Last week I tweeted that Etta James wasn’t long for this world, then Friday came the news that Ms James had passed away that morning (20 January), at a hospital in Riverside County, California. The quality of her life had diminished considerably, so it was expected and for me a relief that she was no longer in pain, suffering or not having a basic quality of life.

Millions of words have already been written, about Etta James following her passing on her career, her accomplishments and even her failings. Some I’m sure were written months ago by journalists in preparation of her death. Sad but true, that’s how it rolls.

Where do I begin when paying tribute to a woman who lived it, felt it, suffered and sung it. Etta James has been my favourite female vocalists for decades, and I am blessed to have had the opportunity to see her live, a hand full of times, as I mentioned in a blog post made last year January. She was a master of tone, phrasing, delivery and clarity. And oh what emotional versatility and profundity, whether she was wailing about loneliness, unrequited love, jealousy, revenge or betrayal in a bluesy slow tune, or buoyant in an up beat tempo like Tough Mary or In The Basement. Etta James always “owned” whatever she sang. Etta James had “lived” many of her songs. When I listen to her, I feel her pain, anger, bitterness and joy. That’s the depth her phrasing, clarity and her personal experience brought to the songs she sang.

Born Jamesetta Hawkins 73 years ago to a 14 year old mother, Dorothy, who possessed not an iota of marternal feeling or responsibility. She was bounced from family friends to relative and back again as a child, that it’s no wonder much of her life was troubled with drugs, periods of incarceration, rehab and difficult relationships, but the one thing constant in her life was music. At 5 she was singing in a church choir and soon considered a child prodigy. At 16, Etta James already had two chart hits and was touring with Little Richard.

On par with some of the great and acclaimed entertainers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Nina Simone, Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin, her repertoire exceeded their’s, Etta could sing it all. The great standards, doo wop, blues, jazz, country and even rock. Her rendition of Prince’s “Purple Rain” amazed me and Randy Newman’s “Let’s Burn Down The Cornfield” leaves me tingling.

Etta James may have sabotaged her own career along the way with her drug and alcohol addiction along with other problems, but her life long fans stuck with her. I’ve enjoyed her live shows but admit one show I attended in California, brought me to tears as people walked out in disgust and some booed. I just sat there until the end, like a good captain going down with her ship. Walking out wasn’t an option for me.

Etta could give Rhianna, Lady Gaga and all the other whipper snappers a run for their money on raunchiness and innuendos, but this time (not the only time), she was down right crude, although I chalked it up to her being under the influence of something. Slurring her words and being out of sync with the band only made it worse. To say it was embarrassing is an understatement.

Etta never enjoyed great financial rewards for her work. Like other black American entertainers of her generation, she was paid a flat fee for her recordings and did not receive royalties on her record sales. What did they know back then, especially with the racial climate of America. Etta along with her contemporaries, were not well educated nor possessed great business acumen. She trusted others to count the pennies while she did what she did best.

An alumni of Chess Records, the Chicago based label that showcased but cheated the likes of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Richard, and Johnny Lee Hooker, Etta was cheated out of royalties due to her, by Leonard and Phil Chess and others. In the 14 years she recorded with Chess Records she only received $10,000. The Chess brothers would often compensate with Cadillacs or houses.

If you had never heard of her (I can’t imagine why) or if you want to know more, check out her Biography “Rage to Survive”, and let her regale you with tales of her her chaotic childhood, the stars she has know, her tragedies and triumphs, told more honestly and raw than any other biography I have ever read.

I remember getting high with Miles Davis. I was surprised he looked so young ’cause I associated him with the older bebop generation. I mean, here was the hippest cat in the city, the man who blew “My Old Flame” on Dorothy’s records so sweet and pretty until you were ready to melt; here was the gruff-talking clean-dressing Prince of Darkness up in my room looking for good dope and sharp conversation.

Etta James…Rage To Survive: The Etta James Story

Etta James may have passed on, but her music is immortal, for that we are lucky. We even have the ability to restore and refine those earliest recordings to bring out the true beauty of them, a beauty that would have been lost over time with the older methods of recording.

Ms James, thank you.

This was originally published on The Duchess of Hackney’s blog on 24 January 2012

Mr Soul Train....Don Cornelius

Unbelievable news about one of the baddest cats around before music became terminally ill. The man whose name was synonymous with Soul Train, was found dead in his Sherman Oaks, California home at 4 am (Pacific Time) today. According to TMZ, law enforcement say he died from a gunshot wound to his head, and it looks like it was self inflicted. Cornelius was 75.

It was the show you had to watch for the latest soul hits from known and up and coming artists, the dance moves and oh the ‘fros, weren’t they something else? Not only was he the show’s presenter, he was also the creator and producer. Before Soul Train, soul music didn’t really have a significant dedicated television platform. Don gave it a larger audience.

If Dick Clark liked you or you had enough cross-over appeal, chances are you would end up on American Bandstand. Soul Train is where it was at.

I had no idea he was suffering from various ailments, so his health had not been the best lately and I understand he suffered a stroke and had brain surgery. TMZ reported on his legal problems some years back when he was arrested for domestic violence and was put on probation.

Seems like Don Cornelius was a considerate man as not only did he wait until his divorce was final before he took his life, he also waited until he completed his three year probation for the domestic violence charge.

I’m sure he did a dating game sort of show, like blind date. I can’t find anthing on it. Anyone????

Who would have thought Cornelius would have gone this way? You just never know what peoples thresholds are do you?

RIP Don Cornelius

The Youtube video above, is of him introducing another icon, Curtis Mayfield, on Soul Train.

Originally published on The Duchess of Hackney’s blog

A man thought to be in his mid 30′s was found with gunshot wounds after police were called to Langham Parade, in Turnpike Lane, Haringey, at about 3:30 pm today.

Although Air ambulance arrived shortly afterwards, the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Efforts are being made to trace his next of kin

Police have confirmed one person has been arrested but are appealing to witnesses to come forward.  Although they have not confirmed anything other than his approximate age, locals have identified the deceased as of Turkish origin.

Over one million young people are out of work. Photograph: John Sturrock/Alamy

This article titled “A new generation of schools offers a cure for jobless youth” was written by Jeevan Vasagar, for guardian.co.uk on Tuesday 31st January 2012 13.00 UTC

Youth unemployment, over a million now, is the most painful feature of the recession; a breach of the promise one generation makes to the next. But it’s not new – unemployment among the young was rising even in the tail end of the boom years.

There’s a deeper change going on here. The brutal truth is that in the 21st century, Britain has no jobs for young people without qualifications.

There’s a real shortage of first jobs for young people with all levels of education. Only 6% of employers offer jobs to 16 year old school leavers and only around 10% offer jobs to 17 and 18-year-olds fresh from school or college, according to 2009 data held by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. Increasingly, the jobs which are on offer to young people are not particularly good ones – they are more likely to be temporary or part-time, and they are less likely to receive training than older people.

But what about the future? Two of the most successful sectors of the economy – professional and scientific jobs, and IT – employ a below average proportion of young workers. Both of these sectors are significant in employment terms – employing around 1.9m and 1m people respectively. If we’re going to get more young people into work, here’s where the growth could come from.

Here’s a puzzle: the employment rate in Hackney, east London, has been rising over the past three years to nearly 71%, which is above the national average. But Hackney’s unemployment rate has barely been whittled away. Meanwhile, the percentage of the borough’s population with degrees rose dramatically in the past decade, from 33% to 46%. (Nationally, the figure is 25%).

In other words, the jobs aren’t going to local people. There’s been an influx of graduates which has transformed Hackney but left untouched a layer of young people without a future.

Even after years of investment, thousands of teenagers across the country are leaving school without the basics. School league tables published by the government last week highlighted the fact that just under 60% of 16-year-olds achieved five A* to C grades at GCSE including English and maths, in last summer’s exams.

Just 34% of those in care or on free school meals achieve this benchmark.

For those who fail to get these qualifications, the prospects are bleaker than ever.

How do we fix this? Improving school standards is part of the answer, but it’s obvious that there are thousands of young people who fail to be switched on by a traditional academic education.

One solution can be found in a new generation of vocational schools, backed by firms such as BlackBerry and Toshiba, which will open across England from September. The first of these schools, the JCB academy, opened in Staffordshire in 2010.

The first in the capital will open in Hackney this autumn. And while the University Technical College scheme is the brainchild of the former Tory education secretary Lord Baker, the chairman of the Hackney project is a prominent figure on the left, Anthony Painter.

Education secretary Michael Gove has announced today that 13 more UTCs have been approved to open from September.

Hackney UTC is sponsored by Hackney community college, whose principal Ian Ashman sketched out to me how a “radical strategy of closing down schools” had transformed the borough’s GCSE results. But he believes this will now have diminishing returns.

“The strategy of doing more of the same has been successful but is not going to carry on being successful,” Ashman says.

“There are young people capable of being successful at 16, but who don’t at the moment because they’re not motivated by the academic programme.”

The problem in Hackney is not necessarily one of a lack of jobs, but a mismatch of skills. On the doorstep of the new UTC is Tech City, the cluster of tech and digital companies that began at ‘Silicon Roundabout’.

Health, and the way that technology is going to change healthcare is another source of potential growth. There are three hospitals in the vicinity; Barts, the Royal London, and Homerton.

Austerity means these workforces are unlikely to expand, but they will change shape as the way that health services are delivered changes – making greater use of remote diagnostics, for example.

But even in a bleak economic climate, employers say that they can’t recruit young people with the necessary hi-tech skills.

Annie Blackmore, who will be headteacher of the Hackney UTC, says: “What the UTC is doing is sitting down with these employers and saying: ‘what are your skills needs?’”

Partners including BT and Homerton hospital will help draw up specifications for the curriculum – and the the children’s schoolwork will include employer-led projects. The school day will be based on the working day, all part of channelling young people into work.

But equipping them with skills for work doesn’t mean that they should be pigeonholed, Blackmore says. After all, children will be 14 when they start.

Instead, they’ll be encouraged to do the core curriculum – GCSEs in English, maths, science, a humanity and a language – alongside a vocational qualification in either health, or information and creative technology.

There will be a strong “bias towards” the use of technology in class, and students will be expected to blog on what they’re doing in the curriculum.

That will be an essential preparation for the future.

“They’re going to be working freelance,” Ashman says. “The way in which they’ll find work is through Linked In, Twitter.”

The new school’s immediate challenge is to find 100 pupils, to start in September – all of whom are currently at other schools.

The UTCs won’t be selective. To start with, Blackmore is working with schools to identify students who might, as she puts it “benefit from a change of curriculum”.

Though based in Hackney, its catchment area extends across a swath of east London. It is wide because its envisaged that the UTC won’t recruit large numbers of students from any one school.

But how will the new school ensure that it isn’t seen simply as a second choice – a second class education fit for someone else’s children?

Blackmore says: “I don’t want schools to think this is a programme for students they don’t want, don’t necessarily want to keep in their schools – the curriculum will be challenging.” The aim is to rercuit children “who are capable of succeeding but are switched off by what’s on offer.”

Painter advocates a “hybrid and high-quality academic, technical, personal and work-linked curriculum” that should exist alongside the traditional academic route.

He says: “Student strengths are varied and so should the education system be: status and quality however must be universal.”

The question, Painter says, is whether its children from Hackney who benefit from the new opportunities on their doorstep.

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010

Published via the Guardian News Feed plugin for WordPress.

Aarron McKoy

Cyrena Barned had just returned to London after teaching ESL in South Korea for a year, and was looking forward to catching up with family and friends.

After a joyous Christmas reunion with her family, she wasn’t expecting her time with her younger brother Aarron, to be tragically and brutality cut short in the early hours of New Years morning.

Aarron McKoy was celebrating New Year and his 22nd birthday at a venue in Hatton Wall, Clerkenwell. At approximately 4:10 am 1 January, police were called to reports of shooting in Portpool Lane EC1. They found Aarron McKoy of Hackney suffering from gunshot wounds, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Although several people have since been arrested and two men charged in connection with Aarron’s murder, the investigation continues and police are still very eager to speak with people who were present at the Clerkenwell House Wine Bar in Clerkenwell on New Years Eve or anyone who witnessed the incident.

Cyrena told Hackney Hive: “My brother Aarron was such a loving young man. He was warm to everyone he came in contact with and was a very popular person, which is why I know people who knew him, even in the most casual way, would have seen or even heard something that morning my brother was killed.”

The Clerkenwell House Wine Bar was very busy that night, there were a lot of people celebrating the new year, many of them may have known Aarron, if not personally, they may have known him casually from the clubing circuit. ” Aarron was memorable, some of the clubbers would remember their encounters with him” she explained.

She urged them to think how they would feel if this happened to one of their own loved ones and stressed that they would receive the highest level of protection from the authorities, if it was fear of repercussions, that was stopping them from coming forward with information.

Cyrena emphasized;  “This could have happened to anyone around the club that night. Anyone who would take a gun to what should be a happy event, would not have thought twice about killing anyone else out celebrating, who they felt slighted them.”

She is hoping that by keeping the story alive, people who may know something will feel compelled to come forward.

“I’m afraid if the story goes cold in the media, people may forget or think Aarron has been forgotten.” Cyrena explained.

Anyone who witnessed what happened or has information that might assist the investigation is asked to call the incident room 020 8733 4212 or to remain anonymous, Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Dean Atta

When I first heard Dean Atta’s  “I Am Nobody’s Nigger” on Sound cloud last week.  I was rocked to the core. Not because he was telling anything new, but because I’d never associated that word  with being the last word Stephen Lawrence heard or the the last words my African ancestors sold as slaves heard as they where whipped , lynched and hung dying on a Sycamore tree.

You are not alone if you are not familiar with Dean Atta or his work.  I wasn’t until last week. To be exact it was the day after the Stephen Lawrence trial verdict, when his free style poem “I’m Nobody’s Nigger” came to my attention.

Inspired in part by the Dobson/Norris verdict and moved by the  Panaroma reconstruction documentary on Stephens murder, 26 year-old Atta, explained to me how it came about.

“The evening of the  verdict, I updated my Facebook status to read ‘Rappers, when you use the word ‘nigger’ remember that’s one of the last words Stephen Lawrence heard, so don’t tell me it’s a reclaimed word.’ It must have resonated with people because in a short time it had over 80 face book likes and had been retweeted  50 times. People connected with that line.

“I couldn’t sleep that night and began scribbling and in half an hour wrote it. Usually I re write, edit and tweak. This time I didn’t” says Atta.

“I emailed it to Musa Okwanga, someone I admire and respect.  He liked what he read and told me to run with it”

That’s just what Atta did. He recorded it on his iPhone and uploaded it on to Soundcloud. The result was heartfelt words – raw emotion, which resonated with thousands of people.

For me, a Black woman who was a teenager in the late seventies and young adult in the 80′s, I remember spending hours listening to Richard Pryor’s raunchy profanity laden albums and watching his comedy videos, howling with laughter, even with his very liberal spattering of the word “nigga’,  My friends and I thought he was hilarious.  Despite the negative connotations, Pryor along with George Carlin, remain my favorite comics.

The word “nigger” is arguably the most controversial and offensive racial slur ever used. Racists use it to belittle and dehumanise people of African descent; yet many black youths have appropriated its usage, flipped the context, and reinvented its meaning. Many think it’s a word they have ‘reclaimed’, implying that it is not offensive if they, instead of a white person use it.

While it’s not a word I used liberally, there have been occasions, within certain circles I’ve used it. More so in America, than when living in Britain. Thanks to Dean Atta I buried that word last week.

The man behind the words

Atta who has a Greek Cypriot mother and a Jamaican father is more than a commentator on social black issues.  He is a graduate of Sussex University where he earned a BA in English and Philosophy and was President of the African, Caribbean & Asians Students Union.

No stranger to performing, he was a child actor and appeared in several west-end shows, including Oliver and Bugsy Malone.

“I started writing in school as a way of expressing myself and questioning injustice, that even as a child I could see all around me, I also began writing about race and sexual identity and used poetry to shine a light on social issues that would normally be swept under a carpet or not spoken of”, says Atta.

Rice and Peas a powerful spoken word piece he wrote and performed about domestic violence within a gay relationship, is one of those unspoken issues he alludes to.

Openly gay, he is  also an activist and has spoken out on the rejection of gay people by rap and hip hop culture and homophobia.  In 2010 Atta became involved with Red Room Gay Africa a forum set up  in response to growing LGBT human rights violations in Africa.

In an era where cliches dominate publicity bios for wannabe performers and X Factor freaks, I can truly say Dean Atta is a formidable poet and spoken word master on a whole ‘nother level.

A young renaissance man of our times, (yes I know, more cliches) Dean Atta has already earned his share of accolades, including,  a Spirit of London Award.  He has been commissioned to write poems for Walker Books, Damilola Taylor Trust, Keats House Museum, London Transport Museum, National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain and Tate Modern.

But he tells me his proudest moment was writing and reading a poem for one of his literary heroes; Maya Angelou to mark her 80th birthday at the Dorchester in London.

“I just want to continue writing, performing and immerse myself in social projects that I am passionate about”, says Atta.

Those passions include working and mentoring disaffected youth, gay activism and playwriting.

You can catch Dean Atta and other performers every last Friday of the month, at Come Rhyme With Me at Cottons Restaurant in Exmouth Market EC1.

His play Queen Pokou can be seen at Stratford Circus Theatre March 8th and 9th.

He’s social network friendly too.  Follow him on Twitter .  His website

The death Roundabout? Photo: www.lcc.org.uk

The Met Police will be holding it’s  ‘Exchanging Places’ event for cyclists, on Monday 16 January, on the eastbound slip road to the roundabout close to M’scDonalds, between 7am and 10am.

The event aims to reduce collisions between cyclists and HGVs.  Cyclists will be given the chance to sit in the driver’s seat of a large tipper truck, provided by McGee’s, and see for themselves the difficulty that lorry drivers have in seeing cyclists and pedestrians in their blind spots.

Last year, sixteen cyclists died on London roads, nine of those were as a result of collision with HGVs, including two deaths with three weeks within yards of each other at the Bow Roundabout.

Officers will also be on hand to guide cyclists in and out of the cab and give general advice about safe cycling.

A second event will take place on Friday 20 January on the southern side of the roundabout near the High Street Stratford junction, between 4pm and 7pm. Again this will be aimed at commuter cyclists and a four axle tipper.

PC Simon Wickenden stressed: “Last year sixteen cyclists died on London’s roads, nine of those were as a result of collisions with HGVs. This alarming statistic shows how vitally important it is to educate both drivers of large vehicles and cyclists.

“Many cyclists we speak to have never sat in a lorry’s cab before and have been amazed by the restricted view of the road on the nearside. Both lorry drivers and cyclists must look out for each other and it’s crucial that cyclists do not cycle on the nearside of any large vehicle.”

The location of the attacks is being heavily policed.

Police are appealing for information and witnesses after three linked knife point robberies took place on Thursday 12 January, between 9:30 pm and 10:00 pm in Ashenden Road, E5 and Glyn Road, E5.

On all three occasions, the robbers targeted lone females forcing them to hand over their hand bags containing bank cards and mobile phones.

The suspect is described as a black male, 16-17 years old, and approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall with stubble on his face. He spoke with a London accent. He was wearing a dark blue hooded top, with the hood up and grey tracksuit bottoms.

Anyone with information is asked to contact DC Michelle Savage, from Hackney’s Robbery Squad on 0207 275 3232 quoting crime reference number 4600937/12. To remain anonymous please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

DS Colin Hill, from Hackney’s Robbery Squad, said. “In light of these attacks, I have a number of officers investigating this case and the location of the attacks will be heavily policed. I would like to remind residents that when you are out try to stay in well lit areas and if it is late at night try to stay in the company of another. Please ensure that where possible, all valuables are kept out of sight. We will do everything possible to detain this person.”

Robbery Awareness Campaign

Hackney Police are urging residents and visitors to the borough to take care of their valuables when out and about. This is part of a renewed awareness campaign to help reduce street crime. Our officers will be helping and engaging with school children to ensure they keep safe, especially as many of them will have new phones given as Christmas gifts.

As operational activity to tackle personal robbery continues, including increased patrols in key locations and pro-active investigations to arrest suspects, we are reminding residents of the simple steps that can help prevent them from becoming a victim.

When you are out, where possible try to keep any valuables hidden. Smart phones and media players are becoming must have items for many people – that includes criminals too. They simply see these items as cash.

We take street crime very seriously – being robbed can be a traumatic experience and so tackling it is a key priority for us and we are doing everything we can through enforcement, education and prevention to address it. We are asking the public to take some basic precautions to help minimise the chance of it happening.

Many robberies happen when people check their phones just after leaving a train or underground station, or when they are going about their business and may be distracted. Young people too, especially secondary school-aged children are also targeted – usually after school by other young people.

We’re not asking the public not to use their phone or media players in public: we are just advising them to be vigilant about where and when they use or wear them.

The MPS has also been working with the mobile phone industry to see how technology and software, such as tracking applications (apps) can help reduce street crime. Many of the latest smart phones can access apps which can help find lost or stolen mobile phones. Lock your devices and utilise existing and freely available GPS tracking and location apps. This can assist police in locating stolen property.

We also advise residents to keep a record of their phone’s IMEI number: its unique reference number. To find out the IMEI number type in *#06# and it will display the 15-digit number, which can then be registered at www.immobilise.com

Aarron was shot on his birthday

Detectives investigating the murder of Aarron McKoy, 22, in Clerkenwell on New Year’s Day,  have charged a second man with his murder.

Jack Nichols 20, of Wickford Essex, was arrested at mid-day on Wednesday 11 January in Wickford and was taken in to custody at an East London police station. He appeared at Thames Magistrates’ Court with the murder of Aarron McKoy  and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life in Clerkenwell on 1 January.

Yesterday, (Thursday) 12  January, a 21 year-old  man was arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody.

Two people have already been charged in connection with the investigation.

Dean Smith, 25 of Hackney was remanded in to custody and will appear at the Old Bailey, for a plea and case management hearing on 13 April at the Old Bailey, charged with the murder and possession of a firearm, with intent to endanger life in Clerkenwell on 1 January.

Kieron Caesar, 23 also in custody, will appear at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 22 March, charged with GBH on a 24-year-old manalso in Clerkenwell.

Aarron McKoy was celebrating New Year and his birthday at a venue in Hatton Wall, Clerkenwell . At approximately 4:10 am 1 January, police were called to reports of shooting in Portpool Lane Ec1.

McKoy of Hackney, was found suffering from gunshot wounds, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Initial reports of an altercation taking place inside the Clerkenwell House Wine Bar, leading to his shooting were incorrect. Investigators have since been able to establish that the altercation took place outside the venue.

Further investigation has revealed a 24 year-old man was stabbed and as a result of this stabbing the violence escalated.  Aarron McKoy was chased down the road and shot.

The stabbing victim was subsequently taken to hospital, treated and discharged.

The view from outside - Dalston CLR Library

The long awaited opening of Hackney’s new library is almost over. When The Dalston CLR James library opens its doors on 23 January, not only will it be the first new Council library to be built in Hackney in over 20 years, it will be one of the largest public libraries in the UK.

There will be over 32,000 items in the new library and younger readers will have over 9,500 books to choose from and over 17,000 for adults. People also have a choice of over 1600 free CDs and DVDs and over 200 talking books, study materials and online reference sources.

Because of a strong demand for study space and computers by library users,  20 dedicated study spaces have been created along with 2 meeting rooms.

In total there will be 57 computers to use for free.  10 in the children’s section; 10 in the adults section; 22 in the study area; 3 in the Teen Zone, 2 in Quick Picks section and 10 laptops for use the meeting rooms. The library, like all other Hackney libraries has free wi-fi throughout.

Staircase inside Dalston CLR James Library

By popular demand from Hackney library users, Dalston CLR library will have a cafe,  which will be managed by local café owner Gurkan Bozdere, and is set to open shortly after the library.

Contrary to earlier reports the café will not be a Starbucks franchise, although it will serve Starbucks Coffee.  Bozdere who with his father runs the Sömine Restaurant in Kingsland High Street, won the contract from Hackney Council last year. Speaking to a local blogger, Bozdere said he was not aware of local supplier Climpson and Sons who are based in Broadway Market, before he made his decision on the supplier.

Hackney Archives, is currently moving its collections, including over 20,000 historic photographs, original records of Hackney Council and other local organisations, and what are thought to be the oldest documents in the collections, a bundle of property records relating to land in different parts of London, dating back to 1356, to their new home. In the meantime the searchroom will open on 23 January, along with the rest of the library, to provide access to some of the local studies collections, including microfilm copies of the Hackney Gazette from 1869, maps, digitised copies of photographs and local history publications. The full archives service, providing access to the unique historical documents in the archives, will open soon after the new library.

The opening has also been long awaited by campaigners who fought hard to retain the name of the late CLR James, a Trinidadian historian, journalist and social theorist, whom the old library was named for.

The brand new Dalston C.L.R. James Library will open 9am to 8pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm on Saturday and 1pm-5pm on Sunday.

Library opening times are changing across the borough from 23 January at all Hackney Libraries. To find out more about Hackney Council’s libraries and the new opening times visit www.hackney.gov.uk/libraries or contact 0208 356 3000.