Now in its third season, The Hackney and Newham Social History Club continues its portrayal of East London life, told through the voices of the people who lived it.
Produced by Immediate Theatre in partnership with Hackney and Newham Archives, the podcast began as an oral history project and has grown into an award-nominated series that captures stories of migration, family, fashion, activism and identity. The project is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The latest season, Same Streets, Different Lives, focuses on the rediscovered photographic archive of Bandele “Tex” Ajetunmobi, a Nigerian British tailor and street photographer who documented working-class East Londoners from the 1940s to the 1980s.
His images, once nearly lost, are now held by major institutions like Tate and Autograph, thanks to the efforts of his niece, Victoria Loughran.
“These were ordinary working-class people, and he made them look like glamorous models,” Victoria says in the series.
Hosted by Sue Elliott-Nicholls, the podcast interweaves personal memories with cultural context, offering a grassroots history of Hackney and Newham through shubeens, sari shops, family businesses, RAF veterans, market traders and more.
“When people start talking about things that matter, it unlocks something,” says participant Judy Frumin. “These producers shape your memories into stories that other people want to hear. Isn’t that remarkable?”
Immediate Theatre’s Artistic Director Jo Carter adds: “This is everything we hoped for when we started – real stories, honestly told, and preserved for generations to come.”
All episodes of The Hackney and Newham Social History Club are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Pocket Casts and other major platforms.
