FENHAM DO YOU REMEMBER
I never knew my grandparents they died before I was born. I have recently learnt that my grandparents were from large families. My maternal grandfather lived in Fenham, William Robert Wilson, who married a Smiley (I don't know if this is how you spell it). My grandfather was a Regimental Sergeant Major with medals, and after leaving the army was a tram driver, and grew fantastic leeks. From what I have been able to gather so far, the family that I cannot remember meeting, lived in High Fenham, and my elder brother can remember us all visiting them. If you have a Smiley grandparent or great grandparent from the Fenham area please contact me. Even though she was not my biological grandparent she was the only grandparent I knew and I loved her. If you have a Wilson grandparent or great grandparent from the Fenham area please contact me. I would dearly love to learn about my maternal family tree, my brother met my great aunts and great uncles but is a bit hazy about some of the details as he was young at the time. Although he can remember my grandfather and one of my great uncles having beautiful handwriting. My mother did not very often recount episodes from her childhood and I vaguely remember her mentioning that she helped out on a farm, that was an aunt's or uncle's.
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RE: RE: FENHAM DO YOU REMEMBER
I remember Fenham well and, indeed, have written about some of my experiences : Beginning in Fenham Barracks. I attended the convent in Fenham Hall Drive in the late 50s - it was the best school I ever attened, although at the time didn't think so!
I recently paid a visit to Newcastle and, although I must have expected to see many changes I still carried pictures and memories from the old Newcastle; my Newcastle! Consequently I was disappointed not to find everything as I had left it. The barracks did come as a shock, being as there is nothing of the old, apart from the enclosing wall, that remains. It felt as if a massacre had taken place and, depending on how you look at it, it had! To see it as it is now was a huge sadness. But still plenty remains of the city and for this reason I will return.
My old school , the Convent of the Sacred Heart, viewed from the top of a bus looked very different with tables and chairs placed in what was our play area. We girls had to make do with the grass or else hunker down on the concrete! Having a speedy look from the bus I did notice that much of (what I remember) the trees and grass appeared to be less extensive and it made me wonder if the wallflowers still bloom in their profusion. One particular summer we were given an essay to write on Africa and I found that the scent from these flowers, wafting through the open windows, created a mood for me and the essay appeared to write itself!
Comment from Trish Bailey on Wednesday, 28th March 2012.