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Dunston
Dunston maps
Historic maps of Dunston and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Dunston maps
Dunston area books
Displaying 1 of 1 books about Dunston and the local area. View all books for this area
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Memories of Dunston
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memories of Dunston.
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Dunston Board School
I am looking for anybody who went to the Dunston Board school in the 1930s. I want to trace friends of my father, namely Henry Preston Westwick who was born in 1923, or anybody who worked in the soap factory in 1935.
Starting School
This is my first school, Dunston Hill Infant & Junior School, I started school the year the photo was taken, I fell off a small wall first day, I remember it vividly. Favourite teacher in the junior school was a Ms Hallgarth, my first love. I was born in Beech Drive only a few hundred yards down Dunston Road. Part of a gang ('snake belt gang') including Howard and John Smith, Peter and David Coxon, and the Brydon brothers. Always out and about, no WII's no X boxes, no videos just fresh air and 10 goals halftime epic games of footie in the park.
Tyne and Wear memories
HOPEDENE
I was in Hopedene Unmarried Mothers' Home in January 1962, this place was run by the Salvation Army. I left in March 1962. I made a few friends but alas I cannot remember thier names, my daughter was born there, we were reunited in 2006. I would love to hear from anyone who was there at the same time. Marlene Carter.
Hopedene Mother And Baby Home
Hi I am trying to contact any mothers that were in Hopedene, Elswick, in the 1950s and 1960s...what was it like? Did you have any choice regarding having your baby adopted if you wern't married? My mother was married but separated - did this make any difference in those days? I have read up as much as I could find regarding these places and what happened to the poor women and babies. You would think we were talking about the dark ages not merely 40 or 50 years ago...how times have changed. They say "Remember the good old days!!". Well, I think nothing good happened to these mothers back then. It breaks my heart as a mother myself how these women were treated, by these institutions and indeed their own family in some cases. Please inbox me. Thank you for taking time to read this.. xx
Hopedene
I was born in Hopedene at the beginning of July 1960. I think it was good neutral territory as my father was Nursing at the General, and my mother was a Physio at the RVI. They had moved down to Corby at the start of the year to start new jobs. Thankfuly, by the Grace of God, I was born a Geordie. The only memories that I remember being given, was that there was a terrific thunderstorm and the coke boilers were almost flooded out - very little hot water available.
Hopedene
I would like to know if there is anyone out there that knows of the practise that went on in Hopedene. My partner was born there in 1965, his birthmother was also a domestic there, presumably to pay towards her keep while she was waiting to have her baby. We have now traced his birth mother but unfortunatley she died in 2002, but we have been able to get hold of a few records that were recorded at the time. Most of it does seem ok, but there is a bit in there that left us wondering. It states that she signed adoption papers two days before my partner was born, it does state that this was not normally done, but the social worker who was in charge of the case got his birth mother to do this, and it does say that this was questionable by the social services. Does anybody else know of any such cases where this has happened. We have heard a few things about Hopedene... Read more
Hubert Terrace
I often wondered who Hubert was. Other road names around were obvious. Bank Street was on a bank; School street had a school at the end of it. But Hubert Terrace? One side of my street was brick and the other was stone; something else I wondered about because all of the streets down from us towards the river were brick. Just this one terrace in stone. I say my street but in fact we lived on the corner of Bank Street and Hubert terrace; for a short while my mother ran the corner shop but her soft heart and unsound business practise of extending credit meant the venture was short lived. In the 1970s I came across a photograph by Graham Smith; one of a series he did using a cut out of his father placed in different locations, this shot was taken from across the road looking up towards our old front door on Bank Street, with a couple of strangers (well to me anyway) on the step.... Read more
