Please add your comments below. We will assume these are for publication unless you say otherwise. Alternatively get in touch via the SE1 Stories contact form.
In particular, SE1 Stories is keen to collect local memories from the 1970s/80s, which could include making audio or video recordings as a future resource. Please let us know if you are interested.
You might also like to contribute:
- Visitor feedback on the exhibition,
- Info on any photos you have which connect with our material,
- Thoughts on how the stories from yesterday relate to today’s issues,
- Anything else of relevance.
Comments policy
We welcome comments relevant to the topics covered in the exhibition or website. These may take a little time to appear online as spam etc. is filtered out.
Please DON’T be rude or offensive, or post commercial, party political, illegal or spam material. SE1 Stories reserves the right to refuse, remove or edit unacceptable or inappropriate items. DO respect privacy rules where relevant and let us know of any concerns about anything on the site.
Your email address will only be used to follow up where appropriate, and not for any other purpose.
From Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre visitors:
“Returned to look @ SE1s!!”
“Great exhibition. While it’s important to know the history of our area, I think the crucial thing is seeing how these struggles and pressures remain today. Then as now, our only power over our local area, living conditions, and development comes from ground level action + organisation. Big money + power still want only one thing for this area and residents still must fight for their home. Voting was never enough!”
A couple of comments from our visitors at oxo gallery:
“If there’s a more important issue for the future of London then I’ve yet to see it. Fantastic exhibition!”
“Fantastic exhibition – inspiring. I do remember hearing and reading so much about Coin Street in particular in the early 80’s, but its’s fascinating to see the bigger picture, so well put together. Also interesting to see, in this visual age, how critical photography and video were and how well they were used to support the community’s struggles. ‘Social media’ was invented here! Well done.”
Morley College visitors
“Inspiring – but depressing that the same issues are still affecting Thames-side area and so much of inner London.”
“A revelation to me of how wide ranging the problems were with derelict sites and appalling housing condition throughout SE1. It’s very impressive to learn what an impact community action made in improving housing conditions and sports and other leisure facilities. But it’s an ongoing struggle!”
The start of a small selection of comments received at the various exhibition venues (over 150 so far). Kept anonymous for now but the original posters can claim them if they want!
Blackfriars Settlement visitors
“Many thanks. I work in the area for LBS contractor for parks. Interesting to see that Mint St and Rockingham parks were developed by local people off their own steam. 1970s were radical in so many ways and today is misrepresented as an unenlightened age.”
“Very interesting and informative exhibition. Nice to wander down memory lane. Being a resident on Southwark Street Peabody I went with other residents on marches for better housing etc in our area to the Town Hall. We were thrown out on one occasion. Ivy Esposito, Mary King and many more of us.”