Hazel George
Liverpool
I always remember the Sunday Disco,
it was the highlight of our week. There
was a gang of us, girls and boys, from
the Berkley area, in Toxteth. We were just
young and loved dancing. We all had
Afro hairstyles. The Black-E and Stanley
House played the best soul music in
town. We perfected all the latest
dances from the Popcorn to Cha Cha.
We knew that we would have to face
bricks and bottles, thrown by
skinheads, as we walked up the hill
from the Black-E. It became a weekly
ritual of cat and mouse. It was the kind
of racist encounter we experienced
across most areas outside of Liverpool
8, during the 1970s. It never stopped
us going to the Blackie, a safe haven.
I remember going on many coach trips
with the Blackie. We always played
Games on the way, they often involved
taking photographs during the journey.
We just had fun.

I was a founding member of the
Freedom of Choice Housing Co-op.
The group was composed of local
women from L8 who established a
major self-build housing project (John
Moores and Freedom Close). This was
a major step for the right of
communities to determine where they
live and design their own homes.
The success of Freedom of Choice was
acknowledged when Lady Diana
visited Liverpool. The Princess came to
my home and had a cup of tea. We
spoke about the project and issues in
general. She was lovely and down to
earth. We were all very proud that we
had demonstrated what ordinary
women could do.
I was invited to be part of the
Hillsborough enquiry group following
the tragic deaths of Liverpool fans in
1989. So many families were affected.
It was an experience I will never forget.
I met with so many nice people from
Merseyside.