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Grange Park memories

Here are memories of Grange Park and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Grange Park or a Grange Park photo.

 

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Memories of Tyne and Wear

Growing up in Gosforth 1960-1980

High Street 1956
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I am young enough to remember Gosforth as a thriving High Street and as a boy buying models from Boydells and my first singles from Woolworths, getting the 45 back and forth with my older brother to go to school too - we were 7 and 8. Witnessing the carnage as traffic volumes and lack of parking killed off many of the shops which became building societies, estate agents and shops full of bric-a-brac. After two decades of traffic congestion I believe the High Street is once again becoming a focal point for the community. At the top of this shot in the rain I shunted my mum's brown Mini into the back of a VW Beetle on my first 'accident.' I'd been driving for less than a year. At the age of 8 or so I narrowly escaped being flattend by a white Rover whilst cycling across a junction after the lights had changed. I'm still here!

Shops I Have Loved...

High Street 1956
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I grew up in Bath Terrace in the early 1960s and the photo of Wilkinsons brought back memories of its pre-supermarket days of high dark wood counters, butter in barrels and the smell of roasting coffee. Pumphreys with the pastel coloured sugars and exotic coffee beans, Moods where I bought a first gift for my mother of a tiny china cat in a woven basket (I still have it), Thorpes the hardware shop which I think is still there....I have the family's first electric Xmas tree lights we bought from there! They still work and have never needed a new bulb! Paradise slices from Robson and Porteous, wonderful creamcakes and Shrewsbury biscuits from the delectable Smythes, sweets and the first soft ("Tastee-Freez") ice cream from Hennells, Arkles the butchers where huge knives were wielded so noisily on the wooded butcher's block that my little brother and I were scared to go in. Henderson's the greengrocer, the Royalty cinema of course endlessly playing the Shadows' "Wonderful Land" between items. The Toddle... Read more

Trams, Markets And Bright Yellow Trolly Buses

The Quayside 1928
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With big hugs from waiting family on one of the many platforms that was Central Station, we hurried though the noise and clouds of steam towards the station exit and into the sunlight...my eyes gazing in wonderment at all the the grand buildings, trams and bright yellow trolly buses, we had nothing like it in our Hampshire town, our railway station had but two platforms and the largest building was the Empire picture house. The queues were long for the big yellow trolly bus,but well worth the wait....for me it was a mad scramble up the stairs and right to the front, to get the best veiw...or best veiw possible considering the amount of smoking going on...on the top deck,one look over my shoulder and it was all headscarfs, flat caps and tab ends, a bus-load of British backbone that would ensure that we would win the war one day soon. On our way we would pass a brewery with a smell that lives with me to this day, along with the... Read more

Steamtrains, Servicemen And Central Station.

Central Station 1900
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The journey up to and across London to King's Cross Station for a 4-year old boy was exciting enough, but our adventure had only just begun. Holding my mother's hand tightly, we searched carriage after carriage for our seats on the packed but magnificent steam engine that was to take us at breakneck speed to Newcastle and the safety of my nana's house in Stanhope Street. Settled in our seats (thanks to a kindly soldier and a sailor) with our case in the above netted luggage rack and our sandwiches and flask of tea on our laps we waited ready to go. The train was full of servicemen and women either returning from or going off to war, even the corridors were crammed full with both men and women sitting on kitbags, including our two heroes who had given us their seats....I always hoped they made it. The 300 mile or so journey was a fantastic collection of sights,sounds and smells as we sped on our way, the greenery of the fields with... Read more

Happy Holidays

Northumberland Street c1955
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My Grandfather had a riding school and livery stable just off Mathew Bank near to Jesmond Dene, I was born in Newcastle not far from the Blue House on the North Road in 1936 but my family moved to Richmond Yorkshire when I was six weeks old. My mother worked in Fenwicks on Northumberland Streetin the early 1930s. I had many a happy holiday staying with my grandparents, saw Pantomimes at the Empire also saw Ted Ray when it was also a music hall. A regular at the Tatler News Theatre. I also had an aunt who had a butchers shop in the Big Market. Loved the trolly buses.

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