Socials and Celebrations
Building a community in Derby included creating opportunities to gather for cultural events, support and celebrations. People’s homes, local community spaces and hired rooms in hotels were all used, with a demand for larger spaces as the community grew. By the 1980’s the Indian Community Centre and Pakistan Community Centre both had buildings providing places for community members to join together and socialise. This community building included the development of shops selling foods reminiscent of home and places of worship such as Mosques, Hindu Temples and Gurdwaras.
"In Derby you suddenly had the opening of Shensha sweet centre. I can remember going home to my mother and saying "I just had parotta in the shop"
and I got a clip round the earhole! She said: “I could have made it at home for you, why are you spending money there?”
[interviewer] “You didn’t dare tell her that parotta were better from the shop?]
[both laugh]
Actually they weren’t, hers were better but it was just the convenience that we could go somewhere and be identified in a Punjabi way eating Punjabi food outside the house."
Archive participant
Younger generations blended traditional dress, food and musical traditions with their experiences of life in Britain to create new fashions and genres. One example is the development of Bhangra music, which fused traditional musical forms from the Punjab with pop music of the 1970s and 1980s. Young people in Derby created music and dance nights attracting talented performers from across the UK.
"Something happened to my generation as we left school. It was the perfect time because Bhangra music was being born right in front of us- the UK Bhangra scene in the mid 80’s. For us, Derby the centre of the music industry because the Aaj Khaal scene was at it’s height, all of the bands came to Derby.
Everybody suddenly began to identify with their culture and I realised we started talking to each other in Punjabi a little bit."
Archive participantFaith centres started in houses and were later developed into purpose built buildings which could host religious celebrations and ceremonies. Families and friends gathered for weddings, funerals and other life changing events with increasing availability of culturally specific services such as funeral direction and availability of appropriate clothing and food.
“Initially there was a group of people who thought there should be a place of worship for the Hindu community. So they raised money and bought a house, just a normal house, on Normanton road. And whoever was free, they would open it on auspicious days, not every day."
Archive participant
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