Terry Philpot was born within the sound of Bow Bells (which are not in the East End). He is a writer and award-winning journalist. He has written and edited more than 20 books ranging from social history to social policy. He has contributed to The Times, The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph and other publications. He is author of 25 entries for the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

Karin Tearle has a BA in French and Italian from Goldsmiths, University of London and lived in Bordeaux, France for several years before returning to the UK to have a family. She is a trustee of the Rwanda Development Trust which funds small capacity-building projects and was interpreter for the BBC World Service for a programme about the 1994 genocide. Karin has retained her links with the country and continues to work with the Rwandese. She also manages a listed building in Greenwich and has an affinity with this historic town where she has lived for 13 years. Karin is social secretary of Aperture Woolwich Photographic Society, one of the oldest clubs in the country and is extremely passionate about photography.