25 April 1983 - Ben Kingsley wins the award as best actor at the Oscars for his role as Mahatma Gandhi , the leader of India's non-violent, non-cooperative independence movement , in the  1982 Film .In all, ''Gandhi'' won eight awards. ,

24 April 2011 -  Mrs Groce dies at Kings College Hospital of an infection which resulted in kidney failure.  The undisputed pathological evidence is that there was a causal link between the police shooting in 1985 and her subsequent death in 2011.

23 April 1993 -The day after the murder, a letter giving the name of the suspects is left in a telephone box. Police surveillance begins on their homes four days later.

22 April 2021 -The prime minister has apologised for Britain’s failure to properly commemorate tens of thousands of black and Asian soldiers who died serving the country, as the defence secretary pledged to explore “decolonising” schools’ teaching of the first world war.

Boris Johnson said he was “deeply troubled” by the fact that “not all of our war dead were commemorated with equal care and reverence”, as Ben Wallace admitted “historic failings” had been identified in an inquiry set up by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC).

The inquiry report, published on Thursday, found that up to 54,000 casualties of “certain ethnic groups” did not receive the same remembrance treatment as white soldiers who had died, and up to another 350,000 military personnel recruited from east Africa and Egypt were not commemorated by name or even at all.

Wallace said it was a “deep point of regret for me” that his own education of the 1914-1918 war was limited mostly to the Battle of the Somme and famous poets, and did not take in the contributions of soldiers from the wider Commonwealth and former British empire.

“I think it is important to remember that we have excluded a lot of that from our children’s education, and I think we absolutely have to rectify that,” he said.

22 April 2021 -The prime minister has apologised for Britain’s failure to properly commemorate tens of thousands of black and Asian soldiers who died serving the country, as the defence secretary pledged to explore “decolonising” schools’ teaching of the first world war.

Boris Johnson said he was “deeply troubled” by the fact that “not all of our war dead were commemorated with equal care and reverence”, as Ben Wallace admitted “historic failings” had been identified in an inquiry set up by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC).

The inquiry report, published on Thursday, found that up to 54,000 casualties of “certain ethnic groups” did not receive the same remembrance treatment as white soldiers who had died, and up to another 350,000 military personnel recruited from east Africa and Egypt were not commemorated by name or even at all.

Wallace said it was a “deep point of regret for me” that his own education of the 1914-1918 war was limited mostly to the Battle of the Somme and famous poets, and did not take in the contributions of soldiers from the wider Commonwealth and former British empire.

“I think it is important to remember that we have excluded a lot of that from our children’s education, and I think we absolutely have to rectify that,” he said.

21 April 1992 - Black Londoners numbered half a million people in the 1991 census report which is published. From this ,an increasing proportion were London- or British-born.

21 April 1996 - Newcastle and England Striker Les Ferdinand wins  the Football Players Player of the Year Award.   

20 April 2011 - Tul Bahadur Pun VC dies. Tul Pun  was a Nepalese Gurkha recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He later achieved the rank of Honorary Lieutenant. In addition to the Victoria Cross, Pun was awarded 10 other medals, including the Burma Star.

20 April 1984 - English-born cabaret singer and legend, Mabel Mercer dies. For full biography see Hall of Fame Section 

19 April 1993 - Steve Robinson becomes WBO Featherweight Boxing Champion. On 17 April 1993 the defending Featherweight Champion, Ruben Palacios from Colombia, was due to defend his title in Washington, England against John Davison from England. However, the champion failed a HIV test by the BBBC prior to the bout and was immediately stripped of his title by the WBO. With only two days to go before the bout, the promoters had to find another opponent to face Davison. Steve Robinson accepted the chance to fight for the WBO crown. Robinson won the bout by a points decision against all the odds. He was the new WBO World Featherweight Champion. He was a worthy champion with 7 successful defences of his title.

19 April 1993 - Steve Robinson becomes WBO Featherweight Boxing Champion. On 17 April 1993 the defending Featherweight Champion, Ruben Palacios from Colombia, was due to defend his title in Washington, England against John Davison from England. However, the champion failed a HIV test by the BBBC prior to the bout and was immediately stripped of his title by the WBO. With only two days to go before the bout, the promoters had to find another opponent to face Davison. Steve Robinson accepted the chance to fight for the WBO crown. Robinson won the bout by a points decision against all the odds. He was the new WBO World Featherweight Champion. He was a worthy champion with 7 successful defences of his title.

18 April 2011 - A Plaque commemorating Dadabhai Naoroji, the first ever Asian MP to be elected to Parliament in 1892, is unveiled outside the Finsbury Town Hall on Rosebery Avenue, London

18 April 2011 - A Plaque commemorating Dadabhai Naoroji, the first ever Asian MP to be elected to Parliament in 1892, is unveiled outside the Finsbury Town Hall on Rosebery Avenue, London

17 April 2018 - Prime Minister Theresa May apologised to Caribbean leaders over the Windrush generation controversy, at a Downing Street meeting.

She said she was "genuinely sorry" about the anxiety caused by the Home Office threatening the children of Commonwealth citizens with deportation.

The UK government "valued" the contribution they had made, she said, and they had a right to stay in the UK.

It comes amid reports some are still facing deportation.

The deportation of one man, which had been due to take place on Wednesday, has been halted following an intervention by Labour MP David Lammy.

The Tottenham MP said the mother of 35-year-old Mozi Haynes got in touch saying her son was due to be removed from the country after two failed applications to stay.

With thanks to the BBC for the above information.

17 April 2018 -  Stephen: The Murder That Changed a Nation , a three part documentary, is broadcast on the BBC. 

"Duwayne Brooks, who was with Stephen Lawrence on the night of 22 April 1993, is now middle-aged. Stephen is frozen at 18, his life stolen by racist thugs. Asif Kapadia and James Gay-Rees’s damning three-part documentary, stripped across this week, tracks the (at best) hopeless police investigation, the undermining of Brooks and the disintegration of the Lawrence family. It tells an immigrant story that feels buried in the past, but grimly relevant to Britain’s present, too."

Phil Harrison, The Guardian

16 April 1994 - Samuel Selvon dies. (20 May 1923 – 16 April 1994). His 1956 novel The Lonely Londoners is  groundbreaking in its use of creolised English, or "nation language", for narrative as well as dialoguedies. He was  was a Trinidad-born writer. His 1956 novel The Lonely Londoners is groundbreaking in its use of creolised English, or "nation language", for narrative as well as dialogue.

See Hall of Fame for Biography.

16 April 1994 - Samuel Selvon dies. (20 May 1923 – 16 April 1994). His 1956 novel The Lonely Londoners is  groundbreaking in its use of creolised English, or "nation language", for narrative as well as dialoguedies. He was  was a Trinidad-born writer. His 1956 novel The Lonely Londoners is groundbreaking in its use of creolised English, or "nation language", for narrative as well as dialogue.

See Hall of Fame for Biography.

15 April 2018 -A red plaque is  unveiled in honour of George A Roberts by London Fire Brigade on New Cross Fire Station in South East London where he was stationed in World War Two.

See Hall of Fame for Biography

15 April 2018 -A red plaque is  unveiled in honour of George A Roberts by London Fire Brigade on New Cross Fire Station in South East London where he was stationed in World War Two.

See Hall of Fame for Biography

14 April 2020 -Former England fast bowler Devon Malcolm says it is "really difficult" to come to terms with the death of his father from coronavirus, after not being able to visit him in hospital.

Malcolm's father Albert, who lived in a care home, died aged 75 on 4 April.

He had been admitted to hospital with a bladder infection on 29 March and had only tested positive for coronavirus two days before his death.

"It's so sad, we lost him in a few days," Malcolm told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"It's so difficult when a loved one is admitted to hospital and you are told you can't visit, you can't be there for them.

"Later on when I got the call to say he had passed, it was a very, very weird feeling."

Malcolm said he last saw his father about a month before his death when he was in "good fettle" and had not visited since because he was adhering to social distancing measures designed to shield the most vulnerable from the virus.

"Until you get the death certificate and the reality sinks in, it feels like you're having a dream and you'll be out of it in a minute," added the 57-year-old.

"It's surreal - you're told he's responding well so you think everything is all right, then next you hear you're told to prepare for the worst and then 20 minutes later, he's gone," he said.

"We have a date for the funeral but the process is so different now to going through a bereavement in the past," added Malcolm, whose mother died when he was five. "There are only five people plus the vicar allowed at the graveside.

As of 13 April 2020, 12,868 in the UK have died in hospitals from the Virus. Care home deaths are not included in this figure. 

With thank to The BBC for the above information.

14 April 2020 -Former England fast bowler Devon Malcolm says it is "really difficult" to come to terms with the death of his father from coronavirus, after not being able to visit him in hospital.

Malcolm's father Albert, who lived in a care home, died aged 75 on 4 April.

He had been admitted to hospital with a bladder infection on 29 March and had only tested positive for coronavirus two days before his death.

"It's so sad, we lost him in a few days," Malcolm told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"It's so difficult when a loved one is admitted to hospital and you are told you can't visit, you can't be there for them.

"Later on when I got the call to say he had passed, it was a very, very weird feeling."

Malcolm said he last saw his father about a month before his death when he was in "good fettle" and had not visited since because he was adhering to social distancing measures designed to shield the most vulnerable from the virus.

"Until you get the death certificate and the reality sinks in, it feels like you're having a dream and you'll be out of it in a minute," added the 57-year-old.

"It's surreal - you're told he's responding well so you think everything is all right, then next you hear you're told to prepare for the worst and then 20 minutes later, he's gone," he said.

"We have a date for the funeral but the process is so different now to going through a bereavement in the past," added Malcolm, whose mother died when he was five. "There are only five people plus the vicar allowed at the graveside.

As of 13 April 2020, 12,868 in the UK have died in hospitals from the Virus. Care home deaths are not included in this figure. 

With thank to The BBC for the above information.

13 April 1972  -Love Thy Neighbour  a British sitcom, which was transmitted from 13 April 1972 until 22 January 1976, spanning seven series. The sitcom was produced by Thames Television for the ITV network. The principal cast included Jack Smethurst, Rudolph Walker, Nina Baden-Semper and Kate Williams. In 1973, the series was adapted into a film of the same name, and a later sequel series was set in Australia. A very controversial programme that would never be broadcast today - just like the BBC series it was seen to counter - Till Death Do Us Part - because of the severe racial stereotypes throughout. 

12 April 2012 - Sajid Javid, son of a Pakistani bus conductor, becomes the first Asian male to lead a government department, when he is appointed Minister for Culture and Sport by the Prime Minister, David Cameron.

11th April 1981 – Brixton is the scene of large scale rioting which involves 213 arrests and 201 police officers injured. Members of the fire and ambulance service as well as journalists also injured. A serious breakdown in trust between the local police and black youths is seen as the main cause of the disturbances.The Brixton Riots or Brixton uprising, was a confrontation between the Metropolitan Police and protesters in Lambeth, South London, England, between in  April 1981. The main riot on 11 April, dubbed 'Bloody Saturday' by TIME magazine, resulted in almost 280* injuries to police and 45* injuries to members of the public; over a hundred vehicles were burned, including 56 police vehicles; and almost 150 buildings were damaged, with thirty burned. There were 82 arrests. Reports suggested that up to 5,000 people were involved. The riots were seen as a protest against rising unemployment, poor housing and social conditions of local black people and an increasing alienation with the UK political system.

10 April 2020 -A doctor who warned the prime minister about a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for NHS workers dies after contracting coronavirus. Consultant urologist Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, 53, died at Queen's Hospital in Romford, east London, on Wednesday.

Five days before he was admitted to hospital, Dr Chowdhury had appealed for "appropriate PPE and remedies" to "protect ourselves and our families".

Matt Hancock said the UK has made a "Herculean effort" to deliver PPE.

Speaking at the government's daily coronavirus briefing, he said the "plan to protect the people who protect us" included creating a new domestic manufacturing industry.

Dr Chowdhury's son Intisar described the consultant urologist as a "kind and compassionate hero" who had been in "such pain" when he wrote the appeal to the government on Facebook.

"He wrote that post while he was in that state, just because of how much he cared about his co-workers."

The news came as the UK suffered its biggest daily hospital COVID19 fatalities to date.The UK recorded another 980 hospital deaths, bringing the total to 8,958. 

With thanks to The BBC for the above information.