In this episode of the History Workshop Podcast, we hear an oral history of Ridley Road Market in east London.
Ridley Road has recently gained attention as the subject of a new BBC drama about the revival of fascism in 1960s London and the anti-fascist action taken by the Jewish community in East London. Ridley Road Market has been around for almost 140 years and has been described as a “hub of connection, interconnections and social interaction”. Historically and today, the market is run by and for diverse communities and forms a public space which is political. Like many markets, however, Ridley Road is at risk from “regeneration”, gentrification, and social cleansing.
In this episode by the audio producer May Robson, we hear local residents’ memories of Ridley Road’s anti-fascist history and about the struggles that market traders face today – from gentrification to lockdown. We also hear from Tamara Stoll, a photographer and oral historian who works in Ridley Road Market and is part of the Save Ridley Road campaign.
