Leadgate memories
Here are memories of Leadgate and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Leadgate or a Leadgate photo.
Memories of Leadgate And Iveston 1938 - 1943
I came to live at Leadgate when I was 12 years old and attended Leadgate Council School which was a large red brick building for infants and juniors, boys and girls. I was at the school for only 2 years, leaving when I was 14 years old. Those two years were good ones for me as I was fortunate to have a dedicated teacher called David Scott, who lived at Castleside. His influence remained with me through my youthful years, through my 5 years in the Royal Air Force, and on into my married life. There were twin girls in my class, whose names I do not recall,also there were two lads, one was called Tommy Griffiths. He had a lovely singing voice and often sang solos at school, the other was called Alan Bell, he had a talent to paint wild birds on glass. I wonder if Tommy and Alan are still with us today? Just round the corner from the school was the Co-op and the then Manager... Read more
Leadgate
I had lived in Leadgate since birth back in 1982 when we used to live on Dunelm Way. Back then Leadgate was a quiet little friendly village where everybody knew everybody. My Dads (David Parkin) half of the family lived close by and i remember going to my Grandma & Grandad's every saturday for tea on Dunelm Close. The shops where nearby on Front Street and had Happy Shopper with the Pet shop next door. Down the street was the Golden Lion pub which had a statue above the door of a golden lion, a little sweet shop i used to go in every day after school for a little treat of a quarter of sweets, bon-bons usually :-) . Next door was a ladies fashion shop and a butchers on the corner, i think it was called Fosters but i may be wrong...in fact i think its still there! Directly across the street there was a shop on the corner which always seemed to change. I remember it... Read more
Leadgate Memories
Welcome to all.
Most of my life was spent in Leadgate where I enjoyed living. I moved to a beautiful village called Milborne Port near a nice town called Sherborne in Dorset. I am married to a beautiful women called Caroline who came from Farmborough. I have worked for a construction firm in Yeovil for 25 years.
I did make a lot of friends in Leadgate, I was still a member of Leadgate Club until a few years ago, I was a member for over 20 odd years. I used to live at Watling Bungalows. My dad William (Bill) Yallop lived with my brother Trevor at Dunelm Close (both deceased). My grandfather and grandmother also lived at Leadgate, Guy and Ethel Westall. My great grandmother also lived there, we called her Little Nanna, her surname was Ringer. My uncle Brian (Westall) and auntie Maureen (Bayles) lived in Leadgate.
I worked at Hounsgills Plate Mill (British Steel) for 5 years untill it closed down. I used to go drinking... Read more
Leadgate Village
I grew up in Leadgate and have many fond memories of the village. The shops - Les Temple's the newsagent, Oughton's fish and chips (later the bookies), Billy Pledger's 'Modern Hair Fashions' and his aunt's place Crosbie's selling knitting wools etc, Bousteads, Tilney's the post office (selling all kinds of goods from stamps to furniture) and, of course, Di Palma's who made and sold the best ice-cream in the world! There was Pace's chemist shop and Cecil Best the butcher and even a bank on the corner of Front Street and Watling Street.
The village has changed, as it must, but memories live on.
Leadgate in The Early 1970s
Leadgate will always be in my heart. Some of my happiest times spent in Geordie's cafe and playing football on a Sunday afternoon with some of the best lads ever. Silky, Tommy and Malcom Coates, Hat.(Kev Calcutt), Gats (Alan Robertson) tragically killed at the Iveston along with Cogy (Davy Calvert) in the early 1970s. Does anyone remember Little Willy who used to go in the cafe. I remember having my first pint in the Coach on the corner. Billy Nixon, Frankie Bowes, Johny Blacket, loads more I could mention. I wish I could go back in time.
Memories of Leadgate
I remember Leadgate way back in the 1950s. We were lads from Medomsley Edge Homes who went to the pictures there, I think the place was the "Roxy". We went to school with lads from Leadgate. Two of them I remember well - Malcolm Swinburne + Jimmy Gore. I think Jimmy lived opposite the Scout hut(that was). We often went to Scouts and the Salvation Army Citadel - "Sally Army" - on Sunday afternoons because they had cups of tea after the hymns. During the summer we picked rosehips (when they were red) and sold them to a lady who had a shop on road opposite the entrance to the Sally Army Citadel, sorry, I don't remember the street's name. I think us kids from Medomsley Homes spent ages in Leadgate during our early years. "Shanghai" I think we called part of the Bungalows. Good times!!
From Boyhood to Manhood
I was born at Consett in 1926
Woodlands Terrace [now Durham Road, Leadgate].
I was born at Richard Murray Hospital at Shotley Bridge, County Durham on 09/07/1942. My parents Winnie and Jack Kershaw, my mam's maiden name was Burnhope and my dad's family were the Kershaws, lemonade manufacturers of Askew Road, Gateshead, as far as I can recall the Burnhopes had Leadgate addresses. My first memories were of my home at Woodlands Terrace in Leadgate in a beautiful terraced house high above the Durham road. From the front bedroom window the view was of open fields that stretched for miles, looking towards Crookhall and beyond. The fields were I think owned by Willie Sheilds, and in the winter months snow blasted across those fields, burying the Durham road. My mam and dad were insurance agents, and my first school was Leadgate infants then later the juniors. My cousins were Caswells, their father being Billy Caswell, a butcher whose shop was in Watling Street in Leadgate. Auntie Mary his wife was a Heslop sister of my dad. My other cousins were two girls,... Read more
Leadgate Always in my Heart
I was born in 1964 in Richard Murray Hospital Consett and lived with my mum Margaret and grandmother Milly in St Ives Road, Leadgate. My grandmother Milly and grandfather Charlie Faragher had lived at 45 St Ives Road since they married, my grandfather was the St Ives Church Organist and he also installed the original central heating in the church. My father was Peter Hart from Durham Road, Leadgate and was in the army, unfortunately he was too young to qualify for a married quarter when I was born and so had to live in Germany on his own for a couple of years until he was 21 years old, hence I lived with my mum with my gran (grandad died Nov 64 6 weeks after I was born). Although I was young I remember Leadgate very, very well. I would go with Nana to Fosters the butchers on the corner who made fantastic sausages and blackpudding. At the Tinleys post office I was always given a small toffee... Read more
Memories of County Durham
Memories of Iveston
I was born in 1934 and lived in Iveston for 18 years, leaving reluctantly in 1952. We first lived beside the duckpond, in the cottage attached to Letch Farm, run then or later by Mr and Mrs Harrison. Avis Harrison baked my wedding cake. We then lived on the village green across from the school where I started at the age of 5. The headmaster/teacher was a Mr Smith (there was only one teacher). I was only there for a year or so and then went to Leadgate School, but I remember we had slate pencils and slate boards to write on. The only other pupils I remember were Alma and Velma Bates, who were much older than me. Just above the school there was Cruddas's shop. We then moved to Parkers Buildings. I went to the chapel and was on the Anniversay service until I was 18.
Mostly I remember the farms. There was Bob Wright's on the other side of Bogle Hole, long gone with mining subsidence. Then... Read more
The War Years in Consett
I was born in Consett at 11 Newmarket Street in June 1933, though my parents were living in Norfolk and later on in Middlesex. I was sent back to live with aunts when the Blitz really got going. I went to the CofE Primary School at the back of the church which I also had to attend as a choir boy. Consett was full of noise in those days especially outside No.11. Buses started their long climb up from Shotley Bridge, nestling down in the Northumbrian Derwent Valley. Halting in Blackhill to get their breath back, before starting the last climb up the near vertical steep incline, they arrived at Vaux's Pub opposite my bedroom window, with engines panting, shuddering, and gasping with relief at having reached the summit. Then, with a final sigh they drove on again, on the last few hundred yards to the bus station, by the market square. One of my best friends was Ronnie Maddison who tragically died in 1953 while serving in the RAF and having... Read more
Being There The Day The REX Burned Down!
I lived in Consett from the mid-fifties onwards and have many mixed memories. One distinct episode was the burning of the REX cinema. I was living in the Black Horse in Front Street at the time and remember being woken early that morning by my family shouting and running about in the house. My aunt was the Stewardess of the 'Top Club', or Consett Working Mens' Club to give it the formal title, which was right next door to the REX and we were worried for her safety. My dad and his brother were already over there getting her out along with her dog, Max, and a few hastilly chosen possessions. The snap and banging of the asbestos roofing was really loud and the flames were about 20 feet above the roof-line at the most active time of the fire. My mate actually called for me at the house and we ran around to the back of the Rex where the Police were co-ordinating things with the Fire Brigade. To young boys... Read more
Nights Out in Consett
I have some wonderful memories of nights out in Consett in the sixties. There was a pub called the Masons Arms run by Kevin and Ina Kearney and the barmaid Jenny, I think. It served the most beautiful beer in the world or so we thought, Tuckers ales. On a weekend it would be filled with all sorts of characters, Army Sam, Wilf Patta, Vince Blacky, Willy Dicken, Phil Terry, all supping those big creamy pints, and the girls would join us as well - Julia, Celia, Fred, Cath, Angela - I could go on but they were special. The juke box would be blasting out Beatles, Stones, Dylan, Animals and a few Irish rebel songs Kevin had secreted in the juke box under different names. Such happy times. From there to the Brit , same thing only the beer was Vaux {yuk]. A few in there and then on to the Mount Pleasant as long as Jenny let you in. The occasional band would be playing, mostly rubbish but... Read more
Consett in The 1950s
I was a teenager in the 1950s, worked at Consett Iron Company. We were teddy boys, had all the gear, suits, shoes ... Our nights out were Co-op dance Thursday nights. Them that had girlfriends always met them inside. Friday was a late night dance, was 10pm till 2am, we even went when we were on 2pm till 10pm shift, never any trouble but we had a good time. I remember on the Thursday night one of the lads used to play the piano, his name was Freddie Cheeseman, he went on to be famous, Freddie Fingers Lee, a fantastic pianist. We even went to Anfield Plane dance castles, all good nights. Sunday it was pictures, there was several picture houses, Rex, Plaza, Town Hall, Empire, Olympia, Roxy at Leadgate. We used to take our girlfriend, the lads that went on their own used to walk round and round the bus station after pictures came out, as lots of others did, sometimes they got lucky, sometimes they walked home alone.... Read more
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