The above image is one of my favourite from the Museum of London's Street Photography exhibition. I visited with my sister who was looking for inspiration for some of her own work on capturing moments in time.
I think the photo above struck such a chord with me because it was both poignant and nostalgic. It was representative of my own childhood. We were poor but often we didn't even notice because we were happy. Some of us smoked - when we could get hold of a packet of fags which was far easier then than now - but we didn't expect that if we continued to smoke in a future we couldn't envisage, that we'd be treated worse than the dirt we played in.
I also like the way that the kids in the photo of different ethnic backgrounds naturally get together and get on without the enforcement of today's "Diversity" Officers.
Multiculturalism was something we lived with without it's fancy name through common decency and a respect for other cultures. We all abhorred the divisive racists in the intimidating National Front and their idea of white supremacy which could be seen in another image of NF graffiti on a wall in a bleak looking Brick Lane.
The exhibition was fascinating and there were some fantastic images well worth having a look at including Skinheads and hippies around Trafalgar Square, and the one below which features on the cover of a book I bought as I left the exhibition.
Entry to the Museum and the London Street Photography exhibition is free. It runs until September 4.
I hung around the capital all day with my sister after the visit as she worked to get the street shots she needed for her course. She told me that she'd thought of doing a photographic study of today's smokers. As a never smoker former nurse who doesn't much like the smell of smoke, she hates the ban and the health propaganda around it because she can see how it leads to acceptance of fascism.
She couldn't, however, do that as part of her course because her college is anti-smoking and would never allow such a portrayal. This is the same college that expects its students to sign a contract not to smoke anywhere in it's open air grounds and near vicinity. If they break that clause, they kicked off the course.
I think the last time someone decided what was acceptable artistic impression and what was not was Hitler when he ordered the burning of art and literature which did not meet his own view of world perfection.