Middle Street c1965, Consett
Middle Street c1965, Consett Ref: C217003
Memories of Middle Street c1965, Consett
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Consett & local memories
Read and share memories of Consett and County Durham inspired by Frith photos.
The War Years in Consett
I was born in Consett at 11 Newmarket Street in June 1933, though my parents were living in Norfolk and later on in Middlesex. I was sent back to live with aunts when the Blitz really got going. I went to the CofE Primary School at the back of the church which I also had to attend as a choir boy. Consett was full of noise in those days especially outside No.11. Buses started their long climb up from Shotley Bridge, nestling down in the Northumbrian Derwent Valley. Halting in Blackhill to get their breath back, before starting the last climb up the near vertical steep incline, they arrived at Vaux's Pub opposite my bedroom window, with engines panting, shuddering, and gasping with relief at having reached the summit. Then, with a final sigh they drove on again, on the last few hundred yards to the bus station, by the market square. One of my best friends was Ronnie Maddison who tragically died in 1953 while serving in the RAF and having... Read more
Being There The Day The REX Burned Down!
I lived in Consett from the mid-fifties onwards and have many mixed memories. One distinct episode was the burning of the REX cinema. I was living in the Black Horse in Front Street at the time and remember being woken early that morning by my family shouting and running about in the house. My aunt was the Stewardess of the 'Top Club', or Consett Working Mens' Club to give it the formal title, which was right next door to the REX and we were worried for her safety. My dad and his brother were already over there getting her out along with her dog, Max, and a few hastilly chosen possessions. The snap and banging of the asbestos roofing was really loud and the flames were about 20 feet above the roof-line at the most active time of the fire. My mate actually called for me at the house and we ran around to the back of the Rex where the Police were co-ordinating things with the Fire Brigade. To young boys... Read more
Moorside Secondary School
Moorside Community Technology College is scheduled for closure in December of this year (2011) as we move to The Consett Academy. We are looking for memories of the school from its building in 1959 through the years and would be grateful for any stories / memories from members.
If you're an ex-student, ex-staff, ex-governor or parent, we'd love to hear from you!
Please get in touch through this site, or email memories@moorsidecollege.org.uk
Thank you
Lindsey Bell & Elaine Robinson
A LIFE IN CONSETT
I was born in Consett in 1951 and spent all of my life here, I can remember lots of things mentioned in previous letters especially the Rex, I spent lots of Saturday mornings there, also Rossi's and Dyambro's on Saturday afternoons, the Mason Arms, the Alex, the Brit, the Mount, the Bowl Club and Botto's, all sadly gone. I was suprised no one mentioned the Freemason's Damnce and the El Torro Disco which were the hot spots in the late 1960s and early 1970s. I have one older sister and in 1967 when I left Consett Grammer School I was sent to live with her in Croyden in Surrey, the idea was that I would stay with her until I got my own place as my brother-in-law was editor of the Daily Mirror and had arranged for a job for me on the Mirror. I was so homesick that after six weeks I came home a decision until recently I have not regretted. I loved Consett throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s,... Read more
Young Rascals And The Market Square
I have lived most of my life in Australia, Hong Kong and more recently Japan. However memories of Dear Old Consett will live on eternally.
I was born in Medomsley Road in December 1945 and later moved to West Parade and around 1953 moved into my grandmother's home in The Avenue.
My grandmother Annie Edna Brown had the Tobacconist/Gift shop A E Brown which was located bottom of the Market Square near corner of Front Street. I think in those days it was Victoria Road. The shop was next to Lloyds Bank and on the other side was her brother's wool shop and I think on the corner was Cornforths, across the side road was Atkinson and Browells garage.
I recall collecting orange boxes from the fruit vendors and if I'm correct Atkinsons fruit vendors of Middle Street had a stall there too. I converted the boxes to sticks in my grandfather's cellar which then I bundled and sold door to door for sixpence a bunch. Not exactly a Richard... Read more
Biography And Memories
I am writing this on behalf of my wife, nee Gena Brown from the old Stirling Castle, otherwise known as the Bottom House, but the one she remembers best is the Staneford Arms where her mother held the licence. Her Auntie Nan, Grace McDonald, had the Queens on Middle street. Gena was head nurse in the OR at Shotley Bridge hospital, and that is where we met, in 1955. Three years later we were both in Canada, and have had a wonderful life together.
The 1970s
I was born in the 1950s but, despite having memories of happy times spent in the old bus station in the late 1960s, I would class the 1970s as more my era. Us lasses would sport shaggy-cut hairstyles, mini-skirts, hot pants and platform shoes and we'd buy stuff from She Fashions. We would do a tour of the pubs, usually preferring the less classy establishments because they didn't mind if we stuck a few bob in the jukebox and danced in the middle of the floor. So each Friday night, we would all meet up in The Duke of Wellie. Our boyfriends would usually be there too but they sat in their gang and we sat in ours and we didn't really bother each other, but it was a set-in-stone rule that we would meet up in Testo's Night Club, The Bowl, after the pubs closed.
We went from The Duke to The Coach then on to The Turf for the "Go As You Please". Old Maggie always sang "The... Read more
Consett in The 1950s
I was a teenager in the 1950s, worked at Consett Iron Company. We were teddy boys, had all the gear, suits, shoes ... Our nights out were Co-op dance Thursday nights. Them that had girlfriends always met them inside. Friday was a late night dance, was 10pm till 2am, we even went when we were on 2pm till 10pm shift, never any trouble but we had a good time. I remember on the Thursday night one of the lads used to play the piano, his name was Freddie Cheeseman, he went on to be famous, Freddie Fingers Lee, a fantastic pianist. We even went to Anfield Plane dance castles, all good nights. Sunday it was pictures, there was several picture houses, Rex, Plaza, Town Hall, Empire, Olympia, Roxy at Leadgate. We used to take our girlfriend, the lads that went on their own used to walk round and round the bus station after pictures came out, as lots of others did, sometimes they got lucky, sometimes they walked home alone.... Read more
Nights Out in Consett
I have some wonderful memories of nights out in Consett in the sixties. There was a pub called the Masons Arms run by Kevin and Ina Kearney and the barmaid Jenny, I think. It served the most beautiful beer in the world or so we thought, Tuckers ales. On a weekend it would be filled with all sorts of characters, Army Sam, Wilf Patta, Vince Blacky, Willy Dicken, Phil Terry, all supping those big creamy pints, and the girls would join us as well - Julia, Celia, Fred, Cath, Angela - I could go on but they were special. The juke box would be blasting out Beatles, Stones, Dylan, Animals and a few Irish rebel songs Kevin had secreted in the juke box under different names. Such happy times. From there to the Brit , same thing only the beer was Vaux {yuk]. A few in there and then on to the Mount Pleasant as long as Jenny let you in. The occasional band would be playing, mostly rubbish but... Read more
