Ammo Talwar MBE

Lozells, it will always be in your heart

Having always kept a close eye on Lozells from nearby Aston, Ammo Talwar has been a witness to the dynamics of change within the neighbourhood.

Ammo was born near George’s Park but grew up in Aston. He completed his schooling in Lozells, with his siblings attending Holte secondary school. Religion played an important part in his youth as he describes how he hails from a family of practising Sikhs, “My mother and father used to go to Wheeler street Temple, They used to try and teach me how to speak Punjabi… the Temple was definitely a part of my growing up”.

Despite describing his childhood as “positive”, there were most certainly moments which could seem otherwise. Ammo could recall the riots of both 2005 and 1985, talking about how they were both “really complicated”. He goes on to say, “Food and water were never problems but poverty and community always helped shape us”. He notes that the “community spirit” was what really pulled Lozells through the tough times.

Regarding the community response to these riots, especially those of 2005, Ammo says, “The community in terms of its diversity: African-Caribbean, Asian, Pakistani Bangladeshi, Sikh, Muslim. We grouped together and said ‘enough is enough’”. Despite there being a lot of poverty, “there was a lot of positivity”.

Although Covid-19 was a virus that hit the nation hard, Lozells was a neighbourhood that was arguably the worst affected. Ammo remembers how the community response to the disease was “bipolar” in the sense that there was a lack of trust in the state from the local community hence a lot of things, such as the messages or vaccination, were deemed questionable. Ammo goes on to add that the older generation had to fight harder against the virus than the younger generations, the reason being that it is more fatal to the elderly than the young.

In terms of overall changes to Lozells over the years, Ammo is of the belief that people move in only because of the cheap rent and rates that are offered in the area. Otherwise, once one reaches a certain amount of wealth, it’s common that they will leave the neighbourhood to settle in more affluent areas. In the end, however, some choose to stay in Lozells due to its spirit as a community which is quite strong. When asked to describe Lozells in one sentence, Ammo says, “Lozells, it will always be in your heart”.