Avril's Walks and Talks

06/06/2024

Currently at the Bloomsbury Theatre listening to Marlon James being interviewed by Bernadine Evaristo about his book A brief history of seven killings.

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31/05/2024

Desmond Dekker

Dekker had been a star in Jamaica for years before he burst on the international scene. His career went back to the early 1960s, an era dominated by a new and uniquely Jamaican form of music that had been created in 1959. It was called ska, and it was the music Jamaica danced to, with Dekker and his contemporaries — up-and-coming young artists like Jimmy CliV, T***s and the Maytals, Justin Hinds, and Bob Marley — dominating the charts. It was also hugely popular in England, where rebellious youngsters known as “skinheads” adopted ska as their music of choice — which was not without its irony, as the majority of skinheads were overtly and often violently racist.
Copyright © MEP Publishers | Reggae pioneer: Desmond Dekker | Caribbean Beat
Magazine https://www.caribbean-beat.com/issue-81/reggae-pioneer-desmond- dekker

Althea Neale Gibson

Althea Neale Gibson (25 August 1927 – 28 September 2003) was an American tennis player and professional golfer, and one of the first Black athletes to cross the colour line of international tennis. In 1956, she became the first African American to win a Grand Slam event (the French Championships). The following year she won both Wimbledon and the US Nationals (precursor of the US Open), then won both again in 1958 and was voted Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press in both years. In all, she won 11 Grand Slam tournaments: five singles titles, five doubles titles, and one mixed doubles title. Gibson was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame. In the early 1960s, she also became the first Black player to compete on the Women’s Professional Golf Tour.

22/05/2024

Langston Hughes was a Black writer whose poems, columns, novels, and plays made him a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s.

Naomi Campbell became the first Black woman to appear on the cover of French ‘Vogue’ en route to iconic status in the modelling industry.
After beginning her modelling career at age 15, she became the first Black woman to appear on the cover of French Vogue and the first Black model on the cover of Time. Campbell is also known for appearances on TV series like The Face and Empire and her scrapes with the law. She studied at Italia Conti Academy stage school and appeared in music videos for Bob Marley and Culture Club before signing with Synchro modelling agency at age 15.


19/05/2024

Visited the pop up black hairdressers 'Steam Bar' in Selfridges earlier this week...New hairstyle! What d'ya think?

16/05/2024

During the 1960s the name D**e and Dryden was unknown. By the 1970s they were one of the most famous names in the Tottenham area, opening a variety of shops, hairdressers and supplying Black women with the essential hair products that they needed.
This is just one of the stories that this infamous road in north London tells.
This bustling street has a rich and diverse history which is often overlooked. The street has been home to a vibrant African and Caribbean community for decades and has played an important role in the development of Black British culture in the area.
Come and hear Avril Nanton tell the street’s story.
This is a 2 hour walk that starts at Costa Coffee, south Tottenham and finishes at La Rose Lane (formerly Black Boy Lane).

11/05/2024

Today I went to Nandos for lunch. I met this man for the first time. His name is Emmanuel. Never met him before. He paid for my lunch (for both me and my husband!). He runs the Pro Elite Football Academy in Enfield. Give that man a clap...and a big thank you too😍😍 Some people are not only kind but generous too!

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01/05/2024

With deep sorrow to Daniel Anjorin's family on such a tragic day. What a horrible tragedy to forsake this family and their innocent young angel. RIP 🙏🏽 to him and my condolences to his family. This young lad aged only 14 was killed by a sword wielding 36 year old man yesterday on his way to school. 💔

28/04/2024

Today in 1967, boxer Muhammad Ali was stripped of his boxing heavyweight championship title after he refused to join the army. Ali questioned, “Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam after so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights?”

27/04/2024

Double the celebration, double the fun! 🎉🇸🇱🇹🇬 Happy Independence Day to Sierra Leone and Togo! Let’s dance and rejoice together!

26/04/2024

Thirty years ago today, history was made as all South Africans were granted the right to vote.🇿🇦

24/04/2024

Oliver Tambo was the acting president of the African National Congress, he served primarily in exile. He opened the first Black law firm in South Africa with Nelson Mandela. He would go on to serve in exile as acting president of the African National Congress (ANC). He returned to South Africa in 1990, turning over party leadership to Mandela.
Tambo was born on 27 October 1917, in the village of Bizana, South Africa to the Pondo people. Of modest farming origins, he earned a scholarship to attend the University of Fort Hare, the only university open to Black citizens in the country, where he studied education and science. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1941. In 1960 Tambo and his family were exiled from South Africa and lived in Zambia then London. When the ban against the ANC was lifted he was able to return to his native country in 1990. He died in 1993 aged 75.

22/04/2024

31 years ago today, Stephen Lawrence was murdered in London by white men, some of whom are still free and wandering the streets. The murder broke up the Lawrence family.

21/04/2024

Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon on February 21, 1933, in Tryon, North Carolina, Nina Simone took to music at an early age, learning to play piano at the age of 3 and singing in her church’s choir. By the mid-1960s, Simone became known as the voice of the Civil Rights Movement. She wrote “Mississippi Goddam” in response to the 1963 assassination of Medgar Evers and the Birmingham church bombing that killed four young African American girls. She also penned “My Baby Just Cares For Me”, “Young, Gifted and Black,” borrowing the title from a play by Lorraine Hansberry, which became a popular anthem. Her other hits include “I Put a Spell on You,” “Ain’t Got No-I Got Life/Do What You Gotta Do” and “To Love Somebody,” with the latter penned by Barry and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees.

She fought for civil rights throughout her whole life, including writing songs that contained messages about freedom within her music.

10/04/2024

In 1981, after Magaret Thatcher’s use of the word “swamp” wherein she described how she felt about the number of African Caribbeans in the UK whom she felt were “swamping” the country, the Brixton riots took place. The amount of tension that was created between the Police and the Black youth of the country was overwhelming. With “sus” used by the police to stop black youth all over the country, tensions were running high. The shooting of Cherry Groce precipitated the riots. For the next 3 days running battles took place between Police and youth starting in Brixon but eventually arriving at many major cities in the UK.

04/04/2024

Reflecting on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Assassinated on this day in 1968. His words and actions continue to inspire change and justice.

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02/04/2024

I'm in total shock about this. I met Ray a few times over the years. He was the deputy mayor under Johnson's regime, but even more so, he was a prominent founder of the Eastside Young Leaders Academy, a charity that has helped hundreds of young black children. May he RIP!

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02/04/2024

Honoured to learn about Nurse K A Pratt, the pioneering first Black nurse in the NHS, at the Florence Nightingale Museum. Thank you, Professor Lynn McDonald, for shedding light on this remarkable legacy.

23/03/2024

Such sad news. Now they're both gone. 😢

15/03/2024

SUPPORT DIANE ABBOTT.

12/03/2024

Joining hands from afar to celebrate Mauritius’ Independence Day! 🎉🇲🇺 Sending love and support to our friends in the beautiful island nation!

10/03/2024

Happy Mother’s Day to all the incredible women out there who nurture, support, and love unconditionally! Whether you’re a mother, grandmother, aunt, older sister, or a mother figure, your care and dedication make the world a better place. Thank you for all that you do! 🌸💕

08/03/2024

Happy International Women’s Day to all the women I know...and those I don’t...and those I have yet to meet!

08/03/2024

Who remembers this “Fight of the Century”? This memorable fight took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1971. The fight is widely regarded as the biggest boxing match in history and arguably the single most anticipated and publicised sporting event ever. 

One thing that most people don’t know about this fight is that it covered up a successful burglary of an FBI office in Pennsylvania which exposed the COINTELPRO operations that included spying on activists involved with the civil rights and anti-war movements. They figured that the guards would be listening to radio coverage of the fight and be distracted. One of the targets of COINTELPRO was Muhammad Ali.

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06/03/2024

Joining the celebration of Ghanaian Independence Day with friends from around the globe! 🇬🇭🇬🇭🇬🇭

23/02/2024

Met the wonderful Livingston Gilchrist at a talk about Barrel Children at Bruce Castle recently. He and his mum told the audience what it was like to cone to the UK from both sides - parental and child. Barrel children were those children left behind by the Caribbeans when they came to the UK. They would feel guilt for leaving their children behind so they would organise a barrel full of items that they would then send to their children. It was a way of posting their love to their children. How do you think people who come to live in the UK today feel when they leave their children and/or families behind? Do people still send barrels or is it all Moneygram these days?

19/02/2024

Took this fabulous group of people on a walk along the West Green Road, Tottenham Last Sunday. A good time was had by all.😁

07/02/2024

If you’re on the lookout for a low-key London gem, check out V&A Museum for Thomas J Price’s “Numen” series.

Unlike most sculptures made of bronze and occasionally marble, they are made of aluminium. The heads are placed at eye level and prompts us to consider who we look up to and who has become the object of the public’s worship today.

&a

02/02/2024

Had an amazing time being a tour guide in Brixton! 🌍 Exploring the vibrant streets with Sandye and Tommy from Harlem was a delight. Their 53-year love story and Sandye’s passion for fashion and jewelry added so much charm to the Brixton walk.

It’s truly a joy to connect with such wonderful people through my tours. Brixton’s rich history and diverse culture make every adventure special.

🚶‍♂️🏙️❤️

15/01/2024

15/01/2024

On this day on 19 January 1929 Dr Martin Luther King Jnr was born.