The Market Place c1955, Chester Le Street
The Market Place c1955, Chester Le Street Ref: C246001
Memories of The Market Place c1955, Chester Le Street
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Chester Le Street & local memories
Read and share memories of Chester Le Street and County Durham inspired by Frith photos.
Pelton Fell Pit
I remember moving to Pelton Fell at about the age of eight, number 9 Ferndene Avenue. The house was new and we were the first to occupy it. There was a small alley at the end of the street that led to the railway line. A small shunting engine ran back and forth along the line from Pelton fell pit to Waldridge. There used to be an engine shed up on the fells near to Waldridge not far from the Swan Inn and Waldridge drift. From my house at night I could hear the compressor throbbing away pushing life giving air down the drift for the miners. Our garden backed onto Scotties farm, as we called it, and we even had the odd cow climb from the field to graze in our back garden. Down on the main road there used to be a little hut on the road where a watchman sat guarding the level crossing and across the road from that there was an old mans seat next to... Read more
THE KITE FLYERS
THE KITE FLYERS The Second World War had just ended before I started school. In that summer the craze in the council estate was for kite flying. Me and my pal Brian used to watch the big lads, Sam,Teddy, Bobby and Ian, flying kites on the Green, just above Murray Road. The kites were made of garden canes split in two, or orange box laths split and shaved down, tied in the middle to form a cross, and the shape was made by tying string from one tip to the next. The frame was covered in newspaper stuck down with flour and water paste. The tail of the kite was a string with bows of newspaper tied on at about a foot apart. The most prize possession was the string. This was “sugar” string which was saved from parcels from the grocers and any where else it could be found . In those days people saved string as it had a lot of uses! I remember that at the... Read more
Good Times
I remember the lad that used to have the hot dog bike on the burns every weekend, that was about 1963. I drove the buses down Chester in 1967. Good times, never to come back.
Perkinsville
Because I was raised by my Grandparents I inherited their surname Green untill I left Pelton Modern school and started work. Mole Terrace being the street where we lived served not only as a football pitch but also cricket-rounders-hopscotch-tiggy-marbles-hoopring and sledging.
Outside toilets and the Midden men collecting household waste I remember and the metal sliding door served as a wicket. Broughs man called Tuesdays to take grocery orders delivered by their van Thursday.The Co-op horse and cart delivered vegatables during the week. Morning milk from Charltons farm delivered by Winnie and her horse (Shiela) and cart. You laid out your Jug to be filled on the doorstep. Bundles of sticks for the fire sold by Tommy from his horse and cart. The rent man called every Monday and the Insurance man next day.The patch of undeveloped land, fondly named the Square - due to its shape I suppose, located behind the crescent, housed air raid shelters but left enough space for the annual bon fire night. The "Rek" some... Read more
X Miner
I was born in Fatfield and moved to Chester-le-Street in 1961 after I was married. My early memories of Chester-le Street was of the choice of the local Picture houses namely the Queens, the Empire, the Palace and the Savoy. We also had the Empire ballroom, and regular hops at the local Miners' Welfare. The cattle market also featured in my early memories along with the Silver Grid and the Carousel night club and casino, the Dunn Cow pub and the Middle Crown. All gone now I'm sorry to say. .
Mother's Memory
My mother remembered being looked after by Olive and Jack Carr of Chester-le Street during her teenage years. Kitty, my mother, attended 'Chester-le-Street Secondary School' where she won a prize in 1932-33: the Theodore Francis Memorial Prize. I think at one time she was in class 5.7(g). Mother's name was Kitty Taylor, later to become Kitty Burridge. She moved south, to London, I believe, when she was still only 17 or 18 years old. She was the youngest sister of Minnie, Tom, Betty and Edna Taylor.
When I Was Young
I was born in Newfield,about three miles from the Street, and recall the pictures very vividly and the comments by one other person about the Empire Ballroom. We used to go there every Friday night for the dance, dressed in our best togs, and had a great time, all for a shilling. We had to run down the main street to catch the last General A bus home at 10.40. I met my first ever girlfriend at the Empire, a lovely young lass from Barley Mow, I will not mention her name in case she is on the web, and I do not want to embarass her after all these years. The picture of the paddling pool and swings at the park brings back a lot of memories as well. After spending most of Saturday there we used to call into Woolies and get up to the usual mischief of a few free pens and rubbers for school, well you know what scamps are like... I bet it is totally... Read more
Chester-Le-Street Memories
Chester-le-Street Heritage Group are building an archive of photographs and memories relating to Chester-le-Street and the surrounding area.
If you would like to share your memories and/or allow us to scan your photographs for inclusion in the Group's archive, then please get in touch we would love to hear from you.
We hold 'Drop-In Sessions' every Tuesday morning at the Salvation Army Citadel, Low Chare, Chester-le-Street. Why not call in between 10am & 12 noon, and meet the members, view the archive and have a free cup of coffee or tea.
You can visit our website at:
www.chesterlestreetheritage.org.uk
or email us at:
heritage.group@virgin.net
TEENAGE YEARS
I didn't live in Chester-le-Street (I lived at Fence Houses) but I used to work at Brough's Grocery Store at the top end of the main street and then I went to work at RODNEY DRESSES factory as the wages were a bit better and I was very happy there. My friends and I enjoyed going to the Empire (?) Ballroom which was in the market square at that time and also to the various cinemas which I believe do not exist any more. I now live in Buckinghamshire where I have been for more years than I like to think about, but when I go back I always visit Chester-le-Street and sometimes Birtley, as I have fond memories of both places. I feel sad as it has all changed so much.
