Comments on: The Stepney School Strike of 1971 https://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/08/16/the-stepney-school-strike-of-1971/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Tue, 22 Jul 2025 15:22:40 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.1 By: Keiron Pim https://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/08/16/the-stepney-school-strike-of-1971/#comment-1759174 Tue, 22 Jul 2025 15:22:40 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=41546#comment-1759174 Imtiaz Malek and Andy Strowman, I’ve been fascinated to read your comments from within the last two years.

I’m writing a book about the East End in the 1970s and I interviewed Chris Searle for it a couple of years ago. This morning I was reading a booklet that accompanied the 1972 exhibition of Ian Berry’s photographs at the Whitechapel Gallery, titled This is Whitechapel, and in it I saw your poems. Now I look on here and find your comments!

I’d love to speak with you about your memories of the school strike, your poetry and growing up in the East End in the ’70s. If you’re happy to talk to me, would you be so kind as to drop me a line at keiron.pim@gmail.com, please? I hope to hear from you!

All the best,

Keiron

]]> By: Andy Strowman https://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/08/16/the-stepney-school-strike-of-1971/#comment-1739200 Thu, 19 Jun 2025 18:43:50 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=41546#comment-1739200 So glad to see the tribute Tina very special man and the only person in my childhood to help me get my soul wish come true and have a book of poems published.
Thank you Chris for helping me do that and make up for the many teachers including the Head who badly failed with my life and so much so the deputy head got on her knees forty eight years later to offer forgiveness for how the school missed so much in my life and hurt me so much too.

]]> By: Imtiaz Malek https://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/08/16/the-stepney-school-strike-of-1971/#comment-1498455 Sat, 14 Jan 2023 14:02:33 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=41546#comment-1498455 Love those memories Chris. Can’t believe the ocean of time that has passed since then. Here I am now 65, I was only fourteen when all this happend. seems like yesterday.

Thank you Chris. Thank you England for giving me memories I will cheriz till I die. wonderful warmhearted people of East London. Don’t let that wonderful culture die.

Imtiaz Malek
Class 3C (1971)

]]> By: PAT KIRKHAM https://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/08/16/the-stepney-school-strike-of-1971/#comment-1149073 Tue, 09 May 2017 11:52:54 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=41546#comment-1149073 an old friend of Chris’s from Leeds and later …looking to get in touch after 19 years teaching in New York
also another old friend of his from Leeds – Martin Kenworthy- is now a neighbour of mine in Leicester!!

]]> By: jonathan smith https://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/08/16/the-stepney-school-strike-of-1971/#comment-1084913 Sat, 09 Apr 2016 01:36:53 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=41546#comment-1084913 HALLOO DAVID JUST POPPED ON HERE WHAT BROUGHT ME WAS THE OLD MAN ALIVE Program FROM THE E 1 FESTIVAL WHERE I WAS BORN AT STEPNEY
SO FOND MEMORIES I HOPE YOU ALL HAD A GREAT NIGHT REMEMBERING CHRIS TEACHING SUCH A SHAME I MISSED IT ITS NOW 2016 WHEN I WROTE ON HERE I BELIEVE IT WAS 2012
I HAVE SUCH GOOD MEMORIES OF CHRIS BEING MY TEACHER HIM TAKING US TO I BELIEVE ITS WHERE HE MUM DAD CAME FROM MANNING TREE OR MISTLEy UP IN THE SUFFOLK COAST ON A OLD Thames SAILING BARGE CALLED THE SIR ALAN HERBERT THAT WOULD BE REALLY INTERESTING TO HAVE LOOK AT THE PROGRAMMED FROM THE NIGHT IF YOU COULD SEND ME ONE OR I CAN LOOK ON LINE
IF MY MEMORIES IS RIGHT CHRIS WAS MARRIED TO PEARL AFTER ALL THESES YEARS MY MEMORIES IS STILL GOOD ALTHOUGH MY WIFE MIGHT DISAGREE
MY EMAIL IS
jsmit322@ford.com
i have worked at ford dagenham for approx 30 years
i would dearly love to hear from Chris catch up with him ps tell him he should have taught me grammar as my daughter said dad wheres your full stops
jonathan smith aged 54
what age is mr searle he beard white or grey from the pictures

]]> By: Nadiyah Patel https://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/08/16/the-stepney-school-strike-of-1971/#comment-1049831 Wed, 04 Nov 2015 15:36:14 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=41546#comment-1049831 Dear All,

I am currently a member of staff at Sir John Cass Redcoat School, and we are in the process of organising an event to mark the schools 50 years anniversary next year (2016).

If you are a past student or teacher of the school, please complete the alumni contact form on the link below. (Please include in the comments if you were a former teacher or student).

We would love to hear from you, and will keep you updated with details about the celebration events.

We would be most grateful if you could pass the message on to any former colleagues/ school friends.

http://www.sjcr.net/our-school/alumni-association.html

Many Thanks

]]> By: Donna Howson https://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/08/16/the-stepney-school-strike-of-1971/#comment-215246 Wed, 27 Nov 2013 09:30:33 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=41546#comment-215246 I was a pupil of Mr Searles back at Sheffield Earl Marshall School.
He was one of my best head teachers.
He alway’s opened his office door to anyone when ever they needed to talk, he was never judgemental and alway’s understanding.
I remember having my peom put into one of Mr Searles book’s and I don’t remember ever feeling as proude as I did the day the book was presented to me.
It would be nice to see all old teacher’s especially Mr Searle he is an inspiration and credit to what was a run down school.
The school now is like a prison compared to the atmosphere the school held when Mr Searle was there.
Thankyou Mr Searle for believing in your pupils of Earl Marshal School Sheffield.

]]> By: Terry March https://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/08/16/the-stepney-school-strike-of-1971/#comment-77880 Sat, 15 Dec 2012 00:52:44 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=41546#comment-77880 We had areunion a couple of weeks ago and wow what a night ….
40 odd years on and we all met up a most endearing night and to see our fantastic teacher CHRIS SEARLE again was well worth turning up ….Chris your speech was from the heart and made a few cry …we hold you in GREAT ESTEEM..and on a personal note ….
THANKS FOR REMEMBERING ME…hahaha

]]> By: Dave Bishop https://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/08/16/the-stepney-school-strike-of-1971/#comment-75144 Thu, 29 Nov 2012 02:14:33 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=41546#comment-75144 Hello Jonathan,

I spoke to Chris on Monday night and he remembers you very well indeed and asked me to send you his regards & best wishes. If you or any of Chris’s old friends or pupils would like to see him again, I have arranged a get together/re-union for him to come back to the East End (he lives in Sheffield now) and meet up with you all once more and this takes place this Friday 30th November at the Queen’s Head Public House, 8, Flamborough Street, Stepney, London E14. 7LS starting at 7.30pm till around midnight.

There is a free buffet and a souvenir brochure has been printed for the night.

Hoping for a really good turn out as Chris is looking forward very much to seeing as many of you there as possible and it looks like it will be a great night for sure.

]]> By: JONATHAN SMITH https://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/08/16/the-stepney-school-strike-of-1971/#comment-70765 Tue, 23 Oct 2012 19:08:40 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=41546#comment-70765 FOND MEMORIES OF CHRIS SEARLE AT LANGDON PARK SCHOOL IN POPLAR AFTER HE CAME FROM ST JOHNS CASS WHERE I WAS REFUSED TO GO BECAUSE OF MY RELIGION IN THOSE DAY HE WAS MY FORM TEACHER GIVE HIM MY KIND REGARDS ALTHOUGH IAM 50 NOW I STILL REMEMBER HIM
IT TAKES ME BACK TO THE ANNEX
WHAT AGREAT TEACHER

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