Local lad Billy Bragg uncovers his family history at Valence House
Singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, nicknamed ‘The Bard of Barking’ is one of the most successful artists to have come out of the borough. He has just received the prestigious Ivor Novello Award for outstanding contribution to British music so we thought we would catch up with the man himself and explore his early days growing up in Barking and historical family ties with the help of the Archives and Local Studies Centre at Valence House.
If you would to learn more about your own family history, find out about the Valence History Helpdesk.
Local football team win the London Girls’ League title!
Barking and Dagenham’s District Girls Team have had an amazing unbeaten league campaign so far. We joined them in their final game of the season to see if they could clinch the London Girls’ League title for the first time in their history and maintain their unbeaten record!
Find out more about Barking and Dagenham Schools’ Football Association.
Barking and Dagenham at Pride London [2018]
For the first time in London Pride’s 46-year history, Barking and Dagenham Council were invited to attend the parade.
As part of the celebrations, two young people from Barking and Dagenham College designed an LGBTQIA+ mural and Pride parade t-shirts for everyone attending the parade to wear.
Watch all of the highlights from the parade here as Barking and Dagenham showed its Pride and support for the LGBTQIA+ community in the borough and beyond.
Kerry Ellis chats to us ahead of her performance at One Borough festival
West End superstar, Kerry Ellis, shares her feelings on performing at Barking and Dagenham’s upcoming One Borough festival and hints at which musical numbers she’ll be performing when she takes to the stage. Plus, she chats about her work with young people and why she thinks that passion is the key to success.
If you want to learn more about One Borough festival, or any of the other free events on offer as part of Barking and Dagenham’s Summer of festivals programme, head to the Summer of Festivals page.
