Battery Hens

Ray Martin grew up in the East End of London during the 1960s. His diverse career includes work as a chef at a top London Hotel, a lead guitarist in a rock-and-roll band, a qualified electrician, and now a glamour photographer. He says: 'Being brought up at that time in the East End tended to give you a sense of humour whether you wanted one or not, like the time a thief stole my father's car radio only to return it with a note complaining he couldn't get radio Caroline on it' 'Laughing in the face of adversity is something the British are good at, it helped me through some pretty rotten times I can tell you. But whether I was a chef, a guitarist, an electrician or photographer, and I've been all those things and more, nothing whacked a smile on my face more than writing Battery Hens. Quite simply because it gives us a chance to sit back and innocently laugh at someone else, which is ironic really, because just about everyone is in it!'