Langley Park, County Durham

WITTON GILBERT, THE WAR MEMORIAL

I remember this photo well as I was born and brought up in Witton Gilbert. I was born in 1949 in Cheviot House at the bottom of Greens Opening, a very short walk from the Dene. I went to the "Tin School" which was the Infants school and now forms part of the by-pass which desecrated the village. I was told... [more]

Police Constable Curran

My great great grandfather Joseph Curran was a police officer and it appears as though he was the local police officer for Witton Gilbert. He certainly lived in Witton Gilbert in the 1881 and 1891 census but I have an article from the Police Chronicle July 1894 where PC Curran moved from Witton Gilber to Bearpark and was presented a watch... [more]

Not a very nice story

My great-great-grandfather, John Mingins, was a tailor living in Witton Gilbert with his family. Unfortunately, in December 1853 an Irish navvy, Michael O'Brien, picked a fight with John outside the butcher's shop and consequently John was injured and died one week later. Michael O'Brien was found guilty of manslaughter at Durham Assizes and I assume he served the appropriate sentence. I... [more]

Witton Gilbert, the War Memorial from the Woods c1955

The War Memorial stood at the bottom of what was called the "Camels Hump" in "The Dean" - a wild adventure playground for all us kids. The Hump was used for sledging down in winter and rolling down in summer. At the top of the picture behind the trees was the vicarage paddock, this was where as members of the... [more]

The Odfellows Arms in Front Street

I have just discovered from resaerching the census results that my Great Grandparents ran the Odfellows Arms in Witton Gilbert round about the turn of the last century. His name was John McCormick and he was also a coal miner or coal hewer, running the pub in his own time. He and his wife had 5 daughters named Mary, Ellen, Alice,... [more]

as i look at these pictures

i was born in ushaw moor, at 5 maple park,,i am the third of six children,,i remember walking around with my family,as my mums family lives in new brancepeth we used to walk up to see gran and grandma gibson,we used to go plodging in the beck on the way back from chappel(once loosing my socks)when i look at the picture... [more]

walking with my grandad

in 1961 i would be 5yrs old,and my grandad Sam Gibson would walk with me my sister susan and my brother raymond,along from where they lived round to the wreck,,the name the gave for the local swing park.they lived in doric road,across from their house was a small shop called walter wilsons,he did this walk with us to get us out... [more]