Market Stories is a new exhibition exploring the heritage of Hounslow’s food market and celebrating the stories of the diaspora communities who use them.
A network of local volunteers photographed the area’s fruit and vegetable stalls, butchers, fishmongers, and independent specialist food stores. They collected interviews with market stall holders, shop owners and market users, creating an oral history of the communities that run and use the markets. Bringing together quotes from those interviews with photographs, this exhibition celebrates the unique character of Hounslow’s food markets.
Common threads have arisen during the project that are explored in this exhibition. Residents spoke about the markets as a source of the specialist ingredients needed for a wide range of cuisines, as well as acting as hubs for activity, socialising and community. The character of Hounslow itself is also present throughout – a place many have come to call home, a borough shaped by its diversity and community spirit.
The full archive of photographs and audio interviews is available online. A physical copy of the archive has been created for Hounslow’s Local History Centre Local Studies Archive, to preserve this moment in time so that future generations can discover more about Hounslow’s heritage.
Listen to oral history interviews with market stall holders and members of the community:
Alexis Parinas (interviewed by Anna Cheriyan)
Sathat and Gurpal Virdi Sukhi (interviewed by Mar Peláez-Muñoz)
Adjee, Aishi Superstore (interviewed by Mar Peláez-Muñoz)
Mr Rai, Gurkha Corner (interview by Mar Peláez-Muñoz)
Mr Birk, Meat Market (interview by Mar Peláez-Muñoz)
Anna Cheriyan (interview by Alexis Parinas)
Shukri Barkhadle (interview by Mar Peláez-Muñoz)
Eva de la Orden (interview by Jonny Williams)
Ron Smith (interview by Anna Cheriyan)
Sharnjeet Bhalla (interview by Mar Peláez-Muñoz)
Agata Lampitt (interview by Mar Peláez-Muñoz)
Kapil Mohanarani Ravichandran (interview by Mar Peláez-Muñoz)
Mar Peláez-Muñoz (interview by Kapil Mohanarani Ravichandran)
See photos of the exhibition at Feltham Library:
Market Stories is made possible thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players we have been able to explore the heritage of Hounslow’s Food Markets.
Thank you to all those who took part in the project, including: Daisy McMullan, Alexis Parinas, Mar Peláez-Muñoz, Marcus Anstice, Birk Bahadour, Shukri Barkhadle, Martyna Barnas, Amber Bashay, Martyna Biedrawa, Sharanjeet Bhalla, Peter Bennett, Anna Cheriyan, Eva de la Orden, Paul Franklin, Jasmine Green, Ramesh Gurung, Frank Hannam, Adjee Kakkar, Ace Konakalage Weralathenne Gedara, Agata Lampitt, Lionel Manalo, Riya Molam, Kapil Mohanarani Ravichandran, Georgia Pawelko, Cristina Schek, Rosa Schling, Pauline Singh, Ronald Smith, Richell Travassos, Sangeeta Weatherley, Jonathan Williams, and Sathat and Gurpal Virdi Sukhi.
CPP Hounslow 