I was born in West Ham in the late fifties and moved to near the Park in 1983. However, as my late dad and his family came from Plaistow, I often visited the Park as a youngster, and learnt to play tennis on its courts.

My interest in birdwatching started 10 years ago when a friend took me to a RSPB reserve where I was enthralled by the sight of a Kingfisher. From then on I got hooked, and as someone who had already been photographing Newham for 30 years, it was a natural progression to start learning how to photograph birds.

I get asked by other locals whilst I carry out bird survey work in the Park what a particular bird is, and the book was written to help answer those questions. However, I hope experienced birdwatchers find something of interest in it, and everyone can enjoy the photographs that also include scenes from the Park.