Martin Parr's Black Country Stories

Between 2010 and 2014, Martin Parr made a photographic portrait about life in the Black Country. It included four documentary films.

As a tribute to the brilliant Parr, who died last year, we present two of these distinct portraits.

Teddy Gray’s Sweet Factory (2011) Since 1826, Teddy Grays in Dudley has kept the business of traditional, hand-made methods of sweet making alive. Edward and Betty, a brother and sister in their mid-80s, ran the sweet factory without computers, relying instead on their intimate knowledge of the business to keep it going.

**Turkey & Tinsel **(2013) Turkey and Tinsel holidays are a clever concept dreamt up by hotels and coach companies to stay open during the usually quiet pre-Christmas period. Martin Parr filmed a group of Black Country pensioners on their T&T ‘Christmas break’ to the Midland Hotel in Weston-super-Mare, offering a heartwarming insight into ageing, camaraderie and a refusal to give up.

Introduction by Emma Chetcuti, Director at Multistory.