Photojournalism

In the middle ages, there was a family called the Sparkes who farmed the area. It can be guessed that the area gets its name from them or from being near Spark Brooke a stream that runs from Moseley to the River Cole which is based in Small Heath. As insinuated there was a hill based alongside the stream.

There is a shop on Stratford road called Margret Jean and it has been there for over 50 years

In 2022 Sparkhill is a buzzing with life, light, culture and cuisine.

Most prominently is South Asian culture and cuisine. There are plentiful food shops and outside vendors that sell cultural street food ranging from both savoury samosas and pakoras to the sweets like Gulab Jamun. Pictured is a man making fresh jalebi which is made from a simple batter. (Recipes can be found online) He probably does this to earn a living, to survive and to support his family.

There are also a bunch of places that sell exotic and local fresh fruit and vegetables. There are also lots of butcher’s shops which a majority of them are halal because of religious reasons.

Aside from food and cuisine, there are also lots of traditional clothing shops including both home casual and wedding outfits. In this image is a bright red and colourful Lehenga Choli. This item of clothing is traditionally bridal wear.

I took this picture of these flags in a convenience store, to show the diversity of cultures and countries in Sparkhill. The first red flag is the Turkish flag, behind is the Pakistani, Afghanistan, Iranian and Bangladeshi flag. This shop sells lots of items that would entice small children looking up from pushchairs. These include bouncy balls and blow up hammers. There are also cases of drinks which can be bought with ease.

In the early 70s, there was a majority of people were Black and Irish immigrants.

The people in the area are friendly and open especially to customers. South Asians have only come in the past 41 years, they started arriving in the early 80s from around the Sparke Brooke area.

Growing up in Sparkhill has been a fun experience. I think it has definitely made me more open to other cultures and cuisines and I am always willing to try something new even if I don’t know what it is. I have been able to eat a lot of food that doesn’t ‘belong’ to my culture. Sparkhill Park holds a lot of history for me because the school it holds is where I spent a lot of my childhood. Playing with my friends in the park and being on the spider web and swings at break and lunchtimes were memorable, innocent and sweet.

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