Story by Tim Neal | Photography by Graham Jones
Page Hall attracted lots of negative publicity at a national level during winter 2013/14. When the news came out that Channel 4 was releasing a four-part series based in the area, “Keeping Up with the Khans”, there was naturally concern.
Overall the series didn’t set out to attack or ridicule but rather it offered a positive, if at times difficult, story. It showed that, while tensions do exist, each community shares an ability to laugh.
The four-part series was built around the asylum seeker and refugee, Roma, Pakistani and white British communities of Page Hall.
The principal story was that everyone is seeking social mobility and financial security whilst maintaining and celebrating their cultural integrity.
Erik is Roma and featured in the second episode. His friend said,
“Well somebody had to do it. Somebody had to be willing to talk to the camera otherwise they’d never understand what was going on. Somebody had to be willing to speak up and say what it’s really like.”
The programme presented a very British, tongue-in-cheek image of life in Page Hall. Tensions that do exist were diluted by a sense of humour – a recognition that there is something to smile about and that each community shares the ability to laugh.
I thought of it as a sort of “Carry On Page Hall.”