Slag Hill Cottages c1965, Allenheads
Slag Hill Cottages c1965, Allenheads Ref: A221020
Memories of Slag Hill Cottages c1965, Allenheads
Our Home For 30+ Years
Mam and Dad, Lizzie and Edwin Ridley, moved into Slaghill (the cottage on the right of the picture) in 1948 when I was 3 years old. Dad died there in December 1978 and Mam moved up to Chapel Cottages soon afterwards. There were 3 of us children living there originally - Margaret, Yvonne and myself. My 2 elder brothers Lloyd and Norman had already left for the Army. Maurice came along in 1950 by which time my sisters had gone to Brownrigg Camp school in Bellingham.
There was no water or electricity in the house until 1961, water came in a bucket from the iron spring on the other side of the road and the light from a parafin lamp, later, a tilley lamp. We had a coal fire in the living room which Dad lit every morning before setting off to the limestone quarry behind the house where he worked as a shot-blaster. We also had a fireplace in the big bedroom upstairs which was lit only... Read more
Allenheads & local memories
Read and share memories of Allenheads and Northumberland inspired by Frith photos.
The Falls
I spent many happy hours here, and our house was just up the road from here so I didn't have far to go and have great fun.
Mrs Brown's Shop
Mrs Brown's shop, at the far left of the picture, is where Mam used to take us for our weekly treat on a Saturday - to choose some sweets from a large selection in a line of big glass jars with ornate lids. Mrs Brown would put them in the shiny pan on her scales, adding the little bronze weights on the balance to get the exact weight, 2ozs of this and 4ozs of that and then tip them into paper bags for us. The front door opened into an ante-room with locked cupboards then you turned right into the shop. The bell at the top of the door jangled to alert her that she had a customer. The shop is long gone now, it was sold and turned into a private house.
Allenheads School
I have so many memories of Allenheads School: Major, George Nixon's dog, (brother of our dog, Judy) turning up at school each day, sitting in the classroom and having his lunch with us. I remember the snow, building forts and igloos and the snowball fights. Miss Wright turning our coats on the fireguard to get them dried ready for us to go out and play again. In the summer we often played in the woods behind the school but wherever we were we could always hear the school bell. Oh, and those outside toilets! One thing I could never remember was who took me to school on my first day. Last year I met Billy Robson. He reminded me that we started school on the same day in 1954 and Evelyn Ridley took us both - she was one of the older pupils.
Such happy school years
