Comments on: Colin O’Brien, Photographer https://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/05/30/colin-obrien-photographer/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Mon, 02 Mar 2026 08:23:31 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 By: angela https://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/05/30/colin-obrien-photographer/#comment-1949633 Mon, 02 Mar 2026 08:23:31 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=34274#comment-1949633 Hi
not sure if this is still relevant.
i am trying to track anyone who attended St Catherine’s Primary School (located on
Clerkenwell Road -EC1 – next to St Peter’s Italian Church) during 1960s/70s.

Look forward to hearing

Thanks, Angela

Btw, photos are brilliant & really capture the time!

]]> By: Sharon Barry https://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/05/30/colin-obrien-photographer/#comment-1686092 Sun, 26 Jan 2025 22:49:11 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=34274#comment-1686092 Does anybody know of a girl who lived in Cavendish Mansions in Clerkenwell Road called Roberta Pieromaldi. We went to school together at St Catherine Laboure but lost touch when we were at secondary school. I would really like to meet up with her again, we were such good friends.

]]> By: Mary McMcarthy Aldridge https://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/05/30/colin-obrien-photographer/#comment-1585383 Sat, 29 Jun 2024 21:20:18 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=34274#comment-1585383 I was born in Northampton building, moved to the new flats Priory Green Estate 1950/1 went to st Catherine Laboure Catholic School.
The first year I was there the great age of 11yrs I remember coming out of the church vie the mental bridge wearing my green beret and someone started to grab the berets throwing them in the air and a lot of them got caught on the rough cement wall just as Miss Finlay came out the church we was sent to the stock room where one got the cane. I didn’t think the head mistress miss Moloney. I thought it was Miss McCarthy because she gave me an awful lecture how i was letting the name down. I can remember laughing when we was placed in a class. I use to read the four Mary’s in one of the comics and there I was in a class with four Mary’s Mary Duffy, Mary Foyle, Mary Mcloghlin and myself.
I wanted to go to hughe Middleton school but father said no so i rather rebelled against it. I remember the old lady we brought our holy picture from shame her life ended as it did.
My dad got married in St Peter and had his photos taken in the school roof playground that was in the 1920.

]]> By: Steve De Cosimo https://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/05/30/colin-obrien-photographer/#comment-1536252 Wed, 03 Jan 2024 20:17:45 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=34274#comment-1536252 Who remembers my family? We were rehoused in 1950 to Harold Hill Essex, but had attended the Italian School and my brother Philip and I were altar boys.
I’d love anything on my dad Peter, a noted darts player (though he used the name Johnny Peters for his darts career).
You don’t think you remember things until you see these photos and read the comments.

]]> By: Susan McDaid Cooper https://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/05/30/colin-obrien-photographer/#comment-1520249 Fri, 01 Sep 2023 13:21:16 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=34274#comment-1520249 These are great photos and have really captured life in clerkenwell in the 50/60s
I lived in Coldbath Buildings in Rosebery Avenue and I went to St Catherine Laboure and I remember Miss Moloney, Mrs Ryan, Sister Mary Joseph and sister Agnes. My friends were Sheila Cremin (who I would love to meet again) and Linda Tedori and in later years I’ve met up with Richard O’Reilly. Happy days

]]> By: Lisa Boffa https://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/05/30/colin-obrien-photographer/#comment-1517314 Fri, 04 Aug 2023 07:04:39 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=34274#comment-1517314 Hello Colin, thank you for your fab pics and great tales, my mum has some great pics to share with all. If you are interested do let me know.

]]> By: Margaret Boffa https://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/05/30/colin-obrien-photographer/#comment-1517274 Thu, 03 Aug 2023 20:51:58 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=34274#comment-1517274 I’m Margaret Boffa, I lived in Clerkenwell Road, Cavendish Mansions, we had a family business in Leather Lane, H Bailey fruit & veg shop and stalls, (that was my maiden name). My husband was Tony Boffa, Tony and his family lived in Farringdon Road, along with Jeanie, Paul and Vincent. Happy days!

]]> By: Patricia Dullea https://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/05/30/colin-obrien-photographer/#comment-1516807 Sun, 30 Jul 2023 12:58:00 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=34274#comment-1516807 Thank you Mr. O’Brien for such wonderful pictures and so many memories. Con Rae do you have a sister named Catherine? Would love to connect with her. I still have pictures from our class trip with Mr. Burke. Would love to post the pictures if possible they are black and white. Patricia Dullea Reppucci

]]> By: Patricia Dullea Reppucci https://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/05/30/colin-obrien-photographer/#comment-1516805 Sun, 30 Jul 2023 12:32:17 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=34274#comment-1516805 My sister and I went to St. Catherine Labore school. I remember Miss Maloney and her little dog, Sister Agnes who made us stand on our desks to recite our times tables. My last teacher there was Mr. Burke who lost his whole family in the blitz. I also remember St. Peter’s and Friday mass. There
was a tiny holy shop across from the school. I have some pictures. So many memories. My best friend at the time was Catherine Ray would love to find her. My family moved to the US in 1962. Patricia Dullea was my name at that time.

]]> By: sue desborough https://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/05/30/colin-obrien-photographer/#comment-1516800 Sun, 30 Jul 2023 11:25:02 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=34274#comment-1516800 I have ancestors who lived in this building in the 1890s, one of them worked as a composite/printer at Ziggurat. I just love all these old buildings it’s a shame so many of them were demolished. I understand Victorian Dwelling was demolished in 1970. Most of my ancestors ended up in London from various places . I’m in the process of writing up my family history in book form so any information about where they lived or how they lived I’m really keen to discover.
I just love this site, some of my more recent family lived in Ossington Buildings in Marylebone, it was great reading an article about this area. At least the buildings are still there. I went to visit with my parents, in 1987, my father grew up there, the buildings were still as they were inside when he lived there. I’ve been up since and they’ve all been renovated. Thanks very much for this site, I just love looking at London as it used to be!

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