The scene on the north Peckham Estate, south London, close to where Damilola Taylor, 10, died on November 27, 2000
(Picture: PA)The crime-ridden “estate from hell” where Damilola Taylor died has produced some of Britain’s brightest stars.
The 10-year-old was stabbed to death 20 years ago by thugs with a broken bottle as he made his way home from school on November 27, 2000 in a crime that shocked the nation.
The North Peckham estate in south London, where he had come to live with his family from Nigeria just months before, was later demolished.
Star Wars actor John Boyega, 28, lived in the council block opposite him. His sister Grace was the last friend to see Damilola alive as they walked part of the way home from school together.
John Boyega
GQBoth the Taylor and Boyega families came to the UK from Nigeria and their children went to Oliver Goldsmith primary school. Top Boy actor Ashley Walters, 38, Oscar-nominated director and writer Cornelius Walker, 29, and Michael Bademosi, 36, better known as music producer Tinyman, are other successful names from the estate.
England, Manchester United and West Ham legend Rio Ferdinand, 42, grew up on a neighbouring estate.
Capital Xtra DJ Yinka Bokinni, 31, a neighbour of Damilola, said: “His death was a landmark in our lives. It’s quite sobering to think how we grew up, some got married or have been successful, all without him.
Yinka Bokinni
PA“We are not roses that grew through the concrete of our environment. There’s definitely something in the water. Coming from the North Peckham, there’s common resilience and a burning desire to do well and provide for our families.”
On the 20th anniversary of his son’s death, Richard Taylor, awarded an OBE for his battle against knife crime has announced he is stepping back from his frontline campaigning.
