The news last week that actress Sian Blake had been confirmed dead, along with her two children, has led to many members of the Deaf community expressing their sadness on social media.
Blake had learned sign language and was well known and liked among Deaf people who knew her in the London area, where she had worked in Deaf schools giving communication support.
According to this BBC article, Blake was a registered Trainee Sign Language Interpreter and also used her sign language skills on screen in a 2007 episode of The Last Detective.
We asked John Wilson, a BSL lecturer, actor and arts practitioner for his memories of her. He said:
I remember Sian Blake very well. She was a “guinea pig” in my BSL class, at the RNID in 2005.
Sian was well known amongst us, not because she played Frankie Pierre in “East Enders” a few years before, but because she always had a smile and a friendly word for everyone. She was a natural in learning BSL too.
She was written out of “EastEnders”, because the viewing public hated her character – in real life she was the exact opposite to Frankie Pierre.
She told me that her EastEnders fame had been a career high but she was looking forward to new horizons and new challenges. She always aimed high so it was no surprise when she eventually became a sign language teacher and interpreter.
I was sad last year to hear that she was terminally ill with Motor Neurone Disease, which would have robbed her of her ability to use BSL.
She was a lovely person and will be remembered fondly by the many deaf people she worked with.
Enjoying our eggs? Support The Limping Chicken:
The Limping Chicken is the world's most popular Deaf blog, and is edited by Deaf journalist, screenwriter and director Charlie Swinbourne.
Our posts represent the opinions of blog authors, they do not represent the site's views or those of the site's editor. Posting a blog does not imply agreement with a blog's content. Read our disclaimer here and read our privacy policy here.
Find out how to write for us by clicking here, and how to follow us by clicking here.
The site exists thanks to our supporters. Check them out below:
- BSL Zone: TV programmes in BSL for the Deaf community
- Deaf Umbrella: what support is available for deaf students?
- Bellman & Symfon: home alerting solutions, including the mobile phone transceiver!
- SignVideo: Instant BSL video interpreting online
- SignHealth: check out the BSL health library
- 999 BSL: call 999 in an emergency, in BSL
- Appa: Looking for RSLIs, TSLIs and CSWs, apply here!
- Signly: Adding BSL to websites
- Signworld: Learn BSL online!
- DCAL: world-class research into deafness, cognition and language
- Action Deafness: “A Deaf-Led Charity” – interpreting & community support services
- Sign Solutions: Instant access to Interpreters, training and BSL translation nationwide
- InterpretersLive: On demand BSL video interpretation
- Lipspeaker UK: specialist lipspeaking support
- BID: Deaf services, including advice and support, interpreting, employment and letters
- Performance Interpreting: BSL interpreting at concerts
- National Deaf Children's Society: The leading charity for deaf children
Andy Owen
January 11, 2016
Sian was a very skilled CSW. She was a colleague of mine in 2006 with Deaf First at Oak Lodge school. She was always encouraging, bubbly and enthusiastic. Our paths sometimes crossed during the working day, but at team meetings it was a pleasure to properly catch up. She was always so supporting to colleagues. I look back on the that time with fondness. Many condolences to her loved ones.
Alicia
February 10, 2016
Thank you for the lovely tribute of my favourite cousin – we, the family are broken hearted since she was reported missing with my 2nd cousins/god children. For your information, she was an actress, voice over actress, theatre studies teacher and BSL interpreter, not sign language teacher. I am certain 100% to tell you that the press made few mistakes of her past work history. Thank you, John.