The 1970s were a time of great change and at times, much turmoil. The people of England had lived through the hardship of the 3-day week resulting in strikes and widespread unemployment. Struggles between groups within local areas were common as an atmosphere of distrust pervaded. Racial groups did not live side-by-side in harmony. Parts of London started to appear become enclaves of groups sticking together for economical survival and protection. East London was no exception. For decades it had witnessed waves of movement. Escape for many meant moving from the decrepit post-war urban areas out to more desirable new towns such as Harlow, Harold Hill, Basildon and Stevenage. As these people left, new families moved in to take their places. By the 1970s, the area known as Brick Lane had become a thriving industrial area, inhabited predominantly by Asian textile businesses. With these new migrants came a form of superstitious fear within those who still lived in the area that jobs and housing were being taken and a way of life was being obliterated. Racial tensions escalated and communities polarized. So began the racial struggles of the late 1970s.   

I documented what was happening during that period. I remember vividly how the 'bubble' eventually 'popped' and the so called 'Race Riots' broke out across London. Shopkeepers boarded up their windows, cars were set alight and gangs rampaged around the streets at night. Fear pervaded as communities and factions set about each other. The Brick Lane photographs were taken in 1977, several years before the riots. They provide an insight into the period. The signs of what was to come are in each picture. Forty years on and we are teetering on the knife edge of another explosive situation involving similar issues. Immigration sits at the heart of the political landscape. If we are not careful we will find ourselves re-living history.