Man who set up Humans of Beckenham on his project so far

Matthew Robinson, 29, started the Humans of New York inspired Facebook page in January to connect with people in the area and to share otherwise untold stories.

"I hope people can read the stories and get a sense of humanity," he said. "I want them to help bring people together again."

Matthew has so far spoken to a diverse group of people, from a fourth generation Beckenham resident who described "Hitler's bombings" in the Second World War to the owner of a sausage shop.

The Holland and Barrett worker has lived in Beckenham his entire life and explained what makes it unique.

"It has a village feel and people care about each other," he said. "There is a sense of community and togetherness and I like the values people seem to have.

"There are also lovely parks and lovely cafes and restaurants on the high street. It’s just a nice atmosphere."

Most of Matthew’s interviews so far have been arranged, but in March he went out on the street with his camera to speak to people on the spot.

"It was daunting to start with," he said. "I spoke to five people initially who all said no. I had to have thick skin and preserve.

"It was uplifting in the end and I had really good conversations with two or three people.

"I felt a bit despondent at the start of the day but by the end I was really pleased."

His first interview was with his 98-year-old grandad, Thomas Gee.

A woman called Margaret, the fourth generation Beckenham resident, was Matthew’s most memorable interview to date.

He said: "I learnt loads. I had no idea about the Three Tuns pub fire and the Christ Church bombing. She was very insightful, and I met her over coffee."

Matthew, who only started photography recently and can be found at @matthewrobinsonphotos, said the reaction so far has been "really supportive" and he has been given recommendations of more people to speak to in future.