barbershop magazine (2008)

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

[email protected]

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>


7/27

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!


8/27

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


9/27

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.


10/27

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.


11/27

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?


12/27

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


13/27

Juniorsb

ack

24 page25


14/27

26 page27


15/27

28 page29


16/27

30 page31


17/27

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.


18/27

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


19/27

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


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


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

barbershop magazine (2008)

Documents