Who we are….

Julie and Brian Hambleton are the driving force behind Justice for the 21. Their sister, Maxine Hambleton, was one of the youngest victims of the Birmingham Pub Bombings. Maxine was just 18 years old when her life was tragically taken. Her injuries were so severe that she could only be identified by the bangles and clothes she wore that night.

Since the release of the Birmingham Six, Julie and Brian, alongside other bereaved families, have fought tirelessly for justice for those lost. Their journey has been fraught with challenges: blocked at every turn by high-ranking government officials and local authorities, denied access to legal aid, and left without arrests—even though names of those suspected of making and planting the bombs have been identified.

The Hambletons, like the other families, want nothing more than justice for the 21 lives lost and the countless others affected. Over 100 survivors suffered life-altering injuries, including loss of limbs, and continue to live with the trauma of that night.

On the 50th anniversary of the tragedy, Julie Hambleton posed a haunting question: “Why is nobody outraged by the mass murder of 21 innocent souls and the 182-plus survivors who live with it every day?”

Motivated by this lack of accountability, Julie founded Justice for the 21, an independent campaign group demanding a public inquiry into the bombings. While acknowledging the importance of inquiries into other tragedies, such as Grenfell and the Manchester Arena attacks, she poignantly asks: “Where’s our public inquiry?”

Julie and Brian believe that a thorough public inquiry could uncover new evidence, paving the way for justice and the prosecution of those responsible. Their relentless pursuit continues to honour Maxine’s memory and that of all the lives impacted by this atrocity.

Not to forget those that were injured…

Robyn Tighe was in the Tavern in the Town when the second bomb exploded.

She was just 19 and had gone to the pub hoping to run into a man she was interested in before he started his night shift.

The Tavern was the place to be seen, and she sat sipping her half of bitter and chatting to acquaintances while she waited for him to appear.

Suddenly, the lights went out.

“There isn’t a sound when you’re that close to a bomb of those proportions,” Robyn says.

“It overtakes your whole body. It’s a vibration, but it’s not a fast vibration. It’s a deep underground sort of vibration that goes through your body.”

She believes a large wagon wheel wall decoration might have saved her life.

“The wagon wheel pushed me forward. Maybe it saved me, maybe it covered me, protected me from more of the blast,” she said.

She escaped serious injury, but has lived with PTSD for almost 50 years.

“I’m a survivor with scars,” she says.

Take a Look at these Video’s…

The Duchess of Edinburgh (Sophie) meeting Brian, brother of one of the victims Maxine Hambleton at the 50th anniversary memorial.