East London in the 70s was raw and vivid: bombed-out houses, kids playing in the streets, factories abuzz with workers. These images take us on a journey through workshops, street markets and council homes to capture a time and place before technology and gentrification changed local lives forever.

Neil Martinson started taking photographs while still at school in Hackney. It satisfied his sense of curiosity and he hoped it would change the world. He has worked as a freelance photographer and taught photography. He remains curious, is still trying to change the world and spends a lot of time in the mountains.