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.