The Abbey And Bowling Green c1960, Hexham
The Abbey And Bowling Green c1960, Hexham Ref: H80077
Memories of The Abbey And Bowling Green c1960, Hexham
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Hexham & local memories
Read and share memories of Hexham and Northumberland inspired by Frith photos.
Evacuated Fro Newcastle to Camp In1940
Mr Scott was Head Master. Very much run on Military lines, but have good memoriies of that time. I was in Beeches house, my younger brother was there too. Anyone from that era out there and want to share the good old days with Chilton?
Dukes House Wood.
I went to Dukes House Wood camp school at Easter of 1968. A whole group of us from the Boys' Grammar School in Gateshead (Avenue Road) went there. Most of us were in Oaks dormitory. I remember that huge tree growing in the middle of the field where we played cricket. Does anyone know if it is still there? For some reason, I remember the poplular songs of that time that were often played on the radio. They were "Love is blue" and Lady Madonna (Beatles). We used to spend our dough at the "Tuck Shoppe". It was beautiful up there, and the weather at the time was just great. We went on a twenty mile orienteering trek and a visit to the abbey in town.
Albert Neal
Mesa,Arizona USA
Hexham Camp 1941
Hello Alan, I was interested in your comments about the camp. Are you sure you were there in 1940? I was trying to see the rest of your article but somehow I couldn't get the rest of it. You didn't say what school you attended and was it in Gateshead. Our school Alexandra road attended the camp in November 1945 with lads from South Shields. and we also were in Poplars. I was trying to get onto your e-mail but couldn't get on for some unknown reason. Maybe you could drop me a line at lsmy59@aol.com.
Duke’s Wood School For Boys
I was at Duke’s Wood School in 1940/1 at the age 10 years (I’m not sure whether it was called that at that time). I stayed in the ‘Poplars’ dormitory and, as I recall, there was a veranda at the entrance to the dorm, not shown in your photo. We all had bunk beds and I had a top tier. Everyday we made our beds before going to the classrooms. One day the tuck shop fridge broke down and all the juniors were taken to the shop for free ice-cream on the school!
Once, when in Hexham, a couple of my mates and I bought a loaf of bread. Upon returning to school we were taken to the Main Hall and disciplined in front of the whole assembly for supposedly shaming the school through buying bread in Hexham.
One day while playing cricket I made a good score so they made me captain of the junior cricket team. This was very much against my will as I... Read more
Dukeshouse Wood Camp School (part Two)
My recollection of a dance that was arranged in the sports hall made me and another lad George Bishop decide to abstain from the proceedings as I think at the time, in fact I am sure about myself that I was very self concious about contact with the opposite sex in those days. We both decided to hide away in the toilets until after the event. However there was an informer in our midst and we were both summoned on stage in front of the entire camp at the dance hall. Mister Tait the camp headmaster who I wish now that I could meet up with but he has been gone for many years. Mr. Tait the Gateshead Labour party official decided that the punishment was to humiliate us by laying in with his leather strap. He didn't want to know any mitigating circumstances. So much for the compassionate Labour party to which in later years I was invited to join but rejected the notion for several other reasons which... Read more
The Cross Country Run
One of my main memories of camp is a cross country run, no ordinary run this one, it was November, it was freezing and pouring with rain, nonetheless we had to run, but the only kit we were allowed to wear was sandshoes and shorts, no socks and no tops. Anyway, away we went. It wasn't long before myself and another lad called Peter Jarvis were lagging behind, walking most of the time, to make matters worse one of my sandshoes came off in the clarts never to be seen again. By the time we got back I was in a sorry state but the other lad wasn't too bad. Now for the good bit, the camp had a nurse called Miss Montgomery who all the lads had a crush on, she took me in to the sick bay and put me into a nice hot bath, unfortunately she then left the room and came back some time later with some clothes, my imagination still runs wild to this day.... Read more
Dukeshouse Wood Camp School Hexham (part One)
My school was one of the first to go to Dukeshouse Wood Camp School just outside Hexham. This was in November 1945 shortly after the Second World War with the lads from Gateshead at Alexandra Road school. Our dormitory was named Poplars at the top left, next to Oaks. On the opposite side was Hawthorns, Chestnuts, Beeches and the hospital Sycamore. The games room was next to Sycamore where we could play table tennis and other indoor games. There was usually a dance held at least once in this building when we were there organised by I think teacher Mr Chicken. Other teachers at the camp were Mr Simpson, and Mr Speed, both from our school. The meals area was at the bottom. At the very top was a playing field where I recall our lads representing Gateshead played South Shields lads in a football match. We got hammered 5-0. The headmaster at the camp then was Mr Mighalls who incidentally became headmaster at our school less than two years... Read more
