Cornsay Colliery memories
Here are memories of Cornsay Colliery and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Cornsay Colliery or a Cornsay Colliery photo.
The Good Old Days ( I Think)
My name is Jimmy Gascoigne. I was born in Cornsay Colliery in 1953. I went to Cornsay School and Waterhouses. I remember having a great time in them days, getting into trouble at the brick yard more often than not off my dad who worked there. I had the paper round for quite a few years. I remember a few people from our class, June Hosler, Pamela White, Judith Simpson, Nev Chapman my best mate who died in 2009, rest in peace mate, Ian Platt, Tony Riddly. I don't think the place has changed much. If anyone else knows me or has any memories you can email me at: gascoigne490@btinternet.com.
Memories of County Durham
Quebec
My memory of Quebec was the Co-op store and the swings next to the football ground, also when I was a boy I worked for Tommy Quinn on his farm delivering the milk then helping out with the animals, them were the days, hanging on the back of the milk truck, you would never get a way with it these days. Does anyone remember Austin Simpson who lived over the beck at Esh Winning? They say he went to hospital and when they washed him they found a vest. How time flies by but I can remember as though it was yesterday.
Esh Winning
I left Esh Winning with my family in 1963 when I was 5 or 6 for a new life in Staffordshire. We initially lived at North Terrace, which is no longer there and later 4 South Terrace. Like Ruth Hill, my father worked at Esh Winning Colliery and had to leave for greener pastures when it closed. I clearly remember the pit ponies and wondered at the time why they were made to work. They did look sad. I remember a pond with a wall around it next to the pit which we used to play in and even then knew we really shouldnt have. My father's brother (Uncle Jim) used to work as a draughtsman in the building on the right as you turned towards the road leading to North Terrace (By the Beck) and once we were let into his inner sanctum to see where he worked. Sometimes my brother and I used to call into the chip shop in the High Street next to Ellas and ask if... Read more
Old Time's Sake
My name is Ken Chapman. I was born in Esh Winning in 1954 and moved away in 1972. I have not been back very much, but do miss people I knew who I worked and went to school with. I went to school at Cornsay colliery and Waterhouses. I didn't have too bad a childhood, although my brother and sister were quite older than me so I was like an only child. I lived on the Hamsteels estate, had mates like the Rewburys, Cricks, McCorts, and out of Esh there was Jewitts, who lived on a farm up at Old Cornsay. I oftern think of all those school mates and think to myself, do they do the same? So if any of them or anyone knows of them and would like to get in touch for old time's sake you can email me at:- kennethcken@aol.com
Morris Family
I was born in Dryburn Hospital, Durham and was christened in St Paul's church in 1960. We lived in Hamilton Row by the Black Horse pub, my dad played darts in the pub and was a miner in the local colliery. Then we moved to Waterhouses until my family moved down to the West Midlands in 1963. My other half of the family came from Bearpark. I still have a lot of family scattered over County Durham. If you know my Morris or Ward family get in touch, my email address is: sharonwillis59@yahoo.co.uk. It would be nice to hear from people in the area who knew my family, my mam and dad were Keith and Muriel Morris.
Chemist
I lived in Esh Winnning from about 1956 to 1968. My name was Hannon and my Dad was the Pharmacist, first for the Co-op and then in his own shop next to the fish and chip shop. My Mum had the hairdressers on Station Avenue. I married in 1968 in Waterhouses Church then left to move South. In 1987 we moved to Germany and in 1995 to France. I went to school in Esh Winning, first the Catholic Junior School and took my first Communion in the Catholic Church, then moved to the Protestant School, goodness knows why. One outstanding memory is when the Royal train spent the night in the village station. Can anyone remember where they were going?
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