Brancepeth memories
Here are memories of Brancepeth and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Brancepeth or a Brancepeth photo.
The Big Meeting
i was born 1957, so my memories are after that, my parents used to take us each year to the big meeting,where all the collierys had big banners and each had there own brass bands,they would progress allong th streets of durham loud,colourfull,proud as punch,all in there sunday best,,a fine day out for the whole city ,vilage after village all the people singing allong to the bands,my grandfather james george jolly did many drawings and paintings in oils of the proceedings,,
Memories of County Durham
Walking With my Grandad
in 1961 i would be 5yrs old,and my grandad Sam Gibson would walk with me my sister susan and my brother raymond,along from where they lived round to the wreck,,the name the gave for the local swing park.they lived in doric road,across from their house was a small shop called walter wilsons,he did this walk with us to get us out of the house while my mum and grandma prepared a meal there was a roundabout,and a witches hat,swings and a rocking horse,,we lived in ushaw moor,but we walked up to doric road frequently,,my aunty and uncle lived on cooperative terrace and cousins marion amd margery simpson,we would call on them allso.when we were older we used to walkup a long road outof brancepeth up to wide open spaces above the vilage,as he walked along he told us of his mmories of his time in the coliery,the pit ponies,the clogs.his bait box,all men then wore a flat cap and a jacketand went to the pub in the afternoon and sit... Read more
The Sweet Shop, Hight Street, Willington.
My grandmother, Joan Hobson (nee Charlton) owned the sweet shop here and ran it from about 1945 onwards, until the early 1960s. Her mother, Mrs Charlton, ran it before her. Joan was in the WAAF as a young woman, whilst her mother resided in Willington. After the Second World War she returned and lived with her mother in High Street, along with her husband. She went on to have 2 children, Elizabeth and Harry (Henry). Does anyone remember them at all? My mother, Elizabeth, has fond memories of playing out with local children, going down the burn and other things. She remembers going to a farm and helping with horses - can't recall the name however. I think they all moved away in the 1960s, sometime, about 1964. Joan died in 1980. It would be great to locate anyone who remembers her.
Willington.Co. Durham.
I was brought up by my parents, Tom and Norah Hill in Willington, along with my 5 siblings. We moved from North Terrace to Brown Avenue on Dene Estate. I often went to play on the swings and top-hat just outside the Miners Welfare Hall. Sometimes I would sit and watch the men play bowls on the green, or the tennis players in the courts. My father would play billiards in the Welfare Hall on his days of leisure and mam would sit at home at her sewing machine making dresses for us 5 girls. My dearest memory was of my school days was my friend Anne Law, whom i'm ashamed to say I lost contact with after leaving school. I have a school photograph taken of Mrs. Whittles' class of Jackie Snowdon when Willington won the FA cup.
Childhood
I spent many happy days in Willington with my grandparents Billy and Hilda Davison who lived in Brown Avenue. I can remember my grandad taking me to the park on the estate and going on summer trips with the working mens club. I was absoluetly gutted when, after 20 years away i returned for my grans funeral to see Brown Ave and the rest of the estate had been demolished and felt that part of my childhood had gone.
Pop-Pop Hodgson
My Great-grandfather William Edward Hodgson was born in Willington, Durham, England, 7 October 1860. He emigrated to the United States around his 21st birthday. He lived in Elizabeth, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. He died 4 April 1947. At the time of his death, he still had a brother living in England.
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