"E7 Now and then" relaunch (& today is 133th Anniversary of the deaths of 26 Boys at Forest Gate Workhouse)

 

The Forest Gate, (Newham, London) local history site "E7-Now and then" is being relaunched after a 5 year gap. Which is really good news for people like me who live in Forest Gate and is fascinated by all history. Until I read about it in the site I had no idea that the British Union of Fascists had an office and headquarters 200m away from me nor that 26 boys had died in a fire in a workhouse nearby caused by official negligence. 

But anyone interested in history would find something to look at in this site.There is already over 200 articles. 

John Walker is the author/publisher of the site and he has also written a very moving book about the deaths of the boys in workhouse - and the pretty dreadful conditions children endured there for over 70 years. check out :-

"Out of Sight, Out of Mind - Abuse, Neglect and Fire in a London Children's Workhouse, 1854-1907 https://www.newhambooks.co.uk/ ISBN 978-1-7399142-0-2.

We had hoped to mark the anniversary today (fire took place 1 January 1890) as we did in 2021 https://www.johnslabourblog.org/2021/01/an-awful-new-year-day-calamity.html but it didn't happen but maybe next year. 

Follow the site also on twitter 

E7-NowAndThen

@e7_nowandthen

New Year's day morning 1890 - Remembering the 26 Children

 

This morning a small group of Councillors and local historians met in West Ham Cemetery at the memorial to the 26 young boys (see below) who suffocated to death following a fire at the nearby children's Workhouse.  

Author John Walker, who has written a recent book on the fire and the Workhouse "Out of Sight, Out of Mind -Abuse, Neglect and Fire in a London Children’s Workhouse, 1854 - 1907" read out the names and ages of the victims. In his book John  makes it clear who should have been held responsible for this "accident". "Although cleared by the inquest, the management was culpable: it had locked them in their dormitories, so the staff could celebrate the new year in, off site.

Many thanks also to local historian, Alan Regin MBE, who is a font of knowledge about the cemetery and is trying to locate the exact locations of the boys grave. 

An Awful New Year Day Calamity

 

This morning my Councillor colleague, John Whitworth and I, went to West Ham Cemetery to lay some flowers at the memorial to 26 boys who died in a fire exactly 131 years ago. The boys lived in a massive workhouse for children nearby in Forest Gate (now converted into privately owned flats). 

It would appear that the children were locked into dormitories at night and were unable to escape. 

Check our the names and ages of the children below and a full account of the tragedy at this local history website E7 Now & Then. 

Augustus Flowers, aged 10, of 1, Laura Cottages, Millwall ; Theophilus Flowers, aged 9, 1, Laura Cottages, Millwall; John Jones, aged 7,  4, Island Street, Brunswick Road, Poplar; John Taylor, aged 7,  3, Amiel Street, Bromley; Michael Vassum, aged 8, mother in Whitechapel Workhouse; Frederick Smith, aged 9, 50, Church Street, Whitechapel; Edward Kilburn, aged 9, mother inmate in Poplar Workhouse; John Joyce, aged 10, 61, Apperion Road, Bow; Richard Page, aged 7, 45, Vanne Street, Bromley; James Potts, aged 10, 4, Newham Buildings, Pelham Street, Whitechapel; William Hume, aged 9, 52, Railway Street, Bromley ; Frank Chalk, aged 7, of Whitechapel; Herbert Russell, aged 10, mother in Croydon Workhouse; James Rolfe, aged 8,  61, Milton Road, Bow; Thomas North, aged 12, of Poplar Union; Walter Searle, aged 9, an orphan, from Poplar; Charles Biddick, aged 12,  4, Medway Road, Mile End; Frederick Scott, aged 7, 9, Oliver's Court, Bow Road; Henry Sowerbutts, aged 10, mother in Poplar Workhouse; Gilbert Allison, aged 10, 3, Charles Street, Millwall; Thomas Hughes, aged 11, father in Poplar Workhouse; William Dawson, aged 7, mother in Bow Infirmary; Frederick Wigmore, aged 8, mother in Croydon Workhouse; William Sillitoe, aged 9, father in Whitechapel Infirmary; Arthur Pigeon, aged 9, 31, Burdett Road, Bow; Albert Smith, aged 12, 14, Mansfield Road, Millwall.

Wanstead Flats Fire July 2018

Pictures taken last weekend from the top of a 308 bus showing the recent fires (from the week before). It was probably the worst fire I can remember in 30 years.

A scary time for many local residents who live adjacent to the flats and it caused massive disruption when surrounding roads were closed (my own car was trapped in Capel Road by a huge emergency water hose for a few days. A minor inconvenience in the scheme of things).

Many thanks to the London Fire Brigade and the City of London Staff.

It looks a little bit like a war zone but there has nearly always been fires every hot summer and the heath will recover and grow back.

This morning I went for a run through the flats and you could see some tiny green shoots, here and there, following the recent rain. Nature is amazing. 

Newham response to Grenfell Fire

Last week at Forest Gate North Labour Party meeting the Newham Executive Advisor on Housing, Cllr Terry Paul, gave a briefing on the Council response so far which he is happy to share.

"The tragic fire at Grenfell Tower occurred on the 14 June 2017.

Since the fire, the Government/Dept for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) required Newham Council to test its tower blocks - Ferrier Point, Nicholls Point and Tanner Point, which contained Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding.

There are 115 flats in Ferrier Point and 56 flats in each of Nicholls and Tanner Points. Refurbishment works were carried out to Nicholls Point and Tanner Point in 2009 and to Ferrier Point in 2012. Each refurbishment included the installation of ACM cladding and stone wool insulation to the exterior of the blocks.

For the local perspective the tower blocks in Forest Gate -Capel, Jason Close, Field, Green, College and Forest- aren't ACM and therefore not at risk.

The Council submitted sample cladding for screening tests and was informed by DCLG on 2 August 2017 that the current combination of cladding and insulation at the three tower blocks failed the large-scale wall test, meaning that it did not adequately resist the spread of fire over the wall to the standard required by the current Building Regulations guidance. 

The DCLG’s Expert Panel’s advice was that wall systems with these materials therefore present a significant fire hazard on buildings over 18. The suite of tests were completed on 25 August 2017 and identified a number of wall system combinations which passed the testing process. 

The next step is to phase the works for the three tower blocks into:

site investigations and welfare set up, approximately 1 month duration (investigations for de-cladding, gas services, duct work and scaffold design)

• block de-risking, approximately 6 months duration (scaffold erection, de-cladding, duct cleaning)

• re-cladding to the 3 blocks as part of a new fire-proof system, approximately 6 months duration.

Pending commencement of this significant programme of works, the Council has already implemented the DCLG recommended interim measures at the three tower blocks. All fire risk assessments are up to date and under six months old and extensive consultation and fire safety auditing has been undertaken with the London Fire Brigade to assess mitigation measures. Mitigating actions across the blocks now include:

• 24 hour wakeful watch

• Temporary fire alarm systems

• Car parks around the blocks have been closed 

• increased waste collections

• changes to fire evacuation procedures

• personal evacuation plans have been carried out for all vulnerable residents

• housing staff are based on site every day including weekends to deal with residents enquiries

RMS have completed extensive repair and remedial works. 

The ongoing weekly cost of the above mitigating actions is approximately £90,000 for the three tower blocks, arising primarily from the contract staffing of the 24 hour wakeful watch.

Next Steps

1, Continue to follow the principles of resident safety, openness and transparency 

2, Complete the planning and procurement process for Ferrier, Nichols and Tanner points.

3, Focus on Fire Safety in Newham's housing stock and prepare for the ramifications from the Grenfell Fire report.

4, Keep residents and party members informed of ongoing developments

Terry Paul,

Councillor and Lead Member for Housing

Grenfell Tower Fire - London Hazards Centre

Hat tip Phil Lewis Chair of London Hazards & in today's UNISON NDC regional newsletter "London Calling".

"Here is some information I was able to get hold of

2009 – Lakanal House tower block catches fire killing 6 people. The local authority is prosecuted for lapses in fire safety. A review is promised by the Labour government after pressure from the Fire Protection Association (FPA).

2010 – Building Regulations Act is published, including provisions for fire safety. Conservatives win election, a review is promised by the new government after more pressure from the FPA and warnings that the BR act does not go far enough.

2013 – Boris Johnson overrules the ruling body of the London Fire Brigade and uses legal action to inflict £29m in cuts. Closing 10 fire stations, cutting firefighters by 552, losing 14 fire engines and cutting minimum staffing levels from 5 to 4. By the time he steps down as Mayor of London he inflicts a further £100m in cuts to £130m total and the loss of 7000 firefighters. Fire prevention measures carried out by the service drop by over 25%. When challenged by a committee on fire safety on how cutting the fire service would not increase deaths, Boris replies “get stuffed”.

2013 – All Party Parliamentary Group on Fire Safety and Rescue produces a report strongly recommending installation of fire suppression systems and sprinklers in 4000 tower blocks throughout Britain. The Grenfell residents action group publishes a report warning that their landlord is putting their safety at risk by restricting the access ways to their car park. They are ignored by their landlord.

2013 – 2016 Conservative housing ministers sit on All Party report without action, promising they are “looking at it”, including housing minister Gavin Barwell.

2016 – Conservatives vote against a Labour motion to make sure all landlords and housing associations ensure residences are fit for human occupation, including provisions for fire safety. The motion is denied by 312 votes to 219. 72 of the MP’s voting against are landlords. The Grenfell residents action group publish a report warning people will die in a fire before the landlord takes notice of their poor fire safety provisions. They are ignored by their landlord.

2017 – Ex housing minister Gavin Barwell becomes Prime Minister Theresa May’s chief of staff. He never actions the All Party Parliamentary report recommendations. Grenfell Tower is reduced to rubble with the deaths of at least 79+residents as a fire spreads through the building in 4 minutes. It has no fire suppression system or sprinklers. The stairwell is not adequate for a full building evacuation. The emergency lighting is missing from half of the floors. The fire service struggle to reach the building due to previous car park modifications causing access issues as warned by the resident action group in 2013.

Philip Lewis

Newham Council Response to High Rise Residents following Grenfell Fire

I have asked a UNISON colleague who is a very experienced Housing Surveyor to check on this advice and also asked the Council who is checking Housing Associations & privately managed high rise blocks' fire risk assessments.

Grenfall Tower Fire - The shock and the horror but East Enders rally to help

Like everyone I was horrified at the news reports and pictures this morning at the fire and destruction of Grenfall Tower in Kensington.  I have been a housing officer in London for the past 25 years and have managed a number of similar high rise residential blocks, I was deeply shocked.

As a Unison trained Health & Safety representative (and member of IOSH)  I have been assured over the years, many, many times that such a thing could "never happen".

I am also a West Ham ward Councillor (London Borough of Newham) and this evening, I had by coincidence, my monthly surgery in the Tenants and Residents room in a 21 storey high rise and a concerned resident, who lived on the 14th floor, did come and ask me what is being done to reassure her and her family that they were safe. She asked if she needed some sort of ladder in her flat?

I have raised a member's enquiry asking for copies of all fire risk assessments for tower blocks in my ward. I have also offered to arrange joint inspections with residents, council officers and ward councillors of all our high rise blocks.

I also asked what has happened to our Newham Housing residents' scrutiny panel which has not met for a long time? Involving residents meaningfully in the management of their homes is crucial to ensuring their safety.

I did also speak tonight to Councillor Terry Paul, who is our Mayoral Advisor on Housing, who assured me that everything possible will be done to make sure our residents are safe and also keep them informed what is being done.

After the surgery, I went to the West Ham Labour Executive meeting in our HQ in Stratford. This evening (not now) our HQ was a base for local residents to drop off donations for Grenfall Tower Residents.

We had some people dropping off bags of donations.  Kay and her Mum, Mrs Brewer, (see above picture of them with Terry and Party member Karl Lewis) from Canning Town, who turned up with a car load of around 15 bags of donations. They explained that Canning Town had many tower blocks and local residents had been pleased to donate.

I dropped off the donations at Coffee7 in Forest Gate (see bottom picture). What a fantastic and generous community response!

Please check with the various charity organisers before dropping off any more donations at any locations.

Why Boris plan to cut 10 Fire stations will kill Londoners

Hat tip SERTUC for this Fire Brigade Union video with voice over by Ross Kemp about what will happen if these fire stations are closed.

"- Ross Kemp’s campaign film “Every Second Counts” is available at http://ow.ly/oBEO5
- The film is being promoted by FBU members and supporters via social media.
- Petitions against the closures can be found on the Government’s e-petition site at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/41043 and on the 38 Degrees site at http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-our-firestations
- The evidence that the Mayor has misled Londoners on his plans and the script for the film are available on the London FBU website at www.london.fbu.org.uk/?page_id=527"

More Bangladeshi Garment Factory Fire Deaths

"On Tuesday there was yet another factory fire in Bangladesh, killing at least 28 workers and leaving many more injured. This factory made clothing for Gap, Abercrombie, JC Penney, Phillips-Van Heusen  and other brands...

2011 marks the centennial of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, a pivotal moment in the movement for labor rights. In 1911, 146 garment workers, mostly girls and young women, died in the fire as a result of abusive labor practices.

...Labor rights abuses are still rampant throughout the world. In Bangladesh, garment factories have been ravaged by a series of fires and building collapses that have killed hundreds of workers.

In February 2010, a fire at the Garib & Garib sweater factory killed 21 workers who died of smoke inhalation because of heavily sealed windows and locked exits". (ILRF)

This has gone on long enough.  Not only deadly fires but factory collapses.  When I worked for Tower Hamlets Council, we use to raise money from the sale of purple Remembrance ribbons on Workers Memorial Day. In 2005 we gave the money raised to support the relatives of the 64 dead and those injured in the Spectrum disaster.

In the UK we have access to very cheap clothes often produced at the expense of other peoples misery.  British Retail stores and pension funds needs to take responsibility for not only financial outcomes but for the human inputs.

Check out International Labour Rights Forum and Asia Times.  Hat tip Ruby Cox, Chair of London UNISON International Committee.

Housing Matters 18 October 2009

Housing association rents to come down? Rents are linked to the September Retail Price Index (RPI). We now have deflation of 1.4% which could mean a real reduction in many rents (it's complicated) of 0.9%. The government have got to make up their mind what to do since housing associations have declared that if this happens it will mean less money to invest in new homes.

Many staff are also very interested in this issue since some pay deals are thought to be dependent on what will happen. There is even a threat of legal action against the government over any forced reduction in rents. Which seems a little barmy. The obvious retort by tenants will be that they didn’t see many Housing organisations complaining about last year’s RPI 5% increase in rents?

London Mayor Boris has set a 10 year target of 333,800 homes for the GLA but the top 3 borough targets are 28,850 new homes for Tower Hamlets, 26,000 for Greenwich and 25,950 for Newham. So East London boroughs politically controlled by the Labour Party have to house the most rather than less densely populated wealthier Tory boroughs? Hmmm. The word gerrymandering suddenly comes to mind for some strange reason?

Labour Housing Minister John Healey wants to take on Tories at next election over housing issues and challenges them to a live TV debate. There should be “clear red water” between Labour and Tories on this issue.

There is outrage by tenant groups over the suggestion by the regulator TSA that lifelong tenancies should be dropped in areas with long waiting lists. After all we don’t want middle income folk to live amongst the poor now do we? (hmmm YES WE DO!)

Safe as Houses - I’ve signed the No. 10 petition by Inside Housing here – which following the Lakanal Fire and Notting Hill poisoning deaths calls for carbon monoxide detectors in all new homes, fire emergency procedures posted on each floor of a tower block and a national register of tower blocks. Positive stuff but not enough – there should be an emergency evacuation plan and procedures for each block and regular drills, all staff to be properly risk assessed and trained in fire prevention and evacuation and the retrofitting of water sprinklers in blocks. Also assessments on whether or not extra fire escapes need to be provided to existing blocks.

The National Housing Federation predicts that house prices will increase by 20% in 2014 despite substantial falls in 2009 and 2010. House prices will eventually increase because of the fundamental shortage of supply. This makes sense so unless we can massively increase supply we will again see rising prices and huge increases in waiting lists.

Anchor Trust CEO calls for Answers on Housing for the Elderly here and launches a manifesto. A valid topic but this is totally overshadowed by his obscene salary of near £400,000 per year. No one will pay attention to what he says anymore.

The LGA reports that Councils will take out a judicial review of the government decision to withdraw Decent Homes Money for ALMO’s. I’m surprised that some Councils who are affected are not taking part. Mention no names...

NB Housing Matters: is my attempt to post weekly on public (aka social) housing issues I happen to come across. Picture is of Canary Wharf from a West Ham tower block prospective.

Fire destroys Bow Sikh Temple

This afternoon at work we became aware of the strong smell of smoke from somewhere outside our office building. I volunteered to go out and check that there was not a fire in or near a building we managed.

Eventually I came across the source which was a fire in the large Sikh Temple and community centre in Harley Grove, Bow, E3 (about 500m away from our office).

I have never in my life seen such a major fire in person. The emergency services had the situation well in hand and the area around the Temple was cordoned off while fire crews tried to put the fire out (or rather control the flames). It was pretty dramatic when the roof collapsed and there was a wall of flames and smoke. The noise was unexpected and pretty frightening.

The Temple is adjacent to the Malmesbury Estate (Bow South) which is now run by the ALMO Tower Hamlets Homes. There were a number of people watching what was going on and you could see everyone was sombre and horrified about what they were witnessing. We all have a primeval fear of fire I think.

Thankfully no-one was apparently hurt. See the East London Advertiser online report. I had worked in the Council housing office directly opposite the Temple for 3 years in the 1990’s. There were some very ugly rumours going around about the cause of the fire which I very much hope are wrong.

There was scaffolding up on the rear of the building which indicates building works were being undertaken and so there may have been an accidental cause.

I think everyone present was very appreciative of the work done by the London Fire Brigade and the Police.

East London Olympic Site Fire

Just before I was going to knock off for lunch today, someone came into the office and told us about a huge fire outside.

We looked out of the office windows at the massive cloud of black smoke that was billowing out. I popped out to check that it was not on our estate. Soon found out it was several hundred meters away across the motorway.

People’s reactions to the smoke were striking. Many appeared to be visually frightened. Especially parents with young children for obvious reason. It was like something out of the biblical old testament. With all the airplanes flying around many may have suspected a terrorist attack or feared the side effects of pollution.

I didn’t think that it was a terrorist attack since such massive fires have happened now twice in recent years in London. This is the closest. My first thought after all what has gone on recently was just “I hope the fire-fighters are okay”.