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170:. From this visit, he decided he wanted to live in Nottingham. He extended his service with the RAF for a further five years, married a local girl from Nottingham, Nellie Kelham, and settled on Pennyfoot Street. Eric and Nellie went on to raise 6 children together. His mum was a cook and his father was a policeman.
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In 1955 Irons went on to the
Consultative Committee for the welfare of black people, which was set up by a Council of Church/Social Services and the Colonial Social and Sports Club. The idea was to discuss prejudice and local issues. One of the problems lay in the fact that no black people were
226:, London, acquired a portrait of Eric Irons in 2017 as part of their Creative Connections: Nottingham project. The portrait was displayed as part of the exhibition by artist, Katherine Green, at Nottingham Contemporary in 2017, and then at the National Portrait Gallery until February 2017.
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His lifelong passion for racial equality inspired him to move into public life. Because of the prejudices shown towards black people in the 1950s, Irons set up the first community group, the
Colonial Social and Sports Club, at his own house.
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Irons began work at
Chilwell Ordnance Depot in the offices in 1952. Only a handful of black workers were employed at the depot. He began to take up the issue of discrimination with the
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He challenged and helped to lift a city transport embargo on the employment of black workers and also helped the city council to tackle problems highlighted by the 1958 race riots.
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He made history in 1962 when he was appointed
Britain's first black magistrate; he sat on the Nottingham bench for 29 years until his retirement in 1991.
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awarded him an honorary Master of Arts degree for improving race relations in the City.
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taking advantage of educational courses, particularly those held by the WEA.
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Portrait of Eric Irons in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
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In
October 2019, a plaque was put up in Iron's memory by
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A champion for social justice, Eric Irons was awarded an
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Born in
Spanish Town, Jamaica, he was recruited into the
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259:"First black magistrate honoured with plaque"
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378:Officers of the Order of the British Empire
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68:Learn how and when to remove this message
353:Jamaican emigrants to the United Kingdom
31:This article includes a list of general
303:. nottinghamcity.gov.uk. Archived from
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158:in Jamaica in 1944 and in 1945 visited
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113:3 August 2007, aged 86
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