George Plemper's Thamesmead photographs

“This is one of my favourite portraits,” says Plemper on his Flickr page. “It is also my one claim to fame. I sold it back in 1979 to the V&A Museum, London as part of a charity auction. Sold for £11. Well, back in those days £11 was a lot of money!” Photograph: George Plemper/George Plemper

Plemper recalls: “Just after taking this picture, the young girl in the photograph came across to my desk and said, 'Sir, why did you want to take a picture of me. I don’t like my face.' ... I told her she had a very nice face. Let’s hope she realised this as she got older. This remains one of my favourite pictures." Photograph: George Plemper/George Plemper

Sam Uba, Riverside school, 1978. "He was a Biafran refugee and therefore a relatively new arrival, stuck on this remote housing estate," Plemper reveals. "There was something about the photograph of this schoolboy from a war-torn country — something shone through." Photograph: George Plemper/George Plemper

“I went into teaching full of belief and idealism, knowing that our children had limitless potential," says Plemper. "After five years I realised that there was no place for idealism in teaching. I left in 1978 not knowing what I would do.” Photograph: George Plemper/George Plemper

School play, Riverside school, 1978 Photograph: George Plemper/George Plemper

Peter and Thomas in their role as St John's Ambulance Brigade first aiders at the school sports day. Photograph: George Plemper/George Plemper

Riverside school, 1977 Photograph: George Plemper/George Plemper

Riverside school, 1978 Photograph: George Plemper/George Plemper

Riverside school, 1977 Photograph: George Plemper/George Plemper

Thamesmead, Queen’s silver jubilee, 1977 Photograph: George Plemper/George Plemper

Thamesmead, Queen’s silver jubilee, 1977 Photograph: George Plemper/George Plemper

Woolwich dockyard, 1981. Plemper explains: "It was my intention to capture a place in time and each Saturday I would go down the dockyard to see who would turn up.” Photograph: George Plemper/George Plemper

Stockwell, London, 1981 Photograph: George Plemper/George Plemper

Thamesmead, 1976-78 Photograph: George Plemper/George Plemper

Eugene Soulieman, Riverside school, 1977 Photograph: George Plemper/George Plemper

Riverside school, 1978. Plemper says: “I am not even sure whether earrings for boys were allowed at the school. I, somehow, must have missed this indiscretion." Photograph: George Plemper/George Plemper

Jean Hazel, Riverside school, 1978. “This negative sat unnoticed or ignored for years. It was just too difficult for me to print," recalls Plemper. "However, the use of modern technology has changed all of that. As a glasses wearer myself, I am really impressed with how bright and shiny her lenses are. It’s the little things, you know!” Photograph: George Plemper/George Plemper

Riverside school, 1976-78 Photograph: George Plemper/George Plemper

Thamesmead 1979. "Every day I would walk form Abbey Wood to Thamesmead," says Plemper. "Sometimes I would pass people on the way." Photograph: George Plemper/George Plemper

George Plemper, self-portrait, Riverside school, 1978. He says: “All I ever wanted to do was to change the world, but the world seemed indifferent to my efforts. Bob Dylan’s words come to me as I look at this image — ‘Ah well, I was so much older then. I’m younger than that now.’” Photograph: George Plemper/George Plemper