Blackhall Colliery memories
Here are memories of Blackhall Colliery and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Blackhall Colliery or a Blackhall Colliery photo.
The Beach
This photo shows Crimdon Dene beach. Blackhall beach at that time was covered in coal dust and slurry caused by the tipping of the Colliery waste into the sea.
Childhood - Nee Jackson
Born in 1936 at Blackhall Rocks. Went to junior school at Blackhall Colliery and then to Henry Smith at Hartlepool. Nana used to live in Third Street (Graham) with my 3 uncles (Thomas, Jack and Stanley). I have very fond memories of this period of my life and going to Crimdon Dene for days out and to play on the beach and in the caves at Blackhall Rocks.
Lived in Poplar Avenue until I was 17 and then a career and the big wide world!
The Hardwick Hotel
I see an advertisement for "Chimneys Hotel" in Blackhall advertising as having been built in 1925 and formerly named the "Trust". I lived in the Trust as a boy but in Horden and believe the hotel in Blackhall (Chimneys) was in fact the "Hardwick". Can anyone tell me if I am right or wrong please?
Second Street
My grandad lived in Second Street (Joseph Harding), I only ever met him once. I am now 68. He was my mum's dad. He worked in the local pit. My mum moved to London when she was very young, as her dad had remarried and ahe couldn't get on with her step mother, her older sister, Olive had already moved there. I came up there several years ago to find the house my mum lived in. Instead of knocking at 10, Second Street, I called at 2, Tenth Street by mistake, we were told we had the address the wrong way round, we were invited in, made very welcome, and have remained friends ever since. In fact I was up there for a visit several weeks ago, and will be attending a christening there in August. So thank you Sheila for that very kind gesture on that day. Not a lot of people would have done that.
Going to Meet Dad
My favourite memory of living in Blackhall Colliery was of going to meet my dad from the pit baths, I used to sit on the top steps or swing on the hand rail waiting for him and listen to all the men sing, it was the best feeling even now. Then when some of them would leave they would shout "She's there Jimmy" to my dad. It's a shame those days are now gone but my memories will live with me till the end of my days. I've told my children that story from them being very young now they are in their twenties, I now tell my grandchildren but they don't understand that people worked under the ground.
Teenage Years
I was born in 1938 and went to school at the top of the bank where I was very happy, because it was directly opposite my home address of 5 Eighth Street and I was never late. Unfortanately a few of my classmates died. I moved to Newcastle-on-Tyne when my parents died in 1991 and 1993 and have lived here ever since, but I have never forgotten my bithplace.
Summers in Blackhall
My Grandma - Bertha Lanaghan - lived in Third Street for over 50 years. She made hookey rugs as big as a room from old blankets, coats, etc whatever she could get, to sell for extra money. She dyed the wool three colours, navy, red & light blue and drew all her own designs on the sacking in ink before she started. They were beautiful and It was the only kind of carpet I knew until I was in my 20's because they never wore out. During WW2 I believe my sister and I spent some time there and she went to schoolalthough I was too young to remember. I remember the Hewitt familyand the Halls. From about 1945 when my Grandpa who worked in The Pit was killed by the train when coming home from Blackhall Rocks in the blackout we came up every summer in the school holidays. We lived in London where my mum had been sent to work at... Read more
Ballroom Dancing Days
I was born in 1962 and at the age of 4yrs went to a dance school in blackhall called Hall dance school Does any one know Bob and Doris at the time they may not be alive now they were the Dance teachers at the time. I met some good friends and went all over the north east Dancing in competions. I won trophies gallore especially with girl called Carole Brumwell this was her maiden. She was the best person i ever danced with. We went to Blackpool in the late sixties to dance in the ballroom tower Bob Hall our dance teacher set up our Dance Formation team which we performed at Blackpool. I cannot remember how well we did But i can remember coming back with a cup that both Carole and i had won. We shared it for a year then we gave it back.
I have fond memories of my mother and me winning parent and child competion doing the Boston two step this was in... Read more
Stephen Holmes
I remember my friends and I found ,on blackhall beach some explosives, one of our group (no names no pack drill) made use of them to blow up one of the most popular caves at the rocks, I can still hear the shouts as the blast shower,d us with debris jerry johnson claimed it was the loudest noise he had ever heard.
Memories of Cleveland
Horden 1930s
I was born in 1928 at 20, Cotsford Crescent, the third son of a miner William Holmes. All his brothers were miners and myself and my brothers worked underground. I remember Lumleys shop as it was not far away and Mr. Lumley refused to sell me a penny box of matchs that my dad had sent me for as I was only six years old. It was about that time when a Scottish Regiment marched by to the sound of the bagpipes, they camped for the night at Blackhall. They were on the way to Hartlepool for sailing to India. I think it was 1933 when the airship R101 flew over Horden out to sea on its way to the Continent. I went to the infant school along Sunderland Road, on the way I passed the garage, it sold Cleveland petrol at 11.5 pence (old money) a gallon. I can remember an uncle taking me along to the colliery one Friday to get his wages when a handcart went by, pushed... Read more
St Marys Church Horden,.
My mother and father were married at this church on the 5th of March 1960 George Turnbull and Jaqueline Kell. Does any one out there know them?
George Turnbull (THIS WAS AN UNCLE OF MY DADS WHO WAS NAMED AFTER HIM AND MY GREAT UNCLE) was buried from this church in 1982.
This church still stands. I would like to know the vicors name at the time of both my dads marriage to my mam and my great uncle burial please can any one help.
to Kareen Surtees
Hi Kareen.
I am interested in what you said about your mam and dad's burial and wedding.
The wedding of your parents I'm sure was Rev W.H. Walton before he died.
And when your father was buried in 1980 Fr Alan Bowser, I'm certain of this because I started serving on the alter around about that time. Hope I've been helpful to you. David Lee.
I started serving at the altar of St Mary's church. My memories were lovely ones of friends I knew over the years, my old priests that I have worked with, what a joy to do what I did. The places we visited as a parish. Oberamagou 1970 and 1980. Everything we did was satisfying in many ways. My late mam and dad did their bit, Tom and Freda Lee as verger, Dad did the garden, I helped when able. Loads of memories. My sister got maried there, I myself got married to my late wife Carol in 1986. Sadly now I can... Read more
Horden And St Marys Church
My mum was born in March 1931 in the Easington Colliery area, 26 Boyd Street, and was the youngest of 5. All the men in the family were miners - they lived close to Easington and Horden for work. The two elder sisters, Doris and Greta (named after the Greta Bridge in Rokeby), were away from home for the latter part of the war years working in bigger towns. My Aunt Greta never returned to live in the north east, finally settling in Telford. The family were very musical. As part of the "war effort" my grandma, Alice Mosey, put on charity concerts at the Hall in Horden (Salvation Army I think) in which she used to recite poems and monologues (in dialect) she had written herself. Along with other "local talent", my mum and her brothers used to join in the entertainment and my grandad Mark Mosey, who was in the ARP at that time, as part of his contribution provided a blackout curtain for the stage! My mum... Read more
Horden Memories
I was born in Horden in 1946 (Elizabeth Lumley) and my father (George Lumley) (and his father before him) ran Lumley's grocery store which was on the bank top (21 Beech Terrace - now a house but the United bus stop is still callled Lumley's) just after you enter Horden from Blackhall. We moved from Horden in 1954 when my father's health broke down but I was a bridesmaid at this church circa 1951. Sadly both of my parents are now dead so I do not even know the name for the bride and groom though I think they will still be around. I have the wedding photograph and can still remember standing on the church steps.
My grandfather (Henry Lumley) started off as a miner - I think they lived in 13th Street and started running a shop from there in the late 1930s. From there he moved to Beech Terrace and set up as a grocer.
I was 8 when we left Horden but still have... Read more
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