Ridley Road- surely the wrong time.

maddyone

I thought last night’s episode was the first episode. Have I missed one episode whilst we were away?

I thought it was the first episode last night too

Annie look at it this way if the programme was about Catholicism as the main subject you would still expect the other things in the back ground to be represented as close to life as possible wouldn’t you

It’s the equivalent of seeing a car in the streets of a horse drawn period drama

I don’t think for a minute Trisher was saying it should have been ABOUT black peoples but that it should be portrayed in more realistic terms for the period

I did a double take when I saw the black guys in the crowd too trisher

Sorry my last post appeared twice no idea why or how that happened I ll try better next time

trisher said ‘it was the wrong time to show it ‘

Thank you Jane. Maybe the poster talking about episode two saw it on iPlayer.

I know I'll be shouted at but, these days, every month seems to be black history month. The percentage of black faces in all sorts of dramas even set in the most remote areas in times long ago is very striking.
I'm not saying that's a bad thing just a very noticeable thing and could even set things back a bit.

The 62 group fought fascism and stood for all minority groups. They were primarily Jewish but I remember they marched with banners that included "Black and White Unite" so it would be realistic to expect some sort of mention in the series as I think that area of London was home to quite a few minority communities. It would be strange to see a whitewash. They marched for making incitement to racial hatred a crime but I think it took over a decade for that to happen.

I think one example is when she was looking for accommodation and we know signs saying "No blacks no Irish,no Jews" were common but there weren't any/ I think it would have highlighted as well the casual racism of the day.

I'm not shouting at you Aveline but it's worth noting that Black History Month was first celebrated in the UK in October 1987 - which year was also coincidentally the 150th anniversary of Caribbean emancipation and other notable events in black history - so it's been an annual event for 34 years.

I have no problem with "colour-blind" casting. It just adds another dimension to dramatic interpretation and a note of realism in some cases.

Black people have lived in the UK for centuries, e.g. tens of thousands in London from the 1700s. Many were former American slave soldiers, who had fought on the side of the British in the American Revolutionary War and resettled as free men in London.

One could argue that black people have been severely under-represented in drama.

Yes Early years of poor representation
Trisher this was set in 1962 the following year I met my husband to be and will completely confirm that most boarding houses had those notices in their windows I had to leave my lodgings as the neighbours ‘would not like a black man coming to the door’ We were in London at the time and it was prudent to keep a low profile not get enmeshed with police activity Mind you there could have been a black man sweeping the roads !!!!!
I won’t shout at your avaline but it’s a poor post Black History month has always been October perhaps it’s passed you by

Not everything has to be about black history. What about everyone else?
I watched it as I know nothing about anti-semitism. Never come across it in my area so decided I needed to find out a bit more. First episode was interesting but still didn't understand why there were Nazi flags. Does anyone know if these things happened in Scotland too?

Gosh you’re still not getting it Elaine
no one has suggested it should be about black peoples just that it gets historical facts in correct perspective ??‍♂️

In the early 60’s I was in a relationship with a black S.A. Priest,
we went for a day to the Cotswolds, went in a pub for lunch and
was asked to sit in a back room, so not only London

Thanks for your experiences BlueBelle it must have been a difficult time. I remember my mum telling me that when we moved council houses in the 50s her old neighbours were very angry with her because the old house was given to a black family. She had nothing to do with the allocation of course, but apparently the family were rehoused because they had lost a child. I often wonder what life was like for them on that estate. Every day racism was so common.

I wonder if you are jumping to conclusions too quickly trisher?
Maybe the the first episode is to establish the Jewish nub of the story, but will be fleshed out later?
With regards to the lack of signs stipulating who can and cannot apply for lodgings, I wonder why this wasnt reflected in the program?
Do the BBC usually shy away from realism?

I haven't watched this yet, but after reading and posting on this thread a couple of times, I decided to listen to the audio book of Jo Bloom's novel Ridley Road on which the drama is based. I am only an hour into an eight hour listen but prejudice against black people is there in the early chapters.

When Vivien Epstein arrives in Hackney and takes up lodgings with Netty Levy, she is sitting with Netty on Shabbos and sees a photo of Netty's late anti-Fascist activist husband Archie involved in a protest. There is a Keep Britain White banner in the photo.

When Vivien goes looking for Jack Fox at the address in Bow which she found on a letter from Jack to her late father, she sees many signs in windows saying; No Coloured, no Irish, No Dogs.

Are these particular scenes in the drama? If these details are not shown then that is a serious omission.

Early thanks for that. The character she lodges with in the TV series is called Netty Jones (played by Rita Tushingam). Does the name change in the book?
I never saw any notices .

She's Netty Levy in the book and Jewish. Jack is Jack Fox in the book which I think has been changed to Morris. Interesting. Why? I shall listen on ...

So glad it was the first episode! I didn't see the very beginning and thought I had missed more than I obviously did.

Early

I haven't watched this yet, but after reading and posting on this thread a couple of times, I decided to listen to the audio book of Jo Bloom's novel Ridley Road on which the drama is based. I am only an hour into an eight hour listen but prejudice against black people is there in the early chapters.

When Vivien Epstein arrives in Hackney and takes up lodgings with Netty Levy, she is sitting with Netty on Shabbos and sees a photo of Netty's late anti-Fascist activist husband Archie involved in a protest. There is a Keep Britain White banner in the photo.

When Vivien goes looking for Jack Fox at the address in Bow which she found on a letter from Jack to her late father, she sees many signs in windows saying; No Coloured, no Irish, No Dogs.

Are these particular scenes in the drama? If these details are not shown then that is a serious omission.

If they did, can you imagine the outcry for displaying such signs. Trouble is people think stories are real, and they would have to put a disclaimer on. what’s happening to this country where our history has to be hidden or destroyed because it doesn’t suit some.

Bluebell I'm sorry for your experience however this is just a television programme based on a book. I don't appreciate the way you have worded your answer to me, it being in bold and your emoji towards me.
I find it very rude, insulting and hurtful.

trisher

And Barb the owner of the hair salon is Wiseman (Weissman?) in the book and Barbara Watson according to imdb. Tamsin Outhwaite.

Also Stevie is a blonde Billy Fury type rock and roll drummer in the book looking rather different to Gabriel Akuwudike who plays him - again I'm looking at imdb. Vivien's try out for Barb's salon is to cut and style Stevie's hair so he looks like his idol.

I have binged the first three episodes (it is all on iPlayer), and think that it's very much from the viewpoint of Vivien, who is, of course, Jewish, and involved with the Jewish resistance to the Fascists. Other things are going on (eg the experiences of the black lad at the hands of the police), but the story is specifically about the resistance.

I don't think it is incongruous to show it as part of Black History Month, as it is about racism which is abhorrent in all its guises.

maddyone

Ridley Road is not about black people, not everything is about black people. It’s about Jewish people, and anti semitism. Why exactly is that apparently a problem?

I agree maddy I actually know very little about anti semitism and Jewish history so I am looking forward to watching Ridley Road. Haven’t yet as I’m out of the country but will catch up when I’m home.

Early do these name changes indicate that the BBC has attempted to dilute the Jewish element in the story? Now that is really worrying.

Why would the BBC want to dilute the Jewish element in a drama about anti semitism?