Hello, and thanks for joining me today for another Oak Academy history lesson.

My name is Mrs. Knox and I'm here to guide you through the resources and materials that you need to be successful with the lesson.

So let's get started.

Today's lesson is part of the Ed Excel GCSE Historical Environment Unit.

We're asking the question, what does Notting Hill tell us about migration? Today's lesson we'll focus on the local context of Notting Hill, and by the end of the lesson you'll be able to describe the conditions in Notting Hill in the 1950s and explain the problems Caribbean migrants faced and initiatives introduced to support them.

Now, there's a couple of keywords that we'll use in the lesson.

The first is the word, discrimination.

Discrimination is the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people.

Secondly, we'll use the term, houses of multiple occupation.

A house of multiple occupation is a single house rented out to multiple families or multiple people, also known as HMOs.

Today's lesson will be in three sections, and we'll start now on section one.

The reasons for Caribbean immigration to Notting Hill.

When Caribbean migrants from the Windrush generation arrived by ship in Britain, most would then catch the train to London.

One train from the shipping port stopped at Paddington very close to an area of London called Notting Hill, and therefore many migrants settled in this neighbourhood.

There officials from the high commissions of several Caribbean countries, including Jamaica and Barbados, would welcome the new arrivals and help them find a place to stay.

However, finding suitable accommodation was a difficult challenge for Caribbean migrants.

This was because there was a shortage of housing at the end of the Second World War, largely because of the damage that had been inflicted during the Blitz.

There was also significant poverty as the British economy was weak and rationing continued into the 1950s.

Unfortunately, there were not enough officials to support all of the Caribbean migrants arriving in Britain and many new arrivals faced hostile treatment and discrimination.

Those who did not receive official support had to rely on the advice of family and friends who were already in London.

As a result, they tended to move to where their contacts already were as they often felt safer within an existing Black community.

Many were living in Notting Hill and as word spread, more Caribbean migrants settled there and it became the first place many new arrivals looped for housing.

All right, it's time to have a check of your understanding.

I'd like you to answer this question.

Why was poverty a problem in London after the Second World War? Was it because of A, there was a significant flu pandemic at the end of the War? B, the Blitz had caused a lot of damage and there was a lack of money and resources for repairs.

C, the government was unwilling to provide support for repairs or D, there was a surplus of workers now the War was over.

Press Pause until you've got your answer and then press Play when you are ready to move on.

(no audio) That's right, you should have said poverty was a problem after the Second World War in London because the Blitz had caused a lot of damage and there was a lack of money and resources for repairs.

Another reason Caribbean migrants settled in Notting Hill was because many landlords across London and Britain were not willing to let Black people rent their houses.

Racist signs such as, "No Blacks," were common in landlords' windows.

This left most Caribbean migrants with little choice for where to live, and they were often forced into rundown properties with overpriced rent.

Originally, Notting Hill had been a White working class area, but during the Second World War, Black servicemen had stayed there, and so it was one of the few places where landlords were willing to rent to Black people.

However, even though Caribbean migrants were allowed to rent properties in Notting Hill, they were charged as much as two or even three times higher than White tenants in the area.

Here's another quick check of your understanding.

Let's have a go at this true or false question, Caribbean migrants were warmly welcomed in Britain.

Is that true or false? Press Pause now and then press Play when you are ready.

(no audio) You should have said the correct answer was false, but why was the answer false? Was it because of A, migrants were allowed to settle in Britain and find jobs and therefore found housing easily, or B, migrants faced discrimination and hostile treatment and often had to rely on their own families for help? Press Pause now till you get your answer and then press Play when you're ready.

(no audio) You should have said the correct justification was B, Caribbean migrants were not warmly welcomed in Britain.

They faced discrimination and hostile treatment and often had to rely on their own families for help.

Well done if you've got that correct.

Here's another quick check of your understanding now.

I'd like you to attempt this question.

Why did Caribbean immigrants often settle in Notting Hill? Was it because of A, A Black community already existed there, which made them feel safer? B, Notting Hill was close to Paddington Station where the train from the shipping port stopped, or C, it was one of the few areas where landlords accepted Black tenants.

Press Pause and when you've got your answer ready, press Play.

(no audio) Welcome back.

You should have said that all three answers are correct.

Caribbean immigrants settled in Notting Hill because a Black community already existed there, which made them feel safer.

Also, Notting Hill was close to Paddington Station where the train from the shipping port stopped, and it was one of the few areas where landlords accepted Black tenants.

Finally, in this section, let's put what we've learned here into practise.

Have a go at answering this explain question.

I'd like you to explain why Caribbean migrants settled in Notting Hill.

Aim to discuss three possible reasons in your answer.

You could include some of the following things in your answer.

The location of Notting Hill, support of family and availability of housing.

Press Pause now to write your answer and when you are ready, press Play.

(no audio) Alright, let's have a look at what you might have included in your answer.

Caribbean migrants settled in Notting Hill for various reasons.

Firstly, the train to London from the shipping port stopped at Paddington Station in London, which was located close to Notting Hill.

Secondly, new Caribbean migrants often wanted to settle in areas where they already had family members living as they felt safer and could be supported as they got used to life in Britain.

As many Caribbean migrants already lived in Notting Hill, it was a natural first choice for many new arrivals.

Finally, Notting Hill was one of the few areas in London where landlords were willing to rent to Black people as during Second World War Black servicemen had stayed there.

Therefore, Caribbean migrants often had little choice but to live there as it was the only housing available to them.

Let's move on now to the second section in our lesson today.

In this section, we'll look at the problems faced by Caribbean immigrants.

If you had walked the streets of Notting Hill in the early 1950s, you would've seen dirty houses, boarded up windows and rubbish on the streets.

Nearly all of the houses need repairs due to damage from the Blitz.

Some had fallen down and had never been rebuilt.

Overcrowding was also common as four or five strangers or even whole families could end up sharing a single room and even beds due to lack of availability and increased prices.

Alright, it is time now for a quick check of your understanding.

Let's try to answer this question.

Why were many Caribbean migrants forced to live in overcrowded conditions? You should choose two correct answers from the following.

Was it because of A, many tourists were renting the only available accommodation were on holiday in London, B, few landlords would rent to Black people, so there was a shortage of available housing.

C, housing had been destroyed and damaged in the Blitz, so there were few houses available to rent or D, everyone wanted to live close to the trendy shops and cafes that had sprung up in Notting Hill.

Press Pause and when you've got your answers, press Play.

(no audio) You should have said that the two correct answers were B and C.

Caribbean migrants were forced to live in overcrowded conditions because few landlords would rent to Black people, so there was a shortage of available housing, and housing had been destroyed and damaged in the Blitz, so there were few houses available to rent.

Overcrowding became even worse after the Rent Act of 1957 removed controls on rent.

This resulted in many landlords turning their houses into houses of multiple occupation or HMOs, which meant that they could rent a single house to multiple people or multiple families and charge whatever they liked.

The Act made landlords a lot of money, especially as most would not spend their profit on maintaining their properties with shared spaces like kitchens and bathrooms being the least well maintained.

These types of houses became known as slums, and there was little Caribbean migrants could do about the conditions as they had no legal protection from housing discrimination and could be evicted at any time.

Landlords further took advantage of the Act by encouraging White tenants to move out so they could move Caribbean migrants in to maximise their profits.

Here's another quick check of understanding now.

I'd like you to answer this question.

What does HMO stand for? Is it A, houses of many occupants, B, houses of multiple overcrowding or C, houses of multiple occupancy? Press Pause and when you've got your answer, press Play.

(no audio) That's right.

You should have said the HMO stands for Houses of multiple Occupancy.

Some of the richest Notting Hill landlords became infamous, such as the Polish migrant, Peter Rachman.

Rachman had grown wealthy in the early 1950s through criminal activities before buying property in Notting Hill.

Most of the homes he bought and rented out were five story houses that had been classed as unfit for human habitation since the 1930s.

Rachman's initial tenants were White working class people who had legal protection against rent increases.

To maximise his profits, he wanted to start renting to Caribbean migrants instead, who he knew would have no alternative but to rent his properties.

Therefore, he encouraged his White tenants to move by playing live music, killing family pets, or cutting off electricity and water supplies.

His efforts at finding loopholes in the Rent Act were successful and by 1959 he owned 80 properties in Notting Hill and was making 80,000 pounds a year.

That's around 1.

5 million pounds today from renting to Caribbean migrants.

Here's another check of your understanding.

Peter Rachman wanted to help Caribbean migrants to try to evict White tenants.

Is that true or false? Press Pause now, and when you're ready for the answer, press Play.

(no audio) You should have said that the correct answer is false, but why is the answer false? Is it because A, Rachman removed White tenants as he wanted to exploit Black tenants who had no legal protection or B, Rachman removed White tenants as he wanted to provide safe houses for houseless people? Press Pause and when you've got your answer, press Play.

(no audio) You should have said that the correct answer was A, Peter Rachman did not want to help Caribbean migrants.

He wanted to exploit them and therefore he removed White tenants and instead exploited Black tenants who had no legal protection.

Finally, in this section, let's try this question.

Caribbean migrants lived in poor conditions because they were exploited by greedy landlords.

I'd like you to write a response to this statement explaining how far you agree with it.

Try to include some of the following in your response.

Houses of multiple occupancy, no legal housing rights, discrimination, housing shortage, and Blitz.

Press Pause and when you've got your answer, press Play.

(no audio) Welcome back.

Let's have a look at what you might have included in your answer.

I agree to a significant extent that Caribbean migrants lived in poor conditions because they were exploited by greedy landlords.

For instance, the Rent Act of 1957 removed rent controls which led to many landlords turning their houses into HMOs to take advantage of extra profits.

Many landlords in Notting Hill, including the notorious Peter Rachman, exploited this situation by renting unfit and overcrowded accommodation to Caribbean migrants as they had no legal housing rights and few other options.

Similarly, landlords also exploited Black tenants by charging them much higher rents compared to White tenants, again, reducing the number of houses available to migrants.

However, I don't agree completely with the statement as it fails to mention the other reasons why Caribbean migrants lived in poor conditions such as racial discrimination and housing shortages after the Second World War.

For example, many landlords refused to rent their properties to Caribbean migrants and hung signs which read, "No Blacks," in their windows.

As a result, Caribbean migrants were forced to live wherever a landlord would accept them, which was often in poorer quality housing.

Furthermore, damage from the Blitz in World War II had also reduced the availability of good quality housing, meaning Caribbean migrants often had no choice but live in poor conditions.

Therefore, the statement would be more accurate to say that racial discrimination forced Caribbean migrants into the poorest quality housing, which was made worse by the exploitation of greedy landlords.

However, it is also important to remember that the underlying cause of poor housing in London in the 1950s was the damage done during the Blitz.

It's time now for the final section of our lesson today.

In this section, we'll recap the Notting Hill Housing Trust.

Rachman died of a heart attack in 1962 and in the same year Bruce Kenrick, a minister in the United Reform Church, visited Notting Hill and was horrified by the poor housing conditions.

Kenrick wanted to raise money to buy and improve a house that could then be rented out to poor families regardless of race.

His first campaign raised 20,000 pounds with the support of local churches, an advertising campaign in "The Guardian" newspaper and the donations of many Black families.

In 1963, he set up the KNotting Hill Housing Trust to continue his project by raising money to provide good quality housing.

In its first year, the Trust bought five houses and renovated them to provide housing for 57 people.

In addition, the Rent Act of 1965 was passed, which introduced federal rent prices and stated that tenants must be served due notice before they could be evicted.

However, Kenrick did not believe the government was doing enough and this led him to found the housing charity shelter, which still exists today.

The combination of government action and housing associations like the Notting Hill Housing Trust helped to improve housing conditions in the 1960s.

By 1970, the Notting Hill Housing Trust was housing nearly 1,000 people in West London.

This helped to improve the experience of Caribbean migrant families living in London and had a positive impact on other aspects of their lives, such as their physical and mental health.

Okay, it's time to check your understanding.

I'd like you to answer this question.

Who set up the Notting Hill Housing Trust? Was it A, Bruce Kenrick, B, Harold McMillan C, Peter Rachman.

Press Pause and when you're ready to hear the answer, press Play.

(no audio) That's right, you should have said that the correct answer was A, it was Bruce Kenrick who set up the Notting Hill Housing Trust.

Here's another quick check of your understanding.

How much money did Kenrick's first fundraising campaign raise to help support immigrants with better housing? Was it A, 2000 pounds B, 20,000 pounds or C, 200,000 pounds? Press Pause and when you've got your answer, press Play.

Well done if you said the correct answer was B.

Kenrick raised 20,000 pounds in his first fundraising campaign.

Here's a final check of your understanding.

I'd like you to discuss this question with a partner.

How were housing problems for Caribbean migrants improved in the 1960s? Press Pause to have your discussion, and when you're ready to hear what your discussion might have sounded like then press Play.

(no audio) Welcome back.

Let's have a look at some of the housing improvements that you might have discussed.

You could have said that the Notting Hill Housing Trust bought houses and renovated them to provide better quality housing for poor tenants.

You might also have said that the government passed a law in 1965 called the Rent Act, which made rents fairer and prevented landlords from evicting tenants without due process.

Finally, today I'd like you to try this task.

You need to read Lucas's account of the problems faced by Caribbean migrants in the 1950s and efforts to support them.

You need to correct five errors in his account.

Press Pause whilst you work through the answer, and when you're ready to see the correct statement, press Play.

(no audio) Welcome back.

Let's have a look at what Lucas's account of the problems faced by Caribbean migrants in the '50s should have said.

Poverty was a problem in the 1950s, especially for Caribbean migrants to Britain.

It was hard for them to find places to live.

There was a shortage of housing.

Black families were treated badly by the local community, and landlords were eager to exploit them.

The creation of the Notting Hill Housing Trust and the 1965 Rent Act helped to improve life for Caribbean migrants in London.

We've reached the end of our lesson today, so let's have a quick summary of what you should have learned.

Poverty and good quality housing was a problem in London in the aftermath of the Second World War.

Caribbean migrants found it difficult to find accommodation due to discrimination and racism.

Many settled in the Notting Hill area as it was the one part of London they were able to rent in.

Migrants were forced to live in overcrowded slums and were exploited by greedy landlords, such as Peter Rachman.

Housing in Notting Hill was improved by housing associations like the Notting Hill Housing Trust and the Rent Act of 1965.

Well done on all of your hard work in our lesson today.

I hope you feel confident that you've met your learning objective.