East Enders Pay Tribute To Newham Superstar Terence Stamp

In honour of the passing of screen legend Terence Stamp, we spoke to East Enders about their memories of the star who grew up in Plaistow. In his obituary, The Times reports that one of his earliest memories of life in the County Borough of East Ham was “his mother taking him to the local cinema to see Beau Geste.” They quote his 2017 memoir The Ocean Fell into the Drop, saying “The empathy I felt from Gary Cooper was life-changing, and a secret dream was born in the darkened auditorium,” revealing that a trip to the movies in Plaistow was the catalyst for Terence’s ascent to international stardom.

Former Newham Recorder editor Colin Grainger recalled many meetings with Terence over the years, saying: “Sad to hear of the death of ‘One of Our Own’ superstar actor Terence Stamp. I interviewed the former Plaistow Grammar School pupil many times and he always proud of his East London roots.

He came to our school in a pink suit in the late 60s and came to our school reunion in London in 2016 and was happy to talk to all of us. Absolutely charming. He even had his tailor remake our school badge for his suit as he had lost the original. He told us some great stories, each sprinkled with magic, like his recent trip to Plaistow with his senior travel card! He used to play football at Canning Town Rec with some youngsters in his early days as an actor when he would visit his parents in Chadwin Road, Plaistow, nearby. He would enjoy the games with them and he took Jean Shimpton with him!!!

Terrence told us at the reunion that he’d often come back to Newham – on a bus! – he loved travelling on buses, especially once he got his Old ‘uns travel card, which he got a few years before 2016.

He always had time to talk to the Newham Recorder.

A diamond actor and lovely man. RIP Terence. Thanks for the memories.”

Renowned photographer and artist Dr. Tom Hunter said: “This is a portrait of myself with some 1960’s heroes taken at David Bailey’s Stardust exhibition at the NPG in 2014. I’ve always been a huge fan of Terence, especially after seeing him playing Sergeant Troy in ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’ opposite the wonderful Julie Christie. Growing up in Dorset and spending time immersed in Thomas Hardy’s tragic and melancholic landscape really influenced my teenage years. Reading about the tragedies and dramas that befell the lives of Dorset folk both troubled and fascinated me. Then seeing ‘the most beautiful man in the world’ as coined by the 60’s media playing the dastardly deceitful cad with piecing cold blue eyes opposite the ‘innocent’ Julie Christie made Hardy’s novel explode with wonder, delight and sickening disgust; it has always stayed with me. So, when I was introduced by Phillip Prodger, the NPG curator, to David Bailey and Terence Stamp, I was very excited and nervous.

Having lived in the East End for 30 years myself, I really had to meet these working class East End boys who made good. As you can see, they weren’t too chuffed or bothered about meeting me or being photographed together but I was over the moon to meet my heroes and have the moment recorded. I posted the picture on social media the next day and my mum was chuffed to bits. She, like many of her generation, had fallen for this blue-eyed beauty with the hard stare. She had the photo framed and hung in pride of place. I had made good by association.”

Dave Payne shared the recent encounters he had with Terence Stamp when the star would make frequent visits back to Newham, saying: “Lovely guy. He was on my bus a few times, as he liked to buy mangoes from Green Street. Never pretentious or demeaning. He showed me his family home in the Barking Road. Such a sad loss. He really was so genuinely nice.”

Kay Cox shared a memory from her schooldays, saying: “They had to lock his desk away at Plaistow Grammar, people kept trying to cut his name out of the lid. When I was there 1961/5 it was locked in the store cupboard in the history room. Sometimes we would be allowed to look at it.”

Ray Claydon remembered seeing the celebrity in East Ham in his youth saying: “He lived down our street in Plaistow, used to see him ride up and down Chadwin in his convertible with Jean Shrimpton and various glamour girls. RIP Terrence Stamp.”

While Ian Foster recalled a recent conversation with Terence Stamp in Newham, saying: “Prior to becoming an actor he was an assistant golf pro to a Reg Knight at Wanstead GC. Told me several years ago that they were some of the happiest days of his life. R.I.P.”

Discover projects celebrating the heritage of Terence Stamp’s favourite shopping street in Newham, Green Street, in this year’s Newham Heritage Month festival https://www.newhamheritagemonth.org/events/

Newham Heritage Month 2025 celebrates the borough’s 60^th birthday, looking back at its transition from Essex County Boroughs of East and West Ham to the newly created London Borough of Newham.