Saltwell Park Lake c1955, Gateshead
Saltwell Park Lake c1955, Gateshead Ref: G124001
Memories of Saltwell Park Lake c1955, Gateshead
Saltwell Park
I was first introduced to Saltwell Park in 1963 whilst attending Gateshead Technical College, what a beautiful place, I thought. Since then I have made many trips to the park with my children, and now grandchildren, and each time my thoughts wander to times gone by and as I look arround I think of all the people who have spent their time walking and enjoying the many sights to see in this lovely place. Reminders are there in the form of benches with plaques on left as gifts by people now passed on for others to sit and enjoy the fragrant flowers or the parks many attactions or to simply watch the children play and relax. If you are young at heart there's the boating lake where you can hire a boat for an hour or if you are daring enough you can buy a burgar and chips or ice cream. The park has had a makeover and been restored to its original Victorian glory and my friend Carol and... Read more
Gateshead & local memories
Read and share memories of Gateshead and Tyne and Wear inspired by Frith photos.
Down Memory Lane
I was born in Nottingham and came to live in Gateshead when I was 4 years old. My mother was in the W.R.A.C and met my father when she was stationed down there. He was a Waiter in the Crown Hotel in Bawtry and was originally from Derbyshire. They were married in 1942 had me and my brother and decided to move to Gateshead. My mother was homesick for her family. I remember as though it were yesterday...my granddad carrying me on his shoulders across the high level bridge. I have vivid recollections. There was lots of hustle and bustle at both ends of the bridge. We arrived at my grandma's house and I was fascinated with the bottle top on the milk. It was dymo and the bottle top was wire with a plastic cork and a rubber washer. You clipped it at eithe side to release the cork ...then returned the cork into the bottle and snapped it shut. ... Read more
Childhood Memories From 1949
I was born in Hubert Terrace which ran off Bank Street and along to Cuthbert Street. Further down was School Street and Marian Street which ran along to Derwentwater Road, and on Derwentwater Road was Lady Vernon School which I attended. The boys' school was called St Cuthberts and the church we went to was St Cuthbert's Church and the minister was called the Reverend Burnip. He lived in the vicarage on Bensham Road where the flats are now, the old wall is still there. I can still picture him going around on his bike.
Cuthbert Street used to get called Sammy's Bank because in one of the backyards a man called Sammy used to sell ice cream (imagine Health & Safety allowing that now). Further up was a dairy and at the top was a chemist which led on to the top of Derwentwater Road. The bottom of Cuthbert Street took you on to Askew Road, if you turned left you could go to the teams, right took... Read more
Boyhood Memories From 1952
It was around this time that the tram lines were taken up from Sunderland Road in Gateshead. The men stored the old lines in Somerset Street and Devonshire Street. As boys we would dig up the tar from around the streets and paste it on the road safety lamps when they were lit. It was great to see the watchy run around putting the fires out, or what he thought was a fire. We kept him fit.
I too remember the Crescent, the only bit of greenery near our house in Devonshire Street. It must have been a grand crescent in its time with grand people living there. We lived in a rat-infested street which was also covered in grime. I hated using our toilet as it had a resident rat. Inside our house we watched for hours as the mice played with my liggies. They were little grey mice with funny little faces. They were never seen when me da was having a bath in front of... Read more
Shipcote School
Does anyone have photos of Shipcote School Deckham, now demolished. A small housing estate was built within the original wall, that is still standing. My email address. sheilaerrington@hotmail.co.uk. The school was demolished sometime in the 1980s I believe.
Southey Street as A Kid
Just read a memory of standing outside the factories of Clark Chapmans and asking if anyone had any bait left. I did the same myself, it brought back powerful memories of living in Southey Street until I was 11 years old. My father has just passed away at 88, he worked in Clark Chapmans. Just another thought, can anyone remember the gas explosion that demolished a house near the bottom of the street? We got our bonfire wood from there for a few years. Email:murr.a@hotmail.com
Bank Street And School Street
In response to the writer of School Street memories, I helped out at Ted Waton's shop after school, and the girls he mentioned are Rene and Jennifer Forster the twins, and the Bell sisters were Ann and Louisa. I lived there until 1969.
Leazes Street
I was born in 44 Leazes St 1941. I remember playing in Burdon st with our gords and top and whips. My nana who lived in 36 Leazes St. used to send me to toddys beer shop for her jug of beer. I carried it back with a plate on top to stop it spilling, I used to have a sip of it - tasted horrible. When I was being a bad lad she would tell me Sandshoe Joe will come and get me. We moved to Bensham in the 50s. When I met my wife we got on talking about old Gateshead and she used to live in Peareth St. I went to Prior St. School and remember a Mrs Wilkinson - think she was head teacher. All good memories.
Annie Bell From Devonshire Street
I'm trying to find my Grandma's grave, can anyone help please?
She was Annie Bell (nee Robson) and lived at 61 Devonshire Street in 1951. She was 50 when she died on 6 February, 1951 and had chronic bronchitis which is what she died from.
Her family had a pet shop in Gateshead (in the High St I think and it would probably be under her family's name of Robson, unless of course the family member who owned it was female and it may therefore have been under another married name). Annie had 3 daughters, one of which was my Mam, Isabella, the other 2 sisters being Winnie (still living) and Sarah (deceased). Annie also had 2 young boys who died when very small. Her husband Henry Bell (my grandfather) could also be known as Harry. He was in the forces during the war. He lived at that time in 252 Back High Street as he and my Grandma were separated.
The coucil have searched their... Read more
Old Jackson Sstreet
I still remember the Co-operative in the 1960s being used as a funeral home for a while, William Brown I think he was called, memory goes a little but I vaguely remember the old man who worked on the desk there dying just after opening the shop, number 5 or number 6, I can't remember too much these days, and it's a shame what the street is now.
Old Funeral Home on Jackson Street
I remember the old funeral home on Jackson Street, or as I knew it as, Jackson Chare, eee it was a long time ago, old man died there in what is now the Co-op, died there shortly after he opened it one day, long time ago, the place is not the same any more is it? Changed too much and for the worse if you ask me.
Fresh Air
My name is Brian Boustead. Our family moved from the stinking smelly Teams, we lived 100 yards from the Tyne Flemming Streett Teams. In 1955 I was 7 years old and we moved to 100 Blackhill Crescent, Springwell. I have a twin brother called Ken, a brother called Robert and a sister Angela. We were called the terrible twins. What a fantastic place to live when you were kids. Our gang were Peter Fairless, Gordon Napier, John Noble, Micky Candlish, Larr Scollins, Tommy Allan, also Tom Laskey and many more. What a fantastic place for wildlife, plus I remember trying to swim in the Quarries at Springwell and Whindy Nook also. Can anyone remember the washer?
Boy From The Teams
Born and bred in Morrison Street during the war I lived in Russell Street teams for a few years, I have lots of memories of that place. I went to Rose Street school till I was 15, I started work at Hugh Woods TVTE, got my apprentiseship then moved to Newcastle, working at Vickers for 10 years before emigrating to Melbourne, Australia.
Bank Street
We lived in an old Victorian house on the Bank, I was eight years old. I remember a shop on the corner of School Street owned by a man named Ted Weihton and on the other corner Tates fish shop, the owner was a freind of my great aunt May. I spent some of my childhood like most kids, playing hopscotch, top and whip, leap frog, skippies. I ran messages for neighbours, spent Saturdays at the Bensham matinees and scrambled for pennies otside the church when a wedding was on. We didn't have a lot but there was community spirit. I still remember the tables spread out in School Street for Coronation Day. There was a barbers on the Bank that cut my hair, I was the only girl customer. I often wonder what happened to some of the families I knew like the Fosters, the mother May had twin girls, they were both ginger, I think one was called Irene, and the Bells family, there was Carol and Louisa,... Read more
My Mam 1912
My mam Margaret Curran lived in Victoria Road, Gateshead and went to Victoria Road School. Her dad was down the Dunstan Colliery. She used to tell us tales of Annie Owlie who lived in Lobley Hill Woods. How she used to collect coal lumps in her upturned dress and take it home to her mam. How she went scrumping and put the apples down her pants and couldnt run because of them. How during the war her da was in charge of the horses in his battalion but due to him drinking too much whisky was relieved of his duties. How her mam died when she was just 15 and her da remarried a woman called "Lally King" so my mam travelled down to Surrey to work in a children's hospital and how she met my dad Harry Spencer, they lived in Aurelia Road, West Croydon, with me and my sister Carol. Best childhood ever, best parents ever, loved them to bits.
Wrekenton
We moved into 53 Lanchester Avenue in October 1952 while I was away on National Service after living in Leopold Street for 16 years. Alan, I think you lived opposite. You would be the same age as Ken Quigley who lived in 51 with his elder brother Peter. Peter was five years old when I was demobbed in September 1953. Sadly Peter passed away about three years ago. Did you know the lad near to your house who married Matty Heslop's daughter? I think his name was Dennis. I knew the family very well as the Gallon's next to the cut. I got my first wrist watch out of Elsie's catalogue. £4 pounds with four shillings interest over I think twenty weeks. I think you might have Known the Carrol's at 79. I am sure that the youngest son of two is the grandfather of Andy Carrol who scored his first goal for England last night. But the 1-1 draw shopped me for £200 as I banked on an... Read more
My Mam
My name is Carol Cook (maiden name Turner) and my mam is called Pat Turner (maiden name Wightman). I grew up in McAdam Street, Bensham, Gateshead and have a lot of special memories from there. Sadly half the street is currently in process of demolition, ready to build new houses where the old flats were... I am 38 (39 very soon!) and my mam is 64 in June.
I'm looking to contact a Mr Alan Bull who knew my mam, Pat Wightman, whose mother was Ellen Wightman (or Nellie, as she was fondly known as).
My Grandmother, Born 1876
My grandmother used to tell me stories of Gateshead days when I was a kid, for example Tommy-on-the Bridge, area Bottle Bank, apparently was a permanent fixture in those days, he stood on the Swing Bridge, might have been begging. Coffee Johnny, either called that because of his colour or because he sold tea or coffee in the same area. Skint Fart the Grosser, had grocer's shop of Railway Terrace, I used to get one gill of milk from a large milk urn using a ladle, also half a pound of butter from a great golden block of butter on the counter, tea from the plywood box, help yourself to half a pound of best Indian. Dummlers the pork butcher on Sunderland Road, pork chops, black pudding, pease pudding in a huge dish. Those were the days, tasted lovely. Perhaps I should write a book?
Boyhood Memories
I was born in 89 Abbot Street, just off Sunderland Road, in 1932, then we moved to the Gateshead end of Redheugh Bridge. When the Second World War started we moved to 20 Brussel Street. The Davidson family lived in the flat above us, Andi went to Rose Street School for a short time. My sister Alice and I were evacuated to Saltburn by the Sea for a while. We always went to the Rats pictures to see George Formby's or Loppy Lloyd's pics where you could get in with a couple of jam jars, or Saltwell park to see Punch and Judy, also wounded servicemen from hospitals dressed with red ties and blue jackets, concerts for the troops, fishing for tiddlers in the lake, watch out for those swans, my father going over to Bewcastle to join the Royal Air Force and coming back with his uniform over his arm, changing at home to report back for duty right away, watching the building of air raid shelters in... Read more
Born And Bred on Sunderland Road
I was born at 65 Southey Street, Sunderland Road in 1934. My family, the Towns family, had lived there for years. I went to Sunderland Road School and two of my teachers, Flintoff and Comway, taught my uncles. On leaving school I worked as an office boy at Clarke Chapmans, St James Road. As school kid me and my mates used to stand on St James bridge, at 5 o'clock when the factory came out, it was like a football match as over 1000 people worked there. We used to say "Any spare bait mister?" and sometimes we would receive a pork pie or a sarnie. We thought they tasted great! I have been trying to get photographs of Sunderland Road, if any one can help me please get in touch. Derek Towns Bell, ex apprentice Lumsden Machie Tool Co, Hawks Road 1950/55
25 PALMER STREET, WINDMILL HILL, GATESHEAD
I was born on Palmer Street in October 45. My father of the same name of George Smith was recently killed in Germany and left his little family living with his parents in the Windmill Hills. I have a picture of all of the residents of the neigbourhood on VE day in the school yard at the top of Palmer Street and just below Bensham Road. There were decorations and cakes and streamers. Notable was the absence of men as Gatehead was a butcher shop for the war effort. I went to St Joseph's School as did my older brother Jeffrey and sister Jaqueline. As slummy as the area was, I still think of it with fondness as everyone was so close and helpful to each other, likely due to the shared hard times. George Smith
Brighton Ave Secondary Modern School
I went to Brighton Avenue Infants, Juniors and Senior School from 1954 - 1962 and I hated it. Lovely old building some say. You've got to be kidding! Does anyone remember "Botcherby", the morris dancing nut who was Head of the boys Senior School? He would be locked up these days for what he got up to with his "special" boys. No, I'm glad it's gone.
Bensham Lad
I grew up in and lived in Bensham for the first 26 years of my life, albeit the last 5 of those years were spent in the Merchant Navy as a sea-going engineer. My first school was Chester Place School which was across the road from the Bensham picture house. I was evacuated to Askgrigg Yorkshire from Chester Place School in 1939, on coming back in 1942 I went to Brighton Avenue school until I passed the scholarship and went to the Central School on the corner of Whitehall Road & Alexandra Road. I left the Central School in 1948 and started serving a 5 year apprenticeship as an engineer's fitter at Clarke Chapmans. At 21 I went into the Merchant Navy with Royal Mail Lines. In 1959 I left the sea and emigrated to California. As a young'un I went to Bensham Grove Nursery School. While in Bensham I lived in Prospect Terrace, Gibson Street, and mostly Prospect Street which ran off Claremont Street then became Osborne Terrace which ran down... Read more
A Snatch of A Gateshead Childhood
My memory relates to the years 1946-ish to 1960 but I couldn't get all that in at the top! I was born in 1943 at 148 Somerset Street, an 'upstairs house' which we would now call a maisonette, the home of my paternal grandmother Mary Alice Peacock. This 'house' consisted of a 'kitchen', scullery, bedroom and outside toilet in a tiny back yard. Sadly my mother died when I was 10 months, so I have no memoriy of her. My earliest memories are of living with 'my Daddy's Mammy' whom I knew simply as 'Mammy' although she used to tell me stories of the things Daddy did when he was a little boy, and I always knew she was Daddy's Mammy as well as mine! - a tiny child accepts without profound questioning. Daddy was still away in the Army, and I was very shy of him when he came home on leave sometimes. So my earliest memories are of just Mammy and... Read more
Radio,Cycle&tvshops
My distant relatives owned radio, cycle & TV shops in Gateshead under the name JFH HAUGH, I believe they were in the Sunderland Road area, and next to the Odeon cinema in the town. I would like to learn more about them if anyone can help.
Boy From The Slums
I was born on the 28th March 1947, into an existing family of 5 siblings in a one-up one-down decaying terraced house of 12 Russell Street, Teams, Gateshead, just off Upton Street, near to the coke works, the gas works, the rope works and every other kind of filthy polluting business on the banks of the Tyne. We ended up as a family of 8 children by the 1950s. My father was Leslie George Bull and my mother - Isabella Gattis Chilvers.
The word "Poverty" was part of their wedding vows.
In the back lanes of these rat infested dwellings we played mouse chasing and "liggies"in the "gundi". The area was so bad the rats wore white overalls.
Everything you touched was black with soot, grime and God knows what else.
I remember once being in the back yard. As I gazed into the black night sky, festooned with shining stars, I watched as a bright moon waxed its glittering magic over a cascade of low,... Read more
