2019 marked the 40th anniversary of the death of Blair Peach (1946 - 1979). Peach was a young white New Zealander, a teacher, and a liberal. He worked as a fireman and as a hospital orderly in New Zealand before moving to london in 1969.

He taught at the Phoenix school, in the London borough of Bow, for children with additional needs and was an active member of the East London Teachers’ Association, a branch of the National Union of Teachers.

In 1974, he was charged with threatening behaviour after challenging a local publican for refusing to serve black customers. He was acquitted of that charge.

On 23 april 1979, he was injured as he took part in an anti-fascist march in Southall, and he died the next day in Ealing hospital. 8000 sikhs visited the Dominion cinema, Southall (now demolished) to pay their last respects to Blair Peach on the eve of his funeral.

The Metropolitan Police identified that one of their own officers was probably responsible and this fact was revealed in reports finally made available to the public on 27 april 2010.

Because of the controversy surrounding Blair Peach’s death, his struggle against racism has never been properly commemorated.

The artist uses yellow, orange and brown with paisley to suggest the popular aesthetics of the 1970s. (Many a 70s interior made liberal use of the colour orange and paisley patterning was ubiquitous.)

was intended by the artist as the simplest of memorials - naming Blair Peach publicly 40 years to the day since he lost his life opposing racism.