and above, 5 inspectors, and
ne chief inspector who is BME.
icky Evans: We are running a pilot,
which is looking at training some of
ur community managers to identify
otentials recruits for the future. We
mentor these recruits and explain to
hem about the organisation and try to
et them join the police force.
ggest gang in town a barbershop prole - Kutting Krew
12 page13
a special thanks toChief Superintendent
Richard Baylyand
Chief Inspector NickyEvans
for making this interviewhappen
I think there isstill a lot of distrust, alot of suspicion and
a lot of anecdotalperceptions going
around that the policepick on people.
Chief Superintendent Richard Bayly -
Lancashire Constabulary
Barbersshops are abit of a mansworld. Soafter a deep breath,Barbershopmagazines ZainabDhukai went tospend some timechatting to Khalid,Salim and the
customers atKutting Krew to ndout what makesthem special
Kutting
Krew
When did you start up?
Khalid:27th July 1998
What kind of ethnicity/background
are your customers from?
Khalid: Everyone. All colours Anyone.
They all come here. I have got an age
range from newborn babies to 80+
years old.
What do you think is meant by
mental health?
Richard (82 years old customer)
Mental health is something that tells
me I am still ok at 82 years old. Or at
least I think I am
Do your customers chat and
banter when they are here?
Khalid:Well, a lot of customers talk and
some just dont want to talk at all and
will sit here and the only thing the y say
to me is short back and sides!
But I think when they are on their own
they talk more.
What kind of issues do your
customers talk to you about?
Khalid: There are different issues for
different people and it depends why
they are here. Some come to get their
hair done before a funeral and some
come to get it done before a wedding
and that will tell me what kind of mood
they will be in!
Why do you think men do not
access health services?
Khalid:Well I dont go myself because I
have to wait so long for an appointment
and when I do go to the doctor they
dont talk to me and just give me a
prescription and send me away.
Salim: The doctors just dont listen,
they are just good at giving you
panadol! And you get no answers to
your problems so whats the point?
Richard: Men dont go to doctors
because they think they dont need
it.
What do you think stresses men
out?
Salim: Well, you nd a lot of foreignimmigrants who come here to get
married and soon as they get here they
are burdened with big responsibilities
like a massive mortgage. A lot is to do
with marriage problems and interfering
in-laws! I think the biggest cause for
mens problems is nancial stress.
Especially nowadays everything is too
expensive and we just cant live that
lifestyle.
So what is the solution?
Salim:Compromise I guess.
Khalid: I think men need more of a
social life. Many boys nowadays just
sit at home playing computer games
and watching T.V they need to get out
meet their friends and do activities
that will allow them to talk. We all
need a bit of stress I think it keeps you
healthy or you do go pagal (mad).
Men are not as emotional as women
they dont talk and there is nothing
wrong with that.
So what makes Barbershops
different?
Khalid: Because its the right place.
Its not like a grocery shop where you
pay your money and leave. Some
customers sit here for an hour and
it does them good to pick up the
magazine and read and learn about
mental health. Barbershops are places
where men will wait and they can talk if
they want to or just sit here and relax.
How was the response for the
Barbershop Cup 2008?
Khalid:We entered 8 teams from here
and they were still asking for more
forms. It got too much for me so I had
to take the poster down!
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hard for us to divert young people
from gangs when they see an X5 or a
Mercedes driving down the street.
Two Pronged ApproachTackling gangs in Preston requires
a two pronged approach as Nicky
Evans explains There are two sides.
One side is dealing with the actual
drug dealers and stopping them. And
the other side is concentrating on the
young 8 to 10 year olds who are the
future, and teaching them that there
is another way. This will hopefullyin ve years cause less dealing and
criminality.
So is Preston heading in the same
direction as Manchester and other
major cities? Richard Bayly doesnt
think so. We are not a London or a
Birmingham, because of the work we
do. We have reacted quickly and we
are working with our partners. All of
those cities made the mistake of not
working with their partners quickly
enough. We believe and hope we
have got in early enough, and all signs
indicate that we have. Its about the
community work and working with
other groups to get through to these
young people.
Continue to the streets>
and Gangland
14
GAN
GLAN
D
page15
solved straight away. But when an
investigation is going on, it takes
a long time to get the evidence we
need to put somebody awa y. We cant
always share the information we nd
with the general public, and I think
that is why sometimes they think that
we are doing nothing.
There is also a difference between
information and hard evidence, which
isnt always understood. Sometimes
information is very important from an
intelligence point of view. It gives usclear pictures of peoples behaviour,
which can assist us in our operations.
But in order to remove them from the
streets, we need hard evidence. We
need people to say they saw the crime
and to provide a statement.
This is where the police and the local
communities need to work together,
to build up trust. If people in the
community stand up to these people,
said Mr Bayly, it will be possible
to get rid of them. We have had
specic assaults in Preston where an
entire street has refused to give us
evidence.
WannabesSome gang members are at the heart
of criminal activity, whereas others
spend their time hanging around the
edges, impressed by the lifestyles of
those at the top.
There are young people on the verge
of criminality, Mr Bayly said. A lot of
the youths are wannabes. They see
what the hierarchy in these gangs
have and want the power. Theyre
impressionable and they want the
very nice life style that some of these
people enjoy.
These wannabes may not be a danger
now, but they are certainly a threat to
the future. Its important to get in early
to divert them from involvement with
gangs.
These are the kids we want to work
with and to try and show them that
this is not the way. We want to show
them they need to go back to school
and that crime doesnt pay. But its
The Chief of PoliceNot all groups of young people are
gangs. The police often get reports
from the public about gangs of
youths hanging around on the corner,
but its generally just a group of youths
spending time together, not a gang.
According to Chief Superintendent
Richard Bayly, there are about 14 real
gangs in Preston. These guys are
involved in car crime, drug dealing
and violence. These are gangs with a
real hierarchy. They are organised and
they have purpose.
PlayersAt the top of the gang hie rarchy a re
the Players. These are the guys who
organise their members, getting other
people to do their deals. One of the
problems with policing these Players
is that for every one that gets sent
down, three or four are lined up to
replace him.
But that doesnt mean the police
shouldnt try to nail them, as Mr Bayly
explained. Although some have
now been replaced, there are quite
a number that havent. If we have
stopped a house that was having 50
cars a night pulling up outside and
being used as a drugs den, then we
have done a good thing. We are not
saying that we have stopped the
drugs completely. We are not saying
it will never come back. But we have
shown the community that we will not
accept this behaviour anymore.
Sending People DownA major concern in the community is
that people think suspected criminals
will be quickly banged up. The public
get frustrated that the police dont
seem to be doing anything.
Chief Inspector Nicky Evans shares
their concerns. When a problem
is reported, people think it will be
Gun crime, drug dealing andgangs have previously beenbig city problems. But isPreston becoming the newManchester, Liverpool or
London? Is this what itmeans to be the Third City ofthe North West?Barbershop magazine goes from theChief of Police to the City Streets tond out the size of the problem, whatscausing it and most importantly, whatcan be done to stop it.
Its hard to divert youngpeople from gangs when
they see an X5 or a Mercedesdriving down the street
he- Chief of Police
Part1:ThePolice
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and Gangland
16
GAN
GLAN
D
page17
Part2:TheStre
ets
and we are the fth richest nation in
the world. Nobody is talking about
the mental health issues and drugs
and education. We dont need new
double-glazing, that doesnt help the
unemployment, drugs and underlining
issues.
Hope and PassionMost kids want to do something with
their life, Arif said. They dont want
to be a drug dealer. We need to bring
back apprenticeships, bring back role
models, bring back hope, and watchhow the community grows.
The key to change, said Omar, is in
starting early and getting into the heart
of the community. There is hope in
our community, he said, and not all
young people are anti-social, but they
are being stigmatised as hoodies and
yobs. We start football at age ve, and
then when they get to teenagers we
start to talk to them about guns and
drugs and try to make them aware.
A lot of young people are involved in
petty things and we try to nip it in the
bud before they go down that road.
It is the services that the city council
have provided that are hard to reach,
not our kids.
Arif believes that the authorities need
to stop assuming that they know what
is best for local communities and work
closer with local people. Luckily
the new chief superintendent has
acknowledged that we have an issue
and that something needs to be done.
However, at the moment Preston City
Council has not a clue of the issues
young people face. They used to
look at the young Asian population
and think, they go to school, go to
mosque, open a business. They do
well. They are all right they will lookafter themselves
The council, they just sit there and
celebrate multi-culturalism and
diversity in Preston, but they dont
realise what is brewing at the bottom.
They still think that anti-social
behaviour is caused by a lack of things
to do, boredom and hanging around.
They are sending outreach workers
who are from university and middle
class. They cannot reach these kids
on their level.
We need people from the street
who have come from the same
environment and know the issues
theyre facing. We dont need youth
workers, we need people who are
passionate about making a change in
our communities.
Turf WarsGangs in Preston have developed
around specic areas of the city.
This means that many young people
are wary of moving around Preston.
Adrian Murrell has been working with
young people in areas like Avenham
and Frenchwood to overcome this.
Young people from one area of
Preston wont mix with those from
another. Some of them are afraid to
cross Manchester Road because
it means theyre in someone elsespatch. They get nervous and go
quiet.
I know several young people who
wont even go to Preston College
because its too far out of their
comfort zone. Theyre not getting the
opportunities that are there for them,
because theyre too scared to move
around the city
The recent merger of Tulketh and
Fulwood schools could bring issues
that the authorities hadnt thought of,
according to Omar Now the gangs
from Tanterton and Ingol are mixing
with gangs from Fishwick, Callon and
Deepdale. Its a time bomb waiting to
go off. That wasnt considered when it
was decided to close them down.
Getting to the CauseGangs and drug dealing are
concentrated most in the deprived
areas of the city, which have more than
their fair share of problems already.
Dealers are not going to white
afuent middle class areas and selling
it, said Arif. Places like Deepdale
and Avenham have always been on
the fringes of high unemployment,
bad education and bad health. What
choice do the kids have? What can we
do?
Although millions of pounds have
been spent on regeneration in recent
years, Arif isnt convinced its had
a major impact on the real issues.
Making the houses look nice on the
outside doesnt make a difference
inside. 2.3 million young people in this
country live under the poverty line,
A Major City ProblemWe need to bring back hope, says
Omar Khan, who has been working
with young people in Preston for
over 10 years. He sees rst hand
the impact that unemployment and
deprivation has on young people,
and he is concerned that if things
dont change soon, the situation
will get worse. Preston is heading
towards Manchester, Liverpool and
London, he said. Is that what we
want? Change takes time, money and
hope.
No police authority wants to have a
gun problem, Preston now has more
and is beyond the tipping point. In the
rst 6 months of 2008 we have had 18
instances of gun discharge. That is a
major City problem
As with other cities, the rise of gang
related incidents is clearly related to
drug dealing, which Arif Patel knows
all too well. He served time for dealing
and is now working to prevent other
people from following in his footsteps.
In the old days we used to go to
somebodys house to buy the drugs,
he said. Drugs used to be controlled
by a few families and you knew not to
mess with them. But now it is possible
to buy them from a sixteen-year-old
kid on the street corner. Nowadays
the kids just dont care.
Getting drugs off the streets isnt just a
priority for the police, its a priority for
the communities as well. We want
drugs off the street just as much a s the
police do, Omar told us. They need
to get into the schools and get into t he
communities and youth groups and
start to educate the kids. They need
to understand who is responsible for
selling the drugs in our communities.
The effect of drug dealing,gangs and gun crime is felt
most in the communitiesthemselves. This year, therehas been a number ofshootings, stabbings andviolent assaults in Preston.We talked to people working in thesecommunities about what needs tochange.
Change takes time, moneyand hope.
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Impossible Dicisionssible Dicisions
18 page19
impossibledecisions
Suicide is a topicsurrounded bystigma andshame. Everyoneknows about itbut nobody talksabout it.So we thought wedask Tony Roberts, theSuicide Prevention leadfor Central LancashirePCT to start anargument.
Picture the scene. Youre on the 100th
oor of the World Trade Centre on 9/11.
The building is burning around you.
The heat is intense. There is no way
out and no hope of rescue. You know
with certainty that today is your last
day. But you have a choice. Do you
stay in the building to be consumed
by the re and smoke, or do you take
action and jump from the window?
I put this question to some colleagues
and they all said they would stay in
the building. Interestingly, each of
them had a different reason theirreligion, a refusal to give up hope, and
the thought that if they stayed, then
someone else would be to blame for
their death.
I was the only one who would have
jumped. More on that later.
After 9/11, the New York coroner said
no-one jumped from the World Trade
Centre. People were blown out, or
forced out. But no-one jumped. We
dont say that people jumped.
Like many people, I watched the events
of 9/11unfold on live TV. That people
deliberately jumped to certain death
is beyond doubt. The picture of the
Falling Man appeared in newspapers
across the world the day after 9/11,
but has not been seen since.
Why do we deny it? Is it because we
are ashamed? Or is it because the
picture and the thought of jumping
forces us to ask the very question
that I put to my colleagues? It forces
us to confront our own worst fears.
If we had a choice between a life of
insufferable pain or a quick and early
death, what would we choose?
Though the Falling Man has never
been formally identied, he is believed
to be Jonathan Briley, a sound
engineer from the Windows on the
World resaurant. Years afterwards,
his sister spoke of his deep religious
beliefs and how his faith might have
been the reason he jumped. Did he
believe, so strongly in his heart, she
said, that if he jumped, he knew that
God would catch him
But not all suicides happen on live TV.
Most are very private, desperate and
lonely acts. But it still seems strange
to me that, we are quite able to talk
openly about violence and murder, but
not suicide.
On average, about 600 people are
murdered every year in England. Yet
each year, over 5000 people take their
own lives. Suicide is the biggest single
cause of death for men under the
age of 35. And for every completed
suicide, over 100 more people make
a serous attempt. Thats half a million
people every year. And yet we donttalk about it in anything other than
hushed tones or sensational media
headlines.
A few years ago, the local media in
Preston covered a suicide on the
railway in Preston. The story ran
details of the incident, along with
location and news of a broken fence.
Within a couple of weeks, two more
identical suicides had taken place on
the same section of track.
A recent episode of Casualty featured a
suicide attempt involving paracetamol
and alcohol. In the following week
A&E depa rtments ac ross the country
reported a 17% increase in similar
attempts.
In Bridgend, Wales, there has been a
string of suicides by young people in
the last 12 months. The media has
been all over the town, looking for
links. A local businessman even put
up a 5000 reward for evidence of
a suicide chat-room connecting the
deaths.
What role do media play in promoting
or preventing suicide? Well, if were
incapable of talking about it, then the
media is our only way of nding out
about it. Has the media affected the
suicides in Bridgend? Or is it more
to do with the fact that Bridgend is
a deprived area where young people
have little hope or opportunity?
Suicide, for many people, is an escape
from an insufferable situation. There
is a short line of railway in Southall,
West London, which accounts for one
third of all suicides on the railways
in England and Wales. What makesthis unique is that the people taking
their lives on this track are nearly
all south Asian women who have
suffered years of domestic abuse. To
them, the prospect of confronting the
abuser or leaving the household is
more unimaginable than the prospect
of being dead. Surely, there has to be
an alternative.
But we are only ever going to nd
those alternatives by confronting
the issue and discussing it head on.
Which brings me back to the question
of 9/11. Why would I have jumped?
It is my view that it is everyones right
to determine the manner of our own
demise. Personally, I would prefer to die
ying through clean air, than burning in
agony. However, many people believe
that our deaths should be passive -
something that happens to us, rather
than something we control. Some
people believe that only God can
decide when our time is up, whereas
others are incurably optimistic, and
see hope in everything.
I do not say I am right, only what I
believe. Feel free to disagree. Because
it is only by talking and arguing and
disagreeing that we can understand.
And only by understanding can we
make sure that suicide is no longer
kept under wraps.
Because I also believe that we can do
more much much more to support
and protect our friends, family and
comrades, so that they never have to
be in a situation where they have to
face such impossible decisions.
each year, inengland, over
5000 peopletake their own
lives.
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d - A look back in time Rewind - A look back in town
20 page21
rewinda look back in time
UntoldStoriesIts 60 yearssince the
Windrushdocked inEngland,bringingpeople from theCaribbean tothese freezingshores.Whatmade people leavetheir tropical homesand settle on a smallisland in the NorthAtlantic?
Coming to EnglandMr Pond arrived from Montserrat in
1959 to join his family, who had settled
in Preston. Like many others, he said
hed only intended to stay for a couple
of years, I can guarantee that 95%
of people my age, that came from the
Caribbean, would say that they never
intended to stay here for more than 2
years.
Over the next 20 years, thousands
of people made the journey, some to
nd work, others to be with family.For some, coming to England was an
exciting time, as Mr Hill found on his
three week long sea voyage in 1963.
It was a good crack on the boat,
he said. Everybody was happy to
be coming over to England. There
was always something going on, like
a party or music. Everybody got on
really well and there was never any
trouble. I just joined in and I had a
really good time
Mr Pond, also came over by boat. I
came on a ship called the SS Ascania,
he explained. We thought that these
were huge liners in those days. We
now know that they were just barges.
But it was an enjoyable experience,
at age 18, sailing across the Ocean,
being fed every day and having a good
laugh with your friends at night.
When Mrs King left Jamaica in 1962,
it was a party occasion. The big day
came for me to leave Jamaica,. My
friends and family came to see me off.
Some were crying, but I was happy
because I thought I was going to a
land of paradise. Like others, she
wasnt expecting to stay. I thought
to myself I wouldnt be there for long,
only for ve years. Five years would
be more than enough for me.
No ChoiceFor others, the journey was not such
fun and games. Dell Coke was told
that she would be leaving her family
in Jamaica to start a new life with
her auntie in England. I didnt have
a choice. she said. It was decided
without consultation with me. My aunt
was living in England and she didnt
have any children. In those days they
wouldnt consult with children. You
just did what you where told.
Dells family thought that they were
doing the right thing It was thought
that it would be better for me because
England was seen as the mother
country back then. However, farfrom being excited at moving to
England, Dell was distraught, I was
devastated she said. I didnt want to
leave. The morning I left I cried my
eyes out.
The journey for Dell was just as
distressing. She was sick on the
boat for three weeks and her Auntie
wouldnt allow her to mingle or party
with the other passengers. However,
she did get to sit and have dinner with
the captain each night.
Freezing ColdArriving in England proved to be a
big shock for most people. The rst
thing that hit them was, of course, the
weather.
Mrs King arrived in the middle of
November, dressed for the Caribbean
weather. I never thought of winter or
how cold it would be, she recalled.
I arrived in England on the 13th
November and landed at Gatwick
airport. I was wearing a lovely linen
dress but I nearly froze to death as it
was very cold and I was not prepared
for that type of weather.
Dell arrived later the same winter. It
was the 10th of February 1963, she
explained. It was really dark and it
was snowing. I remember asking my
auntie what it was. It was so cold. I
really dont remember much else,
apart from the small lights in peoples
houses. I dont even remember who
picked us up. My thoughts were all
mixed up. I had left home, all of my
family and everything I knew. And I
was just confused.
Working in such cold weather was
an alien experience for Mr Hill. I
remember when I was working
picking up the timber, even though I
had gloves on I could still feel the cold
through them. Thats when I used to
wish I was back home.
I remember how cold it was, said
Mrs Hill. I used to look outside thewindow and be shocked that we had
to scrap the ice from the window
panes outside.
Everybodywas happy
to be comingover to
England Mr Hill
In 1948, an advert appeared ina Jamaican newspaper offeringcheap transport on the EmpireWindrush for anybody whowanted to come and work in theUK.At that time, there were norestrictions on immigration forcitizens of the British Empiremoving around the colonies.This prompted many people tomove from the West Indies and
the colonies to England.On 22 June 1948, the Windrushdocked at Tilbury, near London,carrying 492 passengers fromJamaica wishing to start a newlife in the United Kingdom.Since the Windrush, over threequarters of a million peoplefrom the Caribbean have eithersettled or been born in England.Yet very little is known abouttheir stories.Rewind is a reminiscenceproject working with the olderCaribbean community inPreston. The project aims toproduce a collection of booksdetailing the lives of people whomigrated to England from theWest Indies. The books explorewhy they made the long journeyto a place they had been toldwas the Mother Country, whatmade them stay and how thingshave changed?
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nd - A look back in time Rewind - A look back in town
22 page23
Digging DeepAs well as the cold, it was also a
rightening experience, as Mr Pond
explained. When I rst arrived at
Southampton, I felt frightened and
solated. In my own Island, I was big
man. Finding myself in this country,
with no one to help me and no one I
knew, I had to dig deep to get myself
hrough it.
Even getting around on public transport
was bewildering. I had been told in a
etter what I had to do, he said. I hado get on the train, but because trains
are non-existent in the Caribbean, I
ust watched everybody else and saw
what everybody else was doing. It was
not a pleasant feeling.
Mr Ponds rst impression of Preston
was even more gloomy. I arrived in
Preston at about 4a.m. on a Saturday
40 years onIts now over 40 years since many of
them arrived in the city. Determined
that they would one day return home,
some, like Mr Hill, only threw out their
original suitcases recently. England is
our home, he told us. Even though
we were born in the West Indies, all
of our children were born here and we
have lived here more than half of our
lives. We wouldnt say we were English
though, because we were born in the
West Indies and we wouldnt changeour heritage. We are half and half.
So, with everything theyve been
through over the years, do they have
any regrets? Dell explained how she
had mixed feelings. When I look back
at my life, I regret leaving my brothers
back home, he explained. However,
he says things change and people
settle down, even though they never
intended. I met this young lady
and people change, people get into
societies, no matter how bad it is
either way, to settle down. I am no
different to the thousands or millions
who, when they rst arrive here felt
sad, but after a while they blended
into what was going on.
new things where I wouldnt. Some
patients wouldnt let me treat them at
all. Preston was lonely and slow and I
really wanted to go back to London.
Mr Pond started work at Tulketh
Cotton factory. Basically, I was just
cleaning up. I just wanted a job and I
just cleaned around the looms. There
were no other black workers there, I
was the only one. The young ladies
were quite inquisitive, and they more
or less adopted me. They all brought
me lunch, and I enjoyed it, I enjoyedtheir company, but the foreman did
not think it appropriate. I was there for
one month, and then I was given my
marching orders simply because I was
too friendly with the young girls.
I then joined the regular army in
1961 to excel myself. I was a rocket
technician, and worked on the
American Honest John rocket, which
is a 762mm ground to air missile. In
the whole of the British Army, I was
number two on the list and yet I was
a gunner, and they never promoted
me. They never gave me the chance.
I only served for 3 years because of
the racial nonsense.
morning after 7 hours on the train. It
was dark and you could feel the smog,
you could taste it; it was gloomy. I was
not happy. I could not imagine that
people lived in a climate like this.
Settling InSettling in to a new life in England
brought new challenges. Dell
explained that, whist she got on well
with others at school, there were
cultural differences that made things
awkward. I enjoyed school, she
said. But I found it difcult whenpeople would say one thing to your
face then another behind your back,
because in Jamaica people tell you
what they think of you to your face.
However, things changed when she
moved from London to Preston to
take up a career in nursing. I came
here in 1967, just four years after I
had left Jamaica. I never had any
racism until I came to Preston. At the
school in London we mixed very well.
When I got to Preston and I went to
work at the hospital I suffered a lot of
racism. People who started after me
would get promoted and be taught
and sisters and the life I had. I have
achieved things here but I still regret
coming. I think sometimes my sisters
have done much better than me, but
we have done well here. I think if I had
stayed at home I would have done
more.
Having been forced to leave her family
back in Jamaica 45 years ago, Dell has
vowed she will not be parted from her
family in England. I would go home if
it wasnt for my children. Now there is
no way I could go home and leave mychildren. I want to be here if they get ill
or they needed me.
Mr Pond said he would do things
differently if he knew then what he
knows now. My intention was to
earn some money and then to go
I could not imagine that peoplelived in a climate like this
Mr Pond
We wouldnt say we were Englishwe are half and half Mr Hil
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Juniorsb
ack
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For the last four years Ivebeen researching about theGuns and Gang Culture, itwas after I asked a youngboy of seven What do you
want to be when you growup?, and he replied AGangsta . He then madea sign of a gun and startedrunning off shouting blapblap blap. I thought tomyself Whats Going On?
Which then reminded me of MarvinGayes 1970s hit. When you listen tothe lyrics or read them 38 years on,they are still so very powerful and canrelate with whats going on in todaysociety.
whatsgoingon?
s going on? Whats going on?
32 page33
Whose to blame for it all?Parents? Teachers? YouthWorkers? Music? Films?
America? Society? What weneed to nd out is whatshappened to these youngpeople thats made them soangry? Why are they so readyto use weapons?In my research Ive watched hours,
and hours of dvds, Ross Kemp on
Gangs, Scarface, Menace 2 Society,
Goodfellows, Kidadulthood just to
name a few. When I sat down with
a group of black teenagers, and
watched Menace 2 Society, the
character O-Dog came on, he was
described as the craziest nigga alive,
Americas nightmare, young, black,
and dont give a fuck . I remember
the group smiling with admiration for
the character, and I thought shit they
like him. 20 years earlier I watched
Scarface also with a black group, I
remember everyone laughing when
he said the now infamous lines say
ello to my little friend. We laughed
way back then too, but it didnt seem
as sinister as it did when we watched
Menace 2 Society. Maybe because
Tony Montana was a little guy from
Cuba, you couldnt really relate to
him the same way as the group could
relate with O-dog.
I asked a group of black young people
aged 17-24 What do you want out of
life? They gave the answer most young
people give me. They dont know.
When I dug a little deeper I found out
that this group had all left school with
no qualications. They didnt believe
in themselves. They dont believe that
anybody believes in them.They didnt
expect anymore than they have now,
and that they dont believe they have
a choice.
If young people feel like this so early
in life no wonder theyre angry. So I
ask the question again, Whats going
on? When I asked them what would
they do now if they could, they said
go on a progamme that will help build
some condence, a second chance
in education, and meeting black men
who are successful. Now to me thats
not alot to ask for, so for me if we dont
act on this now, were going to have a
Mother, motherTheres too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother Theres far to many of you dying
You know weve got to find a way To bring some love here to day
- marvin gaye
byAdrianMurrel
generation of O-Dogs on
our hands.
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of blood rivers of blood
34
riversofblo
od
page35
In April 1968, Enoch Powellmade his famous Rivers ofBloodspeech possibly themost explosivespeech of alltime. Ithas beenused ever sinceto justifyracialdiscriminationand calls fornon-whitesto gohome40years on,Barbershop takes a
look back at theman, the speech and thelegacy he leftbehind.
Powell waseither a brilliantstatesman or aracist bastard
EnochPowel
high in many cities and politicians
didnt seem to know what to do about
it. Into the breach stepped Enoch
Powell.
The ManDepending on your views, Enoch
Powell was either a brilliantstatesman
or a racist bastard. Eitherway, there
is no doubt that he wasan educated
man. He was a poet and a scholar,
with a top class degree in Latin and
Greek from Cambridge.He was also
a rm believer of the British Empire,
which overthe previous 200 years hadspannedthe globe. But was he really
racist?
Powell had spent several years in India
and spoke uent Urdu.He would ask
his Asian constituents if theypreferred
to talk to him in English or their mother
tongue.
Powell also believed in fair treatment
and high standards of behaviour. In
1959, he spoke out against atrocities
committed by British forces in Africa,
saying We cannot say We will have
African standards in Africa, Asian
standards in Asia and perhaps British
standards here at home. We must be
consistent with ourselves everywhere.
We cannot, we dare not, in Africa of
all places, fall below our own highest
standards in the acceptance of
responsibility.
In 1960, as Health Secretary, he had
been out to the West Indies and
South Asia, encouraging people
to come to England to work in the
understaffed NHS. He also called for
better treatment of people with mental
illness and started developing more
humane, community-based mental
health services.
Throughout the 60s, he supported
the West Indians and Asians in his
Wolverhampton constituency. In fact,
in 1964, he said, I have set and
always will set my face like int against
making any difference between one
citizen of thiscountry and another on
grounds of hisorigin.
So here was a man who seemed
opposed to racial discrimination,
promoted equal and fair treatment
and who had actively encouraged
immigration. Why was he now saying
that these same people should go
home?
The SpeechThe words Rivers of Blood were
never actually used by Powell in the
speech. He said, quoting the Roman
poet Virgil, As I look ahead, I am lled
with foreboding; like the Roman, I
seem to see the River Tiber foaming
with much blood.
Powell said that unchecked
immigration was insane and thatbringing in the new Race Relations
Act, which would have outlawed racial
discrimination in employment and
housing, would be to risk throwing a
match on to gunpowder.
What made him change his tune? One
theoryis that it was d one simply for his
own political gain. Three years earlier,
he had lost the raceto become leader
of the Conservative party, and lost
badly. After the speech,he became a
public gure withhugesupport. But
he was also outof ajob,as the very
next day Tory leader Edward Heath
removed him as shadow defense
secretary.
Another theory is that Powell only
supportedimmigration for as long as
it was useful toBritain and the empire.
He was quite happy for people from
across theempire to come and work
in Britain. However, when those same
citizens beganto arrive in Britain and
claim citizenship, the ideal was less
appealing.
Powell concluded his speech at the
Midland Hotel by declaring: To see,
and not to speak, would be the great
betrayal. But who was being betrayed?
Britain? The Empire? Or the doctors,
nurses, labourers and workers he had
invited to come to Britain from across
the Commonwealth.
He was betraying everyone, of every
colour, who believed that diversity
could enrich as well as threaten a
nation. Because Powells beloved
England now relied on the very men
and women he was selling out for his
own political gain.
The LegacyEven 40 years on, the words Enoch
was right still poison any sensible
attempt to discuss immigration and
race. They can also spell political
suicide. When Conservative candidate
Nigel Hastilow used the words ina Wolverhampton newspaper last
year, he was instantly sacked no
discussion, no debate.
Nowadays, it is impossible to talk about
race, migration and religion without
risking fury and outrage. It doesnt
matter what the issue is - restricting
immigration, detention centres for
asylum seekers, combating terrorism
or calling for British jobs for British
people everyone tiptoes around the
issue, making vague politically correct
statements and sitting on the fence.
Whilst Powells speech didnt exactly
foster peace and harmony, at least
he had the bottle to say something
however unhelpful it might have been.
Its hard for us to believe now, but
40 years ago, most people actually
looked up to politicians. In contrast,
todays leaders are a bunch of
spineless idiots.
However,there is one thing in politics
that hasnt changed in 40 years. It is
the willingnessof MPs to victimise the
poorest and most disadvantaged in
society for their own politicalgain.
Weve seen it with people living in
poverty, with Sikhs, Blacks, Muslims
and Asylum Seekers. Weve seen
it with young people and the
unemployed, with drug users and with
single mothers. The most vulnerable
people in society are always blamed
for the failingsof society. Scapegoats
for the failings of government.
Powells real legacy..?Plus a change, plus cest la mme
chose - The more things change, the
more they stay the same.
Explosive TimingFor maximum impact, Powellcouldnt
have timed his speech better. Just 16
days earlier, Martin Luther King had
been assassinated in Memphis. Race
riots were aring up across the USA
and US President Johnson had just
signed the Civil Rights Act, aimed at
eliminating racial discrimination.
Back in England, thousands of Asian-
Kenyan refugees were arriving in the
UK, eeing persecution in Africa.
They came because the Government
had always said that Commonwealth
citizenswere welcome in Britain. But
they arrived in a country that didnt
want them and didnt know what to
do with them.
People were also arriving from the
Caribbean and southAsia, encouraged
over by the promiseof work in health
care, industry and public services.
This caused concernamongst some
of the white working classthat foreign
workers coming over here to steal
their jobs. Racial tension wasrunning
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Prison BreakBreak
36 page37
less likely to offend when they are
released. But what actually happens
when they walk out of the prison
gates?
Community worker Omar Khan set up
Prison Break, a new initiative to help
ex-prisoners to nd their feet. Prison
strips you of your freedom, he
explained, and the longer somebody
stays in prison, the longer it takes to
get them functioning in society. They
lose their skills and it takes time to
readjust.
Tony Ellis is a classic example. WhenTony was released after 16 years, he
met with his probation ofcer in town.
He showed Tony where the dole
ofce and the bank were and then
left him in the middle of town to deal
with it. Omar explained. Tony went
into a shop and had a panic attack
because he couldnt communicate
with other people. The whole system
of resettling needs to be looked at to
stop re-offending.
Another problem is unemployment.
Danny Grant has been to half a dozen
interviews and has had to lie on his
application just to get a foot in the
door. The other forms I lled in and
been honest on, they havent bothered
getting back to me, he told us. How
can we stop re-offending if we cant
get a job?
The stigma attached to ex-offenders
and what theyve done puts a mental
stress on them as well as their loved
ones. They cant get a bank account,
accommodation or a job, said Omar.
They understand and accept that
what they did was wrong and theyve
paid their penalty, but they are still
paying.
Arif Patel came out of prison a few
months ago, after being convicted of
drugs offences. He isnt convinced
that prison is the best way of preventing
re-offending.
Prison doesnt work, he said. I
know people who are 19 years old and
have been in prison 9 times already.
Being in prison, you actually learn how
to be better criminal, other prisoners
teach you new skills. People end up
not fearing it.
Arif believes that more needs to be
done to give people like him the chanc e
to go clean. Ive done every kind of
crime you can imagine. In the end, I
had come clean and I stopped what I
was doing. I actually tried to get into
the police force, but my application
was rejected because obviously they
wanted to arrest me.
Working in the police or the prison
service would, says Arif, give ex-
offenders an opportunity to prevent
others from taking the same path.
We understand what they are going
through and we can help. I have done
my time and I can help these people.
But I am not allowed to because of the
CRB check.
Even accessing education and training
can throw up barriers. I also tried to
get into University, he explained. There
was a question on the application form
about drug related offences. Nothing
about theft or robbery, just drug
related offences. They said that they
would have to take any drug related
offences into consideration when
reviewing the application. That means
that murderers can go to university;
thiefs can go to university but for
some reason ex drug users cant.
Prison break started two and a half
years ago, due to an increase in young
people with gang related issues.
They had lack of role model and a
lack of things to do, Omar said. They
were making easy money from drugs.
Having youth workers lecturing them
about it wasnt working. We needed to
nd another way.
It was an ex drug dealer, wanting to
volunteer, who inspired the project,
as Omar explained. One day, after a
session with a group we realised that
we just hadnt got through to them. He
offered to sit down and talk to them
and he got through to them more than
any of us ever had.
Since then, Prison Break has worked
with a wide range of offenders on
high prole projects, such as cleaning
the cemetery, mosques and schools
during the day. And in the evening,
the offenders become youth workers,
sitting down with groups of young
people and talking to them about what
prison was really like.
The purpose is two fold. One is to
make amends for what theyve done
to their community. The other is to
discourage others from taking the
same path.
We need to make them realise,
Omar said, that part of repairing the
damage they have done is to make
other young kids understand what
damage they are doing to their own
community, the hurt they cause to the
mother the father and the family. And
the loss people feel. Prison is failing we
need to look for other alternatives.
Continue>
In the lastissue wefound outabout whathappens inPreston
Prison torehabilitateandre-educateprisoners.But whatactuallyhappenswhen theyarereleased?
Not bloodymuch, it seems.Except...
According to government data, 55% of
ex-prisoners reoffend in the year after
release. What these statistics dont tell
you is that all too often, they re-offend
because they dont get the support they
need.
In the last issue, we heard about how
Preston Prison train, educate and
rehabilitate prisoners so that they areprso
nre
a
Omar Khan
Arif Patel
Its about rewarding
good behaviour. Drugdealers do the samething
Its about rewarding
good behaviour. Drugdealers do the samething
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20/27
Celebrity
Brea
kdow
nWhat is thisobsessionwith AmyWinehouseslatest freak-out? Celebritybreakdowns arelike a car crash.Unpleasant, butunmissable.
the media isidolising a
smack head,is this good
for ourchildren?
Another week and another string
of celebrity breakdowns hit the
headlines. Already this year weve
watched Gazza, Heather Mills, Amy
Winehouse, Britney Spears, Kerry
Katona and Lindsey Lohan all fall apart
before our unbelieving eyes.
Theres something almost
pornographic about watching public
gures disintegrate in public. Were
drawn to watch, even though we
know its a bit wrong. We cant help it.
Its like slowing down at the scene of a
car crash. Part of us hopes the victim
will be safe and well, but another part
of us secretly wants to see mangled
torsos.
Celebrity breakdowns have become a
spectator sport. Eve ryone talks about
it, making predictions about which
Pointless Celebrity X is going to be
next to end up in rehab.
So it is with Amy Winehouses latest
freak out. Now, there are a lot of
people who think the girls got talent,
but Im not one of them. I think shes
shit. But no matter. Cos whether she
deserves to be or not, she is incredibly
famous. Which is why she fascinates
us. Shes larger than life and yet at
the same time, shes a bit pathetic and
fragile. As a result, she doesnt seem
to know how to act anymore.
So when she turns up to Nelson
Mandelas birthday gig and starts
shouting Free Blakey my fella, a
sizable portion of the human race
hang their heads in despair and think
No, no, and thrice no. The thing
is, famous or not, shes got no class.
And she needs a good wash. With a
hosepipe.
We could argue that Amy is a victim
of the media and publicity. We could
argue that she is just a troubled youngwoman who believes her own PR
companys hype. We could go on and
on, unpicking the details, pretending
that we know her and that we have a
right to watch her fall apart. Thing is,
we expect famous people to be better
than us. And were constantly amazed
to nd out that theyre not.
Fact is, shes more famous now than
she was before she hit the clinics. I
cant shake the nagging thought that
this is all some kind of cynical PR
stunt.
That might be uncharitable, but, for
the vast majority of us, a breakdown
isnt a media event. We dont have the
luxury of having minders to punch and
therapists to ignore and private clinics
to check out of. For most people, its
a lonely and distressing experience for
which its hard to get help.
For all her aws, I do hope Amy pulls
through. But truthfully, I nd it hard
to care. Maybe if the support that is
lavished on her was available to the
rest of us, then I might have a bit more
sympathy.
Celebrity Breakdown
page3938
street and take photos of things they
nd interesting, and put a gallery up
and talk to them about why they have
taken that particular photo. They are
going to be writing story boards and
music
Prison break also goes back into
the prisons and talks to the men in
there in their own language. As Omar
explained, its all about valuing the
skills that people have, rather than
focusing solely on their criminal past.
We have the people, we have the
resources, we have the skills out there
in our own community. They just have
a tinted past. But thats what we want.
They understand these kids. They
can be real role models. That is their
GCSE; their past is the qualication
they bring. We hire ex drug dealers,
ex gang members. They can sit down
and talk to these kids and appeal to
them on their level.
However, providing such a service
is not without its problems, like a
lack of funding and support from
the authorities. Small time projects
like this are supported by voluntarily
community groups. Nobody from the
City Council or Connexions help us to
it. The work Arif does is worth three
or four ofcers, and if I can get him a
salary, it is money well spent.
The council spends money on a
newsletter called One Voice and its not
good enough. Thats why Barbershop
appeals to us, It is from our community
and thats why it works.
Arif explained how one barrier is
the language we use to describe
people. What we need to do with the
prisoners is rstly stop calling them
prisoners, he said. Because they
have done their time. What they are
now is part of a team who want to help
our community.
If they get the support, surely the risk
factor of re-offending will go down. If
there is no opportunity to break the
cycle, you end up sticking to what
you know and going back into a life of
crime. Although they have paid their
price they are still in jail.
all about taking responsibility when
see somebody is a bad one, the
mmunity needs to step in and talk to
m and address their issues before
too late.
s about rewarding good behaviour.
g dealers do the same thing - you
and get rid of this for me and I will
ward you with a bag. We are doing
same thing except we are using
gs they are interested in, We are
rewarding bad behaviour we are
ng these kids hope, and giving them
portunity. The 10 to 12 hours they a re
ng the activity is 10 to 12 hours they
off the streets and out of criminal
vity.
son Break runs a number of initiatives
provide young people with meaningful
portunities to develop their skills and
ntribute to the community.
e have 2 hour slots on Preston FM,
ere the lads get the material ready and
y are loving it, the lads are teaching
younger ones for summer.
e also have a photography project,
kids are going to go out on the
Having youth workerslecturing them wasntworking. We needed
to find another way
Having youth workerslecturing them wasntworking. We needed
to find another wayOmar Khan
on Break
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21/27
something
for theweekend,Sir?
Something for the weekend, Sir?hing for the weekend, Sir?
40 page41
A lot of peoplehave asked uswhy we choseBarbershops asthe focus for the
magazine.So, we thought wedexplain ourselves.
Barbershops have a long tradition of
eing more than just a place to get your
air cut. In this first of three articles
elebrating Barbershops, we look at
heir history and find that some things
avent changed
A Biblical Professionarbershops have been around for
ver 6,000 years. Even the Egyptian
haraohs had barbers. Their priests
ad their entire body shaved every
hird day, which probably wouldnt go
own too well with todays barbers:
How would you like your pubes,
the barbers endless ow of talk.
The rst Roman barbershop opened
in 296 B.C. when a guy called Ticinius
Mena came over from Sicily, bringing
with him the art of shaving.
These Roman barbershops continued
the Greek trend of being Gossip
Central. The Roman barbershop
really was the place to be seen. A
morning visit to the barber became as
important a part of the daily routine as
the visit to the public baths.
One of the worlds oldest jokes, dating
back over 2000 years, takes a pop at
vicar? Cant see it happening.
In the Bronze Age (3500BC) barbers
were seen as the most important men
of the tribe, as they believed that bad
spirits could only be driven out by
cutting the hair.
Barbering is even mentioned by
Ezekiel in the Bible who said: And
Thou, son of man, take thee a barbers
razor and cause it to pass upon thine
head and upon thine beard.
The word barber actually comes from
the Latin word barba, meaning beard.
Barbarians, those scruffy warriors
the barbers well known love of gossip
- Asked by the court barber how he
wanted his hair cut, the king replied:
In silence.
Barbers were so highly prized by the
Romans that they even erected a
statue in the memory of Ticinius Mena,
The First Barber of Rome.
Barber SurgeonsEarly barbers didnt just cut hair, they
were also surgeons and dentists. So,
as well as haircutting and shaving,
barbers performed surgery, blood-
letting, leeching, enemas and pulling
who kept annoying the Romans, were
given the name because of their wild
beards.
Gossip CentralBarbers have always occupied an
important place in society. In ancient
Greece, barbershops were the
headquarters for social, political, and
sporting news, with customers coming
in to discuss the news of the day.
Barbers prided themselves on knowing
every possible bit of gossip or rumour.
Just like today, anybody was welcome
to hang around indenitely, listening to
teeth.
In 1308, the Worshipful Company of
Barbers was found. It is the worlds
oldest surviving barber organisation,
celebrating its 700th anniversary this
year. These days, though, they are
now more interested in the surgical
bit, than hairstyles. Splitters.
Beard TaxDuring the Henry VIIIs reign, men