John Charles, a Canning Town football hero, was the first black player to represent England as an Under 18 and became the first black player to turn out for a first division West Ham United side in the 1962/63 season.

John was born in Ordnance Road, Canning Town. The family later moved to Ronald Avenue and he attended Pretoria School (now renamed Eastlea). He was the second youngest of nine children. His younger brother Clive also played for West Ham and went on to coach the US National Soccer Team. His mother, who was white, came from Silvertown and his father was a merchant seaman from Grenada.

Kenny Lynch OBE, from Custom House, was one of the few black singers on the British pop scene in the early 1960s. His career as a singer, songwriter, actor, and stand-up comedian has spanned over 50 years.

Lynch was born 18 March 1939 in Stepney and a few years later the family moved to Poplar and then Custom House. His dad worked as a stoker at Beckton Gas Works. He was one of 7 children, there were originally 11 but some died, and his sister, Gladys (stage name Maxine Daniels) was a jazz singer of some note. After leaving school at 15 and various jobs, he did National Service in the Royal Army Service Corps and was the regimental featherweight boxing champion.

He started in showbusiness when he was about 8 years old. He performed in shows at Stratford Town Hall and the Poplar Civic with Peggy O'Farrell's Stage School.

Sir Alan Sugar's first Apprentice in 2005

Campbell, a committed Christian, was brought up in Stratford by his single mother from Jamaica. He attended St Bonaventure's RC School where he got 3 A-Levels and 11 GCSEs. From 1996-2000 he was at Middlesex University where he got a BSc. in
Psychology.

He then worked on London Underground, where he fought his way into a management position and was one of the youngest people ever to become a manager there.

In 2005 he appeared in the television programme The Apprentice with Sir Alan Sugar, which he went on to win, this earned him a position working for Amstrad,

Having left Sir Alan Sugar's Amstrad, the first winner of The Apprentice, Tim Campbell is full of energy and focus as he spearheads the launch of a male grooming business and a number of charitable business pursuits. He was appointed a Child Ambassador for London by children's minister Beverley Hughes.

Roger who comes from Stratford and is an actor who starred in various television programmes. He is probably most well-known for his role as kitchen hand Everton in Lenny Henry's ‘Chef, and iin Holby City as the character of Harvey Tyson.

Throughout the 90s he appeared in many of the popular long running comedy / soaps on British screens, such as ‘Birds of a Feather' (1990), ‘Family Affairs' (1997), ‘Casualty' (1991 and again in 2001), ‘Heartbeat (2002). He was a semi-regular character D.S. Paul Timpney in ‘The Bill' (2000). He played  D.I. Riddick in Eastenders (2005) and has been in ‘Dr Terrible's House of Horrible'. Roger has also been involved in various stage performances and voice-overs. 

In addition to being a fine actor Roger is a trained professional chef and he is Co-proprietor of Quick Thyme Ltd, with Murle Stewart, which manufactures Caribbean Food.

Andi, an actress and award winning stand-up comedian, was born in Plaistow in 1973.

Since she started acting in 2003, Andi has appeared at several renowned fringe and off-West End venues. In 2005 she gave a  powerful" performance in Medea, and also appeared in Qabuka and as sexy jazz singer, Dolly Rathebe in Who Killed Mr Drum? She ended the year with a No. 1 tour of Dael Orlandersmith's Pulitzer Prize nominated play, Yellowman which received rave reviews throughout its eight week run. Andi's TV work includes The Andi O Show, Tonightly and dramas such as Lewis, Sea Of Souls and Waking The Dead as well popular serials such as Casualty, Eastenders and Footballers Wives.

Since her stand-up debut in 2006, Exuberant, tour-de-force comedienne Andi Osho, has made a big impression on the UK comedy circuit been

Clive Charles became part of Football League history on 1 April 1972 whilst playing for West Ham. They were the first club to field three black players together: Clive Charles, Clyde Best and Ade Coker. He later went on to become one of the top football coaches in America. He is the younger brother to John Charles.

Former Heavy Weight Champion of the World

Lewis was born in Stratford, London on 2 September 1965 to a single-parent mother. He endured a difficult childhood that included a five-year separation from his mum, to whom he remains very close, while she built a new life for herself in Canada. Mother and son were reunited in Ontario when Lennox was 12.

He had a successful Canadian amateur record that climaxed when he boxed for Team Canada at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. He won the gold medal in the super-heavyweight division after a knocking out Riddick Bowe.  Interestingly enough, Bowe, after winning the heavyweight championship from Evander Holyfield in 1992, refused to fight Lennox again and as a result was stripped of the WBC title. It was then awarded to Lewis.

Lewis returned to England in 1989 and made his professional debut at The Royal Albert Hall on June 27 and proceeded to seize 20 victories - 17 being by straight knockouts.

Singer/songwriter, from Custom House, whose career has spanned 30 years. She had hit singles in 1973: ‘Rock a Doodle Do' and 1975: 'The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)'.

She is the oldest of six children, from mixed-race family in Finch Road, Custom House. She attended Shipman Road School. From an early age, Linda displayed a precocious vocal talent and would often sing in public. Her parents managed the Red House (formerly known as Northumberland Arms), Barking Road, Plaistow.

There's not much that Newham's Ade Adepitan hasn't accomplished. The super enthusiastic Paralympian has won medals at the highest level, completed the London Marathon, and is now a sports commentator and actor. His dedication to disabled sport has played a pivotal role in building the exposure and development of the Paralympic Games in London 2012.

Adepitan, a former pupil of Lister School, was born in Lagos, Nigeria in 1973. He contracted polio at six months old, which left his legs weak and damaged. His parents, both were teachers in Nigeria, decided to come to the UK so their son could receive better medical care. Adepitan's father came to Britain first to earn enough money to bring his wife and son here, the family settled in Newham.

This story was passed on to me by one of Jim's descendants who gave me permission to put it on the Newham Story Forum. I personally don't know any of the details in the contents. I published it simply because I thought it was relevant and rather interesting.

John (nellanhoj)

THE ADVENTURES OF JIM
In Memory of James Pickard