Greatham memories
Here are memories of Greatham and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Greatham or a Greatham photo.
Greatham Railway Station, And Station Houses.
Well I lived in Middlesbrough, I used to get the bus to Greatham, my sister Sylvia and I, we would visit our relations Uncle Jack Wright, and Aunty Nellie, we also had another relative there, Uncle Albert Wright and Aunty Florie. We would get off the bus and walk down the lane to where my aunty and uncle lived. They lived in one of the four houses next to the railway crossing gates. They were the greatest couple you could ever wish to meet. We used to stay at their home from time to time on school holidays, this we will never forget and loved more than anything we could ever hope for. We would get up early and feed Uncle Jack's chickens whitch he kept in a garden out of his back. We would also pick vegetables freshly grown from his garden. Later Uncle Jack would take us in the signal box at the station where he was the station master. Uncle Jack would let us pull the levers... Read more
Greenside in The 1940s
My memories are of Greatham mainly in the 1940s. My nan and grandad , Gertrude and Joseph Peacock Wilkinson, lived in the large house called Greenside opposite the Green, and now there are many houses there. My mum Joan was born in Greatham and lived there till she left to marry Walter Bowbanks from Stockton. I had many relations at Greatham, Aunty Minnie, Aunt May and Dolly, and I spent many happy hours on the green playing, down the beck, and at Seaton Carew. I remember with great fondness Uncle Ted and Aunt Phylis from the Grove, and their children, lots of wonderful memories.
From Valerie Bowbanks Horton
My Early Childhood
Most of the photos here are from 1955. I was a five year old boy living in Greatham in 1955 with my dad, who was the local 'Bobby', my mam and my younger brother. We lived at 3 Egerton Terrace which was a terraced house with an outside loo and we had a bath in a tub in the kitchen. Cerebos Salt was down the road. I remember friends at that time were Johnny Tully and Gerald Harper. I started school at the local primary in 1955 but was shuffled off to a bigger school in Billingham shortly afterwards, perhaps because I showed a spark of brightness. Anyway, there I was, a six years old, catching a bus [the number 24A I seem to recall] to Billingham and back every school day, completely unaccompanied. Can you imagine doing that today!
I think life was much more placid and unworried in those days. We did not have much by today's standards but we were intensely carefree and happy. I had... Read more
Memories of Cleveland
Swimming at Seaton Carew Baths 1971
When I was eleven years old I went to Galleys Field School in Hartlepool and I have memories of going to the baths with the school. I was Ruth Thompson then.
The baths were salty and usually cold as they were fed by the sea. There were changing rooms at both ends of the baths and I remember going there one day with the school when they were having some work done to the changing rooms at the deep end and we had to use the ones at the shallow end. I wasn't taking a lot of notice as I just wanted to get in the water and swim.
I did my usual thing of dashing out of the changing room and diving straight into the water. I ended up with a bump the size of an egg on my forehead were I hit the bottom. I never did it again!
The baths are no longer there. I am not sure when they were demolished, but it is typical Hartlepool... Read more
13 The Cliff
My Mam and Dad who lived in the town for over 45 years until they moved to Adelaide 16 years ago have recently moved back to Seaton Carew and bought 13a The Cliff (which is the first house you can see from left to right in picture). In the last 100 years I reckon the house has seen a lot happy memories, let's hope they contiune.
Seaton Carew
I lived in Seaton Carew from about 1944 to 1947. My parents ran a boarding house at 4 The Cliffe, (my sister was born there) adjacent to the Staincliffe, which as I recall (I was a 4 year old) was occupied by RAF personnel. I recall the bad winter of 1946, and the tremendous amount of snowfall. My first schooldays (kindergarten?) were at Seaton Carew. We used to go hunting for crabs on Blackhall rocks when the tide was out.
Still have some old family photos taken on the beach.
Wilson Family
My father waa from Seaton Carew. He was called Douglas Wilson and had 3 sisters I think, Marilyn was one, and a brother, Keith. I remember visiting during the late 1960 early 1970s. I think my grandparents ran a police section house but can't find any info about any relatives or a police section house. I think my grandfather was Arthur or Ernest and my grandmother's maiden name was Robson.If you have any info please leave a comment or e-mail me at: jeffwilson19@btinternet.com
Sun, Swimming, Sand & Sandwiches on The Fish Sands
As a child I swam in the sea next to the Sandwell Gate and the ruins of The Freemasons Arms which was an old pub that was on the Fish Sands. I remember sunny days, swimming and picnics with sand in my sandwiches with my friends. One day my friends noticed that when I walked back up the beach after a swim I left 'red' footprints. I had unknowingly stepped on a piece of broken glass, so I hobbled all the way round to St Hilda's Hospital where they took out the piece of glass, cleaned & bandaged my foot and gave me some 'ket' for being brave! ('ket' for those that don't know was a name for sweets when I was a child). I knew so many of my grandmother's friends that lived along the town wall that if I got caught out I could knock any house and ask to use the toilet. The lady of the house would ask "Are you hungry bairn? Would you like a slice... Read more
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