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Benwell
Benwell maps
Historic maps of Benwell and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Benwell maps
Benwell photos
We have no photos of Benwell, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Dunston| Lemington| Newcastle Upon Tyne| Whickham| Winlaton| Gosforth| Newburn| Gateshead| Throckley| Ryton| Rowlands Gill| Burnopfield| Birtley| Wallsend| Ponteland| Wylam| Washington
Benwell area books
Displaying 1 of 1 books about Benwell and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Benwell
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Benwell.
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Greenhow Terrace
I married Helen in 1967 and the only property available to rent was in Benwell. As we were both far too young to know better we took a bottom flat in Greenhow Terrace. That's where it all went wrong, Benwell was being demolished and couples were being relocated at Newbiggin Hall Estate, a new estate on the outskirts of Newcastle....Eagerly we accepted the keys to number 48 only to find it had no electricity or hot water. We thought it won't be long till were rehoused, we can manage... After turning down a flat offered to us I can only assume we went down to the bottom of the waiting list...and waiting is what we did, three ghastly years of it. During those years we were burgled five times and no one would insure us. There is not much to do without electricity so we got on each other's nerves to the point of nearly killing each other. Poor Helen was on her own all day whilst I worked so... Read more
Tyne and Wear memories
W Egdell Newsagent
At the tender age of thirteen I joined the other six paper boys working for Mr Preston at Edgell and sons on Fenham Hall Drive. For four years I braved all weathers at six in the morning, seven days a week, for one pound twelve shillings.I enjoyed delivering papers although winter mornings were cold. Mr Preston was a strict man to work for but his wife who worked in the shop was a lovely woman and would say hello and admire my dimpled cheeks. My only gripe was that on a Sunday morning the bells of St James's and St Basil's would ring out and as I hate bells they would go on for what seemed a lifetime. No lying in on a Sunday morning for the locals unless of course you were deaf. .... Kev
FENHAM DO YOU REMEMBER
I never knew my grandparents they died before I was born. I have recently learnt that my grandparents were from large families. My maternal grandfather lived in Fenham, William Robert Wilson, who married a Smiley (I don't know if this is how you spell it). My grandfather was a Regimental Sergeant Major with medals, and after leaving the army was a tram driver, and grew fantastic leeks. From what I have been able to gather so far, the family that I cannot remember meeting, lived in High Fenham, and my elder brother can remember us all visiting them. If you have a Smiley grandparent or great grandparent from the Fenham area please contact me. Even though she was not my biological grandparent she was the only grandparent I knew and I loved her. If you have a Wilson grandparent or great grandparent from the Fenham area please contact me. I would dearly love to learn about my maternal family tree, my brother met my great aunts and great uncles but is a bit hazy... Read more
1940's And 50's
I was born in 1942 and lived in Ovington Grove behind The Lonnen. My memories would fill several books, but for starters:- the Regal; Quadrini's; Number 2 blue bus; Holy Cross Church; Cowgate then Wingrove Schools; playing football by the hour in the street; rag and bone man in a pony and trap; ice cream cart pulled by a horse - how people rushed for the manure to put on their roses; wearing black boots every day bar Sunday; chapped legs in the winter in our little shorts; girls always seemed to get chilblains; the terrible winter of 1947; taking a picnic to the Moor consisting of bread and jam and a bottle of sugared water; the pit still being worked at Denton Burn; the bus sheds on Silver Lonnen; Sunset brickworks and quarry, where we played and caught newts; cycling to Ponteland to catch tiddlers. It's easy to look at it all through a golden haze of nostalgia but for the first time ever every man had... Read more
HOPEDENE
I was in Hopedene Unmarried Mothers' Home in January 1962, this place was run by the Salvation Army. I left in March 1962. I made a few friends but alas I cannot remember thier names, my daughter was born there, we were reunited in 2006. I would love to hear from anyone who was there at the same time. Marlene Carter.
Hopedene Mother And Baby Home
Hi I am trying to contact any mothers that were in Hopedene, Elswick, in the 1950s and 1960s...what was it like? Did you have any choice regarding having your baby adopted if you wern't married? My mother was married but separated - did this make any difference in those days? I have read up as much as I could find regarding these places and what happened to the poor women and babies. You would think we were talking about the dark ages not merely 40 or 50 years ago...how times have changed. They say "Remember the good old days!!". Well, I think nothing good happened to these mothers back then. It breaks my heart as a mother myself how these women were treated, by these institutions and indeed their own family in some cases. Please inbox me. Thank you for taking time to read this.. xx
Hopedene
I was born in Hopedene at the beginning of July 1960. I think it was good neutral territory as my father was Nursing at the General, and my mother was a Physio at the RVI. They had moved down to Corby at the start of the year to start new jobs. Thankfuly, by the Grace of God, I was born a Geordie. The only memories that I remember being given, was that there was a terrific thunderstorm and the coke boilers were almost flooded out - very little hot water available.
