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Jim McCahy, who passed away at the age of 89, witnessed firsthand the gradual decline of Liverpool during the early period of Margaret Thatcher’s administration. Beginning his tenure as headteacher in 1975 at Archbishop Whiteside, a Catholic secondary modern school located near Scotland Road, Jim transformed the school from a place where many students frequently skipped classes into a vibrant and supportive community. Under his leadership, pupils developed a strong sense of pride in representing the school, particularly excelling in cross-country running.
During the mid-1980s, Jim had some involvement with the Labour party council in Liverpool, which was dominated by the Militant tendency. In 1985, he was among the 30,000 council workers who received dismissal notices, notoriously handed out by taxis. Subsequently, following a reorganization within the diocese, Jim took on the role of managing two out of four parts of the newly established Our Lady of Fatima school, which eventually closed in 2005. Feeling disenchanted with the senior management, he accepted an early retirement package at the age of 52, which allowed him a fulfilling and extended life beyond his teaching career.
Though he was a lifelong supporter of Newcastle United, Jim’s early life was shaped by his family’s moves due to economic hardship. He was born in Barnet, now considered part of north London, as his parents sought work during the Depression. When war broke out, they returned to Felling, near the River Tyne. Jim, an avid reader, left St Cuthbert’s grammar school at 16 to work in libraries. His national service was cut short by tuberculosis, and he was told he might not live beyond 21. After stays in sanatoriums, he benefited from the then-new antibiotic streptomycin. He later enrolled in teacher training at Hopwood Hall in Manchester, where he met Muriel Ferns. The couple married in 1962.
Jim began his career on Merseyside in 1961, teaching geography and English at St Kevin’s comprehensive in Kirkby, a progressive school at the time. Among his students were notable figures such as footballer Terry McDermott and boxer John Conteh, whom Jim reconnected with later in life. After retiring from teaching in 1989, Jim worked for the Council for the Protection of Rural England and volunteered for the charity Victim Support. He also enjoyed occasional work as an extra in Manchester-based television productions, including a role as the “American president” in the BBC’s House of Cards trilogy’s third installment, The Final Cut (1995), where he appeared at a fictional funeral of Margaret Thatcher. In his later years, Jim engaged in singing with various choirs, as well as tennis, golf, travel, and spending time with his grandchildren. A move to Woking, Surrey, in 2019 was hampered by his failing health. He leaves behind his wife Muriel, children Jane and the article’s author, four grandchildren, a great-grandchild, and sisters Joan and Kathleen
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