Extract from a letter sent to town halls in Islington, Paddington and Euston asking about their local housing problems, 28 September 1958, Catalogue ref: HLG 117/122
Contains original language used at the time which is not appropriate today.
For several nights at the end of August 1958, young white men known as ‘teddy boys’ attacked West Indian residents and their homes in Notting Hill, London. These disturbances became known as the Notting Hill riots.
Transcript
28 September 1958
Dear Mr Fishwick.
In relation to the disturbances [riots] in the Notting Hill district last week, the Minister [government person in charge of housing] has asked for a report on the housing and overcrowding problems in connection with coloured immigrants in other districts where they are known to have congregated [settled]. We should be very grateful if you could let us have your comments on this problem and, in particular on the amount of overcrowding by coloured immigrants of houses let in lodgings [renting rooms] or occupied by more than one family …
- What type of document is this?
- Why do you think the government wanted a report about housing for immigrants in different areas?
- Apart from overcrowded housing, what other difficulties could immigrants in Notting Hill have faced? [Use what you know from the other documents.]
- Teachers discuss the causes of Notting Hill riots in 1958.