The Tabernacle - A Class War

Whilst flicking through the Evening Standard I stumbled across an article which focused on the outrage of Notting Hill residents regarding the changing nature of historic landmark venue- The Tabernacle. Whilst I am not normally one to be touched by articles of this nature, being a regular visitor to venue and knowing the role that it has played in the community throughout the years, I was left with the overwhelming need to research the issues in great detail.

The Evenings Standard’s piece entitled - “Landmark black venue turning into a trendy bar for bankers”, was written after a public meeting, which was held to discuss the future of the site and its positioning within the local community. Whilst the article led with the sensationalist headline, the whole crux of the piece suggested that all members community believed that it has been hijacked by the middle classes, and were complaining that it had become unreachable, unaffordable and untouchable, with one resident even stating that she had been refused entry.

However whilst the reality of gentrification is one that is not always viewed equally by all members of a community, I believe the story of the Tabernacle has more to do with the grey area of class than the simplicity of the black and white argument. If we cast our minds back to the History of the venue, and its location within the community, there is certainly an argument against this misconception that has been perpetuated through the article. Whilst I’m not slamming the Evening Standard for their attempt to raise awareness of this important issue, I believe that what they missed is the voice of an overall community who are fighting for the ownership of space.

If we cast our minds back to a Notting Hill before the erection of Starbucks and swanky wine bars, and do a little probing into the changing nature of the area, this link to class becomes a clear assertion. In the 70’s and 80’s it was a concoction of socially disenfranchised people, from all cultures and walks of life, the similarity of their living conditions, and the constant struggle to grapple for arenas to simply exist often resulted in a common understanding within the community. It was during this time that the Tabernacle was seized by residents in an attempt to carve out a shared space and achieve their common need, the need for representation.

Backing up my argument, Tim Che, a local resident who was involved in securing the Tabernacle for the Notting Hill community in the 80’s, suggests that it was not the " iconic black venue" that the Evening Standard named it as, but a landmark for the working classes. A place where people could come together and express themselves.

"I was involved in the struggle to obtain places for the local community in the 80's, and the Tab was one of them. Along with most of the housing stock in the area, it was just another derelict building which in reality was only fit for pigeon's to live in. I along with many members of the community, black and white, helped to clean it out to provide a decent space for the local community and the youth to have somewhere other than the streets to hang out. The council and other governmental organisations (responsible for the welfare of society) were eventually forced to address the deprived conditions in the area, providing funding at various times to bring the Tabernacle and the area generally up to what it is today."

Suggesting that the article actually failed to convey the true root of the problem and slamming them for taking the sensationalist and easy way out, when reporting a complex and socially entwined problem, he highlighted the real issue that should be focused on.

"The Tabernacle community centre and the community as a whole have never been about a black or white thing. Yes, the black members of the community, having been dumped there in the 50's have made a big impact and contribution. If anything, the activities associated with the black community in the area have only served to bring the community together, as this is clearly reflected by the participation of children from all cultures in the carnival steel bands and costume procession of the Notting Hill Carnival.”

“It is ironic but not surprising that the social architects of the area would use the very thing that was instrumental in raising the quality of life for the community to exclude the majority of local people. This is not about race it is about what it has always been about. A class war!”

With plans for Portobello Road to be bought by Warren Todd, and with the loss of the areas cottage industries to fashion boutiques and dog spas, is there any wonder that the some residents feel emotionally and physically priced out of their homes? Whilst urban renewal has definitely improved the quality of life for thousands in the area, there is something to be said about maintaining the history, culture, and heart of communities and striking that balance between emergence and eradication.