A series of exhibitions and events are to celebrate 30 years of Southall - one of London's most diverse and culturally-rich areas.

The Southall Story www.thesouthallstory.com focuses on the immense contribution the west London suburb has made to the capital since 1979 when Asians youths mobilised to drive out the National Front and give a voice to their community.

The events of that year were a watershed moment for ethnic minorities in this country and the anti-fascist movement in the fight against the far right - but came at a cost. Blair Peach, a  socialist teacher attending the protests was killed by police after being struck on the head. That nobody was ever brought to justice for Peach's death still jars with older 'Southallians' to this day who remember the struggles they faced to assert their right to live there.

But the activism that emerged from that era would spark the creation of campaigning groups that have since gone to make history including the Southall Black Sisters who, in 1992,  aided the release of Kranjit Ahluwalia, a woman who was jailed for murder after killing her abusive husband.

The eighties also saw a 'cultural awakening' in Southall that resonated through Asian communities across the world but went largely unnoticed in  mainstream British society. Bhangra groups such as Heera (pictured performing in 1988) and Alaap released tremendously successful albums and singles, but the sales figures were not accurately recorded and they were denied the appearances on Top of the Pops they deserved. Yet they were superstars in the Asian community and would play concerts in front of thousands on weekend and weddings in front of hundreds the next, signing autographs along the way.

Southall also produced several very successful entrepreneurs including Sir Gulam Noon and Sunrise Radio's Avtar Lit, whilst Gurinder Chadha who grew up in the area captured the essence of Southall family life  brilliantly in Bend it Like Beckham.

As a child, many of my weekends  were spent in Southall, staying with relatives or enduring marathon shopping trips with my mother, who would use a trip to Southall Broadway to stock up on all sorts of specialist items from cooking utensils, vegetables, Bollywood records and material for Indian outfits.
It was like nowhere else in London, a true 'Little India' before the emergence of smaller cultural hubs like Green Street in Newham or Tooting Broadway in south London.


But it has always concerned me that Southall does not attract the tourism it needs to thrive. Your average American or European tourist staying in the West End will rarely make the short train journey from Paddington up to Southall - simply because they are not aware of what's on offer. In contrast, other world cities such as Singapore and Toronto truly benefit from a well marketed and heavily promoted 'Little India' area that lure hundreds of tourists every day.

Even Brick Lane benefits from the 'Banglatown' branding and its proximity to the City, means tourists will often pay a lot of cash for a curry there - when they could be getting something twice as tastier - and half the price - in Southall.

The lack of a concerted 'Visit Southall' campaign  has meant the suburb has declined to a certain extent over the years. The area suffers from  high levels of drug abuse and is less visitor-friendly then it used be; parking near the broadway is close to impossible. In 2002, the traditional August bank holiday mela (outdoor festival) at Southall park was cancelled following a row over traffic costs and never came back.

Southall now has a fitting and magnificent landmark - the Sri Guru Singh Sabha - the largest Sikh temple outside of India, yet how many non-Sikhs have actually visited this remarkable building?

For Southall to have another thirty golden years we need to see sustained support from City Hall and the government to give London a 'Little India' worth boasting about - and one that  the world wants to experience. By the time Crossrail comes in 2017, I hope to see a 'Visit Southall' campaign well established by then.

THE BBC often makes mistakes and is regularly accused of excessive political correctness. But the broadcaster is absolutely right to dismiss Carol Thatcher over her off-air use of the word 'golliwog'.

The fact that she said it in a 'private conversation' and 'in jest' makes absolutely no difference and her refusal to apologise for using the word or recognise its offensive nature is frankly bizarre.

I am quite sure that a large number of Britain's licence-fee payers would prefer not to pay Thatcher's fee for presenting segments on the One Show...or for the car that picks up Carol Thatcher and takes her to the studio...or for the pastries she eats in the BBC green room where she caused such offence.

Growing up in Croydon in the 1980's I remember very clearly the term 'wog' and 'golliwog' being used in my school and neighbourhood. It was often used by the same people who thought the words 'paki', 'nigger', 'coon' and 'darkie' were acceptable ways to describe non-white people.

Within my earshot 'wog' was never used as a compliment or by someone seeking to point out the likeness of a person to the Robertson's jam mascot. The West Indian family that lived three doors away from me were no strangers to these slurs, whilst the three or four other black pupils in my school would, to this day, be able to recount several times when they were called a 'wog' or 'nigger'.

For members of my parents' generation these words caused far more damage than they do today. When they emigrated here from east Africa in the early 1970's these words were shouted at them on the street and followed them to their place of employment. Thankfully they are no longer deemed acceptable in today's workplaces, which is why it is absolutely right that Thatcher has been ditched.

We know Carol Thatcher is from an educated family. Both her parents had the money and influence to give their daughter an education that was second to none. She must have studied slavery at some point and the horrible stereotypes that were created, which led to the 'golliwog', people performing in 'blackface' and 'the minstrel shows'. Surely she must know that the 'golliwog' was created as a grotesque looking character with big clown lips, jet black skin and wild frizzy hair, exaggerating features that were deemed as 'inferior' at the time.

Even in London, there are still people who see nothing wrong in what Thatcher said, or dismiss it as a faux pas. Unlike me, they never had the word 'paki' etched on the letterbox of their front door, or can recall an evening when their whole family were called 'wogs' by a group of drunks coming out of a pub.

But I am glad that Britain is moving on, despite the odd reminder. Prince Harry, at least, apologised for calling a fellow soldier a 'paki' and In 2004, the football commentator Ron Atkinson resigned and apologised when he used the word 'nigger'. Carol Thatcher has shown herself to be less enlightened.

On Thursday 27th November, 'A National Awakening Day' will be held at the ExCel centre in which over 25,000 people from the capital's Tamil community will gather to commemorate those who have lost their lives in Sri Lanka's ongoing conflict.

Critics of the event, including Sri Lanka's ambassador to Britain, say it commemorates suicide bombers, is in clear violation of British anti-terror legislation and is run by groups which raise funds for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) aka the Tamil Tigers.

They also say the annual event acts as a 'springboard' for indoctrinating young British Tamils against the Sri Lanka's ruling Sinhalese and this helps drives funding to the LTTE.

The fact that last year's event featured a video speech from the Tamil Tiger's leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in which he praised the group's suicide bombers, does little to detract from the view.

But Tamil groups argue that it is their right to mourn the thousands of Tamils killed in Sri Lanka and many regard Prabhakaran as a 'hero'. A classic example of one man's terrorist being another man's freedom fighter.
Nevertheless he is on Interpol's most wanted list.

The Metropolitan Police have given the event the green light, but will have officers at ExCel observing (with Tamil interpreters) to make sure no laws are broken.

This week I spoke to a friend who has worked in community cohesion for several years and closely with London's sizeable Tamil community and he said to me; "the Tamil people have faced severe oppression over the past 60 years and they should be able to mourn their loved ones."

" I see nothing wrong with this event," he insisted - and this view is obviously shared by the management of the ExCel, the Metropolitan Police and the Home Office.

There is no question that a gathering openly supporting al-Qaeda and featuring a speech from Osama Bin Laden would not be permitted in London and the Tamil Tigers are a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK.
Can there be one rule for them and another for the rest?

Barack Obama's win sends a hugely powerful and timely message to young people in London.
Gun and knife crime is nothing new in this city, but over a 50 teenagers have been stabbed or shot in London over the last year.

Never before have we seen so many young lives lost in these circumstances over such a short period of time.
Thankfully thousands of Londoners work every day help give young people opportunities and steer them away from gangs, drugs and crime.

Over the past year I have met and interviewed many inspirational figures who have in one way or another taken it upon themselves to help halt the spiral of violence.

The organisations, which they have set up with limited funds and support from the government, make a tangible difference in communities where gangs are rife.

Whether they provide an outlet for young people through sports (Shoot a Ball Not A Gun ), music (Frosted Ice ) or empowerment and mentoring ( From Boyhood to Manhood ), they all deliver the same core message; that kids in socially and financially deprived areas need positive role models.

They need to look at the world and see people they can relate to in positions of power and aspire to achieve recognition and success in public life.

The election of a black man, whose father was a goatherd and who was raised by a single mother, to the most powerful political post in the world provides these groups with the ultimate role model and they will be celebrating Obama's win this week as passionately as any American.

There may be just one Asian footballer in the Premier League (take a bow, Sunderland's Michael Chopra) and only two per cent of the fans attending the matches are from ethnic minorities, - but our football clubs just cannot get enough of Asia.

Chelsea football club have announced that they are to be the official partner of a new Malaysian TV reality contest 'Super Soccer Star', in which the club will help hunt for the next big star amongst thousands of hopefuls in Kuala Lumpur.

It's a savvy commercial move by chief executive Peter Kenyon as it gives Chelsea a strong presence right in the heart of Asia where the appetite of all things Premiership seems to be growing by the day.

In countries like Malaysia, Singapore, India and China, English football is no longer a sport followed by small groups of ex-pats.

Thousands of fans cram into bars and restaurants every weekend to watch the live games.

The growing importance of the region to the Premier League was made all too apparent this year with the controversial 'Game 39' proposal, which would involve an international round of fixtures.

Chelsea's foray into Malaysian TV, comes after David Gill, the Manchester United Chief Executive suggested that the club could open football schools in India.

But while our biggest football clubs are chasing a diverse and lucrative fan base abroad, many of them have failed to do this on their own doorstep.

In 2004 a report by the Independent Football Commission found that the football top flight had failed Black and Asian communities in several ways, noting a lack a lack of ethnic minorities amongst coaching staff, governing bodies and on the terraces.

It also criticised the game for failing to produce more British Asian footballers and found that just two per cent of fans at the grounds described themselves as from an ethnic minority.

Four years on there is little to suggest that the situation has improved, and with so many football clubs (apart from Manchester City) facing challenging financial conditions in the coming months there is a strong business case for getting more ethnic fans through their turnstiles.

There are some clubs which have done well in reaching out to ethnic fans.

Wolverhampton Wanderers for example have a well known supporters club called the Punjabi Wolves, who have been embraced by the club and hold associated events such as charity galas throughout the year.
Liverpool recently supported and endorsed the publication of a book by the journalist Mo Bhana called the Asian Liverbird, which delves into why the club has such a large British Asian fan base.
The book has been warmly received by everyone associated with the club.

Whilst some clubs, like Arsenal benefit from a very diverse fan base without really having to try, others struggle.

Take West Ham FC for example.

On the one hand the club has made strides in grass roots initiatives working with a diverse group of local youngsters yet on matchdays it attracts a relatively tiny number of black and Asian fans.

An interesting thing happened at Blackburn Rovers FC this Summer. Faced with swathes of empty seats at Ewood Park, the club has moved to bring in more Asian fans by opening a multi-faith prayer room,. This was hailed as a 'fantastic gesture' by the local mosque.

Nearby clubs such as Bolton and Burnley will be watching closely to see whether the move will get more coming through the turnstiles.

The Premier League is a big global brand, of that there is no doubt, but the football clubs which want to tap into the Asian market need to start closer to home than Asia.

Imagine how many shirts David Gill or Peter Kenyon could sell in South Asia, if one of the star players of Chelsea or Manchester United was a Singh, Khan or Patel.

They are two of London's finest musical talents, who found fame this year across the world.
But at Wednesday night's MOBO (Music of Black Origin) awards Estelle and Leona Lewis were given contrasting treatment from the Wembley crowd.
Estelle, got a resounding reception as she collected the first of her two awards.
When the 28 year-old American Boy singer confessed that she had cancelled a concert to be there and would be getting straight on a plane to perform in Anaheim, California the next day, the audience cheered with approval.
But there was loud booing for Leona Lewis who was unable to accept her two awards in person.
The jeers rang out as her short acceptance video from a Los Angeles hotel room was played.
The loudest boos came when eighties popstar Sinitta, who collected Leona's second award, reminded the crowd that she and Simon Cowell 'discovered Leona'.
Was it all a bit of pantomime nonsense or is there a genuine feeling amongst Londoners that Leona has got her priorities all wrong as her stock rises across the pond?

Dear Boris

Now that you are back from your sailing holiday, It would be fantastic if you could make some time to return to the altogether less glamorous location where you officially launched your mayoral campaign.

If you really are going to start making good on your pledges to make London safer (like it was when you used to cycle to school as a youngster), improve transport links and restore a bit of civic pride then I can't think of many better places for you to start than Edmonton.

As someone who has lived in N9 for the past four years, please allow me to present this rough itinerary to ensure you have an authentic Edmonton experience.
Here's a novel idea. To prove it's not about photo opportunities and PR spin why not come to Edmonton, on your own and not tell anyone about it?

It would only take an afternoon out of your busy schedule, but could be the most interesting day of your mayoralty so far.
Its only a 40 minute cycle ride from your Islington townhouse, but it would be great if you could take the bus.

Every working day I run the gamut of taking the bus from Seven Sisters station up to Edmonton Green and what should be a very simple straight forward journey often feels like a trip into the 10th circle of hell.
For some reason Boris, there is a lack of civic pride and respect for each other amongst young people in these parts and nowhere is this more evident than on the buses.

Whilst you are sat on the 349, I hope you enjoy the music you will hear from the groups of 'youths' playing music on the tinny speakers of their mobiles.
If the bus decides to terminate unexpectedly, then don't worry - this is normal for the route and can be caused by a variety of reasons.

Only last week, the bus I was on was abruptly halted when someone threw a can of Rubicon at the driver.
If you make it to Edmonton without giving up and turning back towards Islington, you may spot some graffiti declaring that you are now in 'Shank Town'.

As you are well aware, our area has become the youth killing capital of London, and it would only take you ten minutes of walking, Boris, to be reminded of the teenagers killed there in the past few months.
My advice is spend a bit of time at the food hut that has become a shrine to Ofiyke Nmezu (pictured) or by the flowers that mark the spots where Henry Bolombi and Boduka Mudianga were killed.

Ask the people who stop at these spots what they think should be done about the endless cycle of violence that has claimed so many victims. They may provide you with an insight than any highly paid advisors at City Hall wouldn't be able to.

If you happen to come across the heroin addict who stands outside the William Hill betting shop every single day at the same time asking everyone who passes him for 50p, it would be just great Boris if you could personally arrange for him to get some help too.

If you pass Millfield Theatre, the only arts venue in Edmonton, it may be worth popping in as this time next year it might not be there, as locals fear Enfield council could be selling it off.
Oh and Boris, remember, this is the polar opposite Henley-on-Thames and whether you like it or not there are still plenty of people in Edmonton who have expressed their genuine concerns to me over whether you can govern a multicultural city such as London.

They feel you have a long way to go if you really want to put some of your most controversial comments behind you, so don't expect too many people to greet you with a 'well done old boy' or give you a slap on the back when they see you.

I for, one, would welcome your return to Edmonton as it would show that you didn't just launch your Mayoral campaign in our unfashionable neck of the woods as a publicity stunt but because you actually care, Boris.

See you on the 349.

With her glamorous image and English accent, Sharon Carpenter is one of America's most recognisable TV reporters and has interviewed celebrities ranging from Oprah Winfrey to George Lucas .

But the London-born presenter for Black Entertainment Television (BET) says her career would never have been possible in the UK where ethnic women are a rarity on our screens and black culture is demoted to the sidelines.

Today, Carpenter lives in Brooklyn, New York a long way away from the Guildford neighbourhood in which she grew up and suffered racist taunts due to her mixed race background.

It was only when her parents - both doctors - were invited to study at America's prestigious Harvard University that she dared to dream of a career in TV.

In an interview with Carpenter last week, she told me why the move across the pond inspired her.

"I never really considered a career in television until I moved to America for University. Growing up in the UK I never felt that an opportunity like that could exist for me so it was never even a thought.

"A career like that just seemed too unreachable because I rarely saw any TV personalities or reporters that looked anything like me. Once I moved to America I think that's when I actually realised that there's a world of opportunity out there, the world is my oyster and I could do anything I wanted.

"Everyday you see and hear about people who have made it big at a young age, people of all colours, in every field, some of whom have come from the most humble beginnings. This really is the land of opportunity."

Unfortunately the same cannot be said about Britain - particularly for black people looking to carve out a successful career in TV.

The issue has become a hot talking point in recent weeks.

Lenny Henry , one of the first black people to make it onto mainstream British TV, fired the opening salvo in a speech to the Royal Television Society earlier this year when he said the industry had failed to employ a representative workforce - in front and behind the cameras.

His views were backed up by the multi-talented Meera Syal and Samir Shah, a former head of current affairs at the BBC

It was soon followed by the launch of Underexposed a photographic exhibition featuring a series of striking portraits of black British actors.

The project was conceived by the actor Fraser James, in response to claims in the media that a lack of strong, positive role models was to blame for a rise in youth crime in Britain's black community.

James' argument is that there is no shortage of talent out there - just a shortage of opportunities and lack of visibility.

Which brings me back to Carpenter, a British woman who gets fanmail from all over the US, yet is unknown in the UK.

But that could soon change , after BET launched in the UK last month.

The channel caters to black people - with a particular focus on hip hop music, culture and fashion - but is in no way a niche brand in the US.

Carpenter adds: "There are definitely differences between the US and the UK in terms of black culture.
Black culture over here is way more mainstream. In the UK there has been a lack of programming that truly reflects black culture. Growing up I rarely saw images of girls or women that looked like me and even today, young girls are experiencing that same void. It's having a serious impact on some of them.

Unfortunately, I think too many of us just accept this type of ethnic exclusion but it's up to us as people of colour to do something about it and work to make a change. Combined ethnic minorities are a very powerful consumer force and money talks."

Sharon Carpenter is not the only one that got away.

From the singer Estelle,who topped the charts last month with American Boy to the actress Caroline Chikezie who stars in the cult show Supernatural to the comedian Gina Yashere, who has just finished shooting a comedy special in LA, all feel that their ethnicity is a strength and not a liability in America - and have no plans to return to Britain anytime soon.

Henry Bonsu, a former BBC presenter and director of Colourful Radio, who has just finished shooting a documentary for BET on the subject, said: "If Sharon has stuck around in the UK she probably would have got a couple of gigs on MTV maybe. In reality she would have had a fraction of the opportunities she has in the US. In Britain, the media bosses and commissioning editors have mental shackles. Do they trust whether a black woman would connect with their viewers? I doubt it.

"It's inspirational that talented women like Sharon are building their careers in the US., and not letting the lack of opportunities in the UK dishearten them."

NOT content with having ripped off their viewers, ITV now seems to be giving the rest of the industry a masterclass in how to generally disgruntle them too, this time by chopping the second episode of Pushing Daisies.
The beleaguered broadcaster decided to go straight from episode one to three on their massively promoted primetime drama - as they only scheduled eight weeks for the nine episode series.
Leaks that this was down to a scheduler failing to count the number of programmes are unconfirmed, but given ITV's poor track record in the counting department (usually phone votes), you wouldn't put it past them.
The problem has been caused by the fact that week nine, clashes with the Euro 2008 tie between Portugal and Turkey, which of course, simply cannot be shifted to one of the other ITV channels.
ITV tried a sneaky one by touting episode three as episode two in the TV guides.
But a handful of vigilant fans spotted the anomaly, promptly posted it up on forums and emailed ITV with their complaints.
ITV's response to the hundreds of complaints, (including an ever-growing online petition and an amusing thread on the BBC's Points of View website) has been a bit bizarre.
A spokesman told me: "We're delighted Pushing Daisies has aroused such strong feelings by fans," before adding that at some point later in the year they would screen the missing episode which "doesn't really effect the narrative flow anyway".
But you can't fob off your viewers like that, and those 'strong feelings' he speaks of are ones of disgust - towards ITV.
Those who have already seen the show in America have hit back quickly on the forums arguing that the second episode is crucial to the development of the main character Ned.
The missing instalment sees the pie maker come to terms with his powers and we also get some flashbacks of his childhood.
ITV really shouldn't have got into this mess.
They could have kicked off the series on Saturday by showing the first two episodes back to back, which is standard practice for a big season opener.
But instead they decided to show American Pie 2 at 10pm.
Perhaps they could axe Pushing Daisies altogether (good as it is, more Brits tuned in to watch Casualty) and start all over again with a new acquisition.
ITV could splash out on the next series of 24 (which they would surely cut down to whichever number they see fit).
Or they could free up a slot by sparing us the final of Britain's Got Talent and just hand the title to the wonder dog, which we know is going to win anyway.

When the BBC announced earlier this year that they were broadcasting a special season of programmes on the issues facing white working class Britain, I was immediately sceptical.
From the start, the statements made by the season's commissioning editor Richard Klein and BBC 2 controller Roly Keating about putting the 'spotlight on a community' who felt 'their voices were not being heard', made me cringe.

It looked like the BBC were stoking controversy in order to appear 'bold', 'brave' and most importantly unafraid to upset the PC brigade. In my view, they have got this all wrong on many fronts.

Firstly, why focus on race as the defining issue that governs every waking thought of white, working class Brits?
Immigration is a talking point and issue that concerns many people today, but so too are issues such as crime, education, globalisation, the break down of the family unit and so on.

If you believe the picture of Britain painted by the BBC, the so called 'ordinary British family' is more concerned about Mr and Mrs Khan moving in next door than they are about whether the government are spending enough on hospitals or why the local playground is making way for a new block of flats.
It's inaccurate, misleading and needlessly provocative stuff.

Secondly, are white indigenous Brits more disenfranchised than anyone else in Britain right now?
Television is largely made up of white, middle-class males and anyone who doesn't fit into that club could have a strong case for arguing that TV does not adequately cater to them or accurately reflect the issues they face.
I doubt very much whether there is a 'Muslim season' or a 'Women's Season' in the pipeline.
Thirdly, why, oh why, did the BBC allow Nick Griffin to air his racist propaganda, largely unchallenged, on Newsnight? It was a highly crass move, particularly as it was part of a segment which was designed to promote the season.

The season was promoted with an insensitive advert and launched at a time when the corporation has come under fire for its poor record in employing people from ethnic minority groups.

The BBC set out to provoke controversy in order to look like they are not afraid to examine issues that other broadcasters would shy away from. But by bundling them into this imbalanced and poorly planned 'White season' they have only demonstrated once again that far from being the most cutting edge force in television the BBC remains as woefully out of touch with reality as ever.