Comments on: The Education Of Audrey Kneller https://spitalfieldslife.com/2020/08/05/the-education-of-audrey-kneller/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Sun, 09 Aug 2026 13:30:57 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 By: Marion Eaglestone (Nee Allen) https://spitalfieldslife.com/2020/08/05/the-education-of-audrey-kneller/#comment-2168873 Sun, 09 Aug 2026 13:30:57 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=182819#comment-2168873 We lived in Spring Walk just around the corner to Robert school. I have 3 Sisters and a brother but I believe only myself, my eldest sister Susan and younger sister Georgina went there. Then I went onto Morpeth secondary school. I remember Mr Sokoloff fondly. Unfortunately don’t remember anything else about my time at Robert Montefiore school.

]]> By: Shelley Shebs https://spitalfieldslife.com/2020/08/05/the-education-of-audrey-kneller/#comment-1715751 Fri, 25 Apr 2025 12:25:27 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=182819#comment-1715751 I am in the photo. I was known as Mavis Murray (also Shelley Murray). I am the tall girl back right of the photo. Sally Englander was my friend. Michael Berlin and Jacqueline Ferst were in my class and I remember most of the names. The picture above also has Brian Bloom who was in my class too along with Evelyn Levy and Sandra Rees, also in the photo. Mr Martin was our teacher. How nice to see Michael and Jacqueline have been in touch.

]]> By: Amanda Carter https://spitalfieldslife.com/2020/08/05/the-education-of-audrey-kneller/#comment-1537090 Sat, 06 Jan 2024 20:17:20 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=182819#comment-1537090 Hi Michael,

I logged in yesterday to check if there had been an update, and was so delighted to see you had replied, as was my mum! She has sent you an email, thank you for giving us a way to get in touch, and thanks to this website for facilitating these moments of connection. Much appreciated!

Amanda

]]> By: Michael Berlin https://spitalfieldslife.com/2020/08/05/the-education-of-audrey-kneller/#comment-1530858 Thu, 07 Dec 2023 17:04:31 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=182819#comment-1530858 Amanda, Jacqueline,

After checking back here occasionally for more than a year, I had assumed that this site had gone cold. Imagine my shock when yesterday I took a peek and found I was no longer the last poster on this wonderful site.

Once again the air was sucked out of me, as I began to read your words Amanda. In fact the tears that welled up in my eyes prevented me from getting past the first line. I had to ask Rachel, my wife, to read it for me. As she began to read she too began to cry. When she reached the part about me being a spaceman at the fancy dress, she suggested I tell you that I am still a spaceman!

Amanda, Jacqueline, since this is a public forum I feel it inappropriate to continue this conversation here. I will leave my email address just in case either of you would like to reach out. It is mberlin3@me.com. So pleased to hear from you both, and know that you have touched me deeply. I wish you and your family the very best of good health, peace and joy.
Michael

]]> By: Amanda Carter https://spitalfieldslife.com/2020/08/05/the-education-of-audrey-kneller/#comment-1523932 Tue, 10 Oct 2023 17:33:34 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=182819#comment-1523932 Hello all,

Michael Berlin, my mum is Jacqueline Ferst! I just typed her maiden name into google on a whim, and found the mention of her here. Today we’d both been to visit an exhibition called ‘We Are The Brady Girls’, and were already down memory lane so this is a happy surprise.

I know she’ll enjoy reading Audrey’s post (and the rest of this blog), but for now I showed her your comment, and here is her reply:

“Hi Michael, how wonderful to hear from you. I remember when we both jointly won the end of term school fancy dress – you were a spaceman, and I was a Pierrot. After school, I married and had two children, and am now a grandmother, and great-grandmother. Before I retired, I managed the UK office for an American firm, which gave me the chance to visit Los Angeles. This has brought back memories. I remember walking home from school with you and your sister. Happy days.”

Hopefully you’ll re-visit this post and see her reply. Best wishes to you!

]]> By: Michael Berlin https://spitalfieldslife.com/2020/08/05/the-education-of-audrey-kneller/#comment-1484749 Tue, 27 Sep 2022 02:36:36 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=182819#comment-1484749 Further to my comments above, I wonder if anyone remembers or knows of my other good friends from Deal Street / Robert Montefiore Primary or secondary schools.

David Marks, Grey Eagle Street
Derek Farber, Brick Lane
Joseph (Joe) Shaposnic, Flats in Hanbury Street
Jacqueline Ferst, Nathaniel Buildings, Flower & Dean St.
Brian Sugarman, classmate.

For context, I started in Deal Street in 1947/48 and moved away from the area in 1957/58.
However I did continue working in Angel Alley (off of Whitechapel Rd) beside Blooms Restaurant, and then Bethnal Green Rd until about 1960 or thereabouts.

As for Mr. Martin, I do believe he came to our school straight from teacher training college, though to be honest that may be just conjecture rather that actual knowledge. I did like him though, and I remember him being quite tall. To save anyone doing the math I am now seventy nine… I think

]]> By: Michael Berlin https://spitalfieldslife.com/2020/08/05/the-education-of-audrey-kneller/#comment-1484605 Sun, 25 Sep 2022 23:06:54 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=182819#comment-1484605 While retracing my steps from 174 Brick Lane to school in the nineteen fifties, using an on-line map, I stumbled upon this article. It sucked the the air out of me to such an extent that I could barely breath for some minutes. I can add two more names to your list Audrey, as I Michael Berlin, am kneeling at front centre left, with my arm around my friend Melvyn Zarrop (centre right). I do remember Mr. Martin, Mrs. Bloor, and our Head Mistress Miss (as she was then) Barnet, and also our kindergarten teacher Miss Hanni Howard. My Sister Anne, six years younger than I, also attended Deal Street school and was Miss Hanni’s bridesmaid when she married Peter. And yes I do also remember Sally Englander, as she gave me a good pasting in the playground one day when I was about six or seven. Sally was in my class and we did become friends at length.
I am now living in Canada, since 1981, but still have children and grandchildren in England, as well as here in Ontario. I have been doing a lot of reminiscing of late, trying to impart some of the flavour of life in London’s east end of the fifties and sixties to my many offspring. Thank you so very much for this Audrey, and all of you that have contributed you comments.

]]> By: Audrey Kneller (nee Buffman) https://spitalfieldslife.com/2020/08/05/the-education-of-audrey-kneller/#comment-1349675 Fri, 14 Aug 2020 12:18:59 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=182819#comment-1349675 Further to my comment above addressed to Fay Catini, I remember two other pupils of Deal Street, one was Linda Lakin, the girl with blonde hair standing next to Peter Bloom in the row behind. She was a friend of mine, and the other one was Sally Englander, who was very tall. You can just see the top her of her head, wearing a beret, at the very back

By the way, I’m standing on the end of the 2nd row, wearing a light colour coat and a beret without a badge.

In reply to Helen Breen, asking what career I chose in life. I wanted to design period costumes for the theatre, but that wasn’t practical, given our status in life with no father, so I went to work as an office junior and worked my way up to eventually becoming a Legal Secretary, doing mainly conveyancing, hence my interest in the history of architecture. I ended up working for a partner in a City law firm specialising in Probate and Tax Planning. Working there I was near Spitalfields and was inspired to write the Elder Street story and poetry in my spare time commuting! My husband and I never had children, so I carried on working for a total of 37 years, taking early retirement in 1997, after which we moved to Bournemouth.

]]> By: Audrey Kneller (nee Buffman) https://spitalfieldslife.com/2020/08/05/the-education-of-audrey-kneller/#comment-1349131 Mon, 10 Aug 2020 01:28:47 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=182819#comment-1349131 Hello Fay,
Interesting about your mother knitting your beret. I had to wear a beret without a badge because my mum couldn’t afford the school outfitters,. Now I don’t feel so bad. I was the one in the second row at the end to the right in a light colour coat.

The taller girl standing next to you is Diane Hensey who was a particular friend of mine, but we lost touch. She was awarded a scholarship to go to the City of London School.

In the front row on the left is Adrian Mildiner and to the right is Colin Shaw who went to Davenant. Peter Bloom is standing at the back to the left of the photo, and Marsha Errington, now sadly no longer with us, is standing behind me to the left with her friend, I think her name was Phyllis on her left. I don’t remember any other names.

]]> By: Maurice https://spitalfieldslife.com/2020/08/05/the-education-of-audrey-kneller/#comment-1349000 Sun, 09 Aug 2020 06:08:44 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=182819#comment-1349000 Does anyone remember Mr Martin,Mr Sokoloff and God help us, Mrs Bloor?
I’ve been meaning to go back to the school for a look around.
Meanwhile, check out Georgia Brown revisiting the school in 1968 with Lional Bart on You Tube. Fantastic stuff.
I’ll never forget my time at Robert and that includes the secondary in Vallance Rd. I stayed on into 6th form and left in 1980.

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