My Childhood

A Memory of Clara Vale.

I was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire. My mum was born and grew up in Newcastle and so many of my aunties and uncles and cousins were all Geordies. My Uncle George and Aunty Beatty (Charlton) lived in Crawcrook in Morgy Hill and I spent many happy holidays there as a child. My Uncle George worked at Clara Vale and I well remember him taking me to the pit on Sunday mornings and telling me all about the pit, his job and how proud he was being a miner. I have a few photos of me shovelling in the coals in Morgy Hill and one or two taken around Crawcrook. My parents and nearly all my relatives are sadly gone now but I do still have an aunty and cousin who live in Westerhope and I get up to see them as much as I can. When I found this web site I could not believe that the pit is still there, so I must come back and visit as I have such wonderful memories.

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