Brick Lane Flashcards
Location
Northeast of City of London
In Tower Hamlets -East End
Neighbours many rich areas
1600
French protestants - Huguenots - brought with them the art of silk weaving
1666
Great Fire of London forced many to relocate outside of original city
East End became an area that attracted the working class
Late 1600s
Irish linen workers came to the area
1880s-1970s
Jewish refugees.
Spitalfields is one of the largest Jewish communities in Europe (>40 synagogues)
1888
Jack the Ripper
1880s
Spitalfields was an undesirable area to live due to fumes being blown east.
Also, slums, brothels, crime and cholera
1970s
Most of the Jews had moved on and there was an influx of Bangladeshi immigrants
2024
Evidence of the people + communities that have given Brick Lane its unique character
Regeneration - Truman Brewery Site
One of the largest breweries in 18th century. It began to struggle due to competition from imported lagers + closed in 1989
Now an 11 acre site containing exhibition space, workshops, boutiques and cafes
Regeneration - Spitalfields Market
Been a market for 350 years
Now a popular fashion, arts and crafts, and food destination
Tables made from 100% recycled materials. 100% renewable energy
Food truck start-ups
Regeneration - Fournier Street
Increase in house prices: £16 for 2 students in 1968. Now, famous residents include Keira Knightley whose house sold for £2m. Previous culture hasn’t been lost; grand Christ Church, Bangladeshi street signs, ‘S.Schwartz’ Jewish street sign
Regeneration - cereal killer cafe
Increase in ‘trendy’ restaurants
Many saw it as an unwelcome gentrification and felt the culture and spirit of Brick Lane would be lost
Anti-gentrification protest stood outside cafe wearing masks and wielding torches
Census 2021
Slight male majority 48:52% due to industry dominated by men and more likely to immigrate
High proportion of working age (77% compared to 64% national avg.)
Very diverse/multicultural - 52% Asian, 36% White, 5% Black
Tower Hamlets quantitative data
Population 310k
Average age - 30 - lowest in England
50% born in England, 14% born in Bangladesh
40% in social housing
Changes from 2011-21
↑ Asian ↓ British
↑ atheism ↓ Christianity follows nationwide change
↓ social housing (gentrification)
IMD
Majority of Tower Hamlets 1st-3rd most deprived decile
Positives of quantitative sources
Easily comparable
Breaks down area into smaller scale
More specific and accurate
Objective - gov. verified, peer-reviewed
Negatives of quantitative sources
Data can be cherry-picked or manipulated to present particular viewpoint
Misleading if collated incorrectly or people had untruthful
Can’t show lived experience, individuality, or characteristics
Street art
‘A couple holding hands in the street’ - racial equality and multiculturalism
Fashion Street - ‘Mecca of London Street Art’
Brick Lane - Monica Ali
Book
Bangladeshi immigrant experience
Reinforced negative stereotypes on arranged marriages
Some Bangladeshis living in London felt it misrepresented their experiences
Spitalfields Life - Adam Dant
Counter-mapping, strong sense of place - personal meaning of the area - lived experience
Charles Booth poverty map
Knocked on every door - mini census
Indicates that the area had mixed fortunes at the time from very poor to affluent
Contrast to East End where poverty was much more widespread
Positives of qualitative sources
Can show individual experience / sense of place
Subjectivity can encourage debate
Can show dynamics of the community
More expressive compared to raw stats
Can paint a mental picture - helpful for understanding a distant place as an outsider
