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Leasingthorne
Leasingthorne maps
Historic maps of Leasingthorne and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Leasingthorne maps
Leasingthorne photos
We have no photos of Leasingthorne, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Ferryhill| Shildon| Newton Aycliffe| Bishop Auckland| Aycliffe| Willington| Heighington| Coxhoe| West Auckland| Brancepeth| High Etherley| Sedgefield| Howden Le Wear| Crook
Leasingthorne area books
Displaying 1 of 3 books about Leasingthorne and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Leasingthorne
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Leasingthorne.
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My Familys Past
My mother and her family were born and bred in Leasingthorne, my grandfather was a miner at the pit, as were my two uncles. My grandparents were Robert and Ethel Wilson and had 5 children, Jack, Ruby, Lilly, Irene and Robert. My mother was Irene. I too was born there and returned to spend many holidays with my much loved grandparents, often visiting the pit with my grandfather to collect his pension. The last time I visited was for my grandmother's funeral and alas the villiage had been demolished leaving only the streets (my grandmother had been relocated to Leeholme several years before). Everyone in the village knew each other and the community spirit was very strong. In fact my first school was Leasingthorne Infants (which was still standing when I last went there).
Happy Days
My gran came from Leasingthorne, moving to Cambridge in the late 1920s. She had a sister named Mary who lived in an end of terrace house near a corrugated tin 'social club', chickens were kept opposite. l can remember an Uncle 'Tiser'. Mary had two Yorkshire terriers, Dot and Daisy. From her yard you could see the mine where most of the men worked, l believe Sir Anthony Eden had an estate nearby.
Uncle John, his wife Margaret and daughter Jennifer(?) lived up the street a bit, l believe my gran had about five brothers, most of whom died in pit accidents. l think in the early 1960s the mine had closed and they bulldozed all the remaining houses in the street. My gran Margaret (known as Meg) followed her husband Jack/John down to Cambridge following the General Strike of 1926.
l also remember an Uncle Norman, his wife Eleanor and son Peter who lived near a railway line and had horses in a field opposite. More relations... Read more
County Durham memories
My Mother Was Born in Leeholme
My mother, Madge Ward was born at 10 Windsor Road, 5th Jan 1904, daughter of William Ward (Builder) and Margaret (nee Morrison). Madge was christened in St James Church, Coundon 18th Feb 1904. Always thought that she was born in Ferryhill. However, when searching for her birth cert after her death in Norfolk in 1997 aged 93 years I found out that it was in fact Leeholme. We made a journey a couple of years later in 1999 and took a photo of the house for my family records.
Childhood Memories
I was born at Auckland Park 1949 and moved to Durham in 1952 when my dad joined the prison service as an officer. Both of my nanas lived in Auckland Park, Henrietta Luke lived 1 Gurnney Valley, and Matilda Young lived 68 William Street. I had fantastic summer holidays spent between both my nanas' homes, we used to go to the 'rec every day. I loved the ocean wave, when the bigger kids got on they climbed up high and you had to hang on tight cause they made it go very fast. I always called at a friend of my Nana Young's on the way back for a drink of pop and a biscuit. We used to walk down to Eldon Lane picture house and get a bag of chips on the way back. I liked to go to Sunday school at the Methodist chapel just round the corner from the top of Thomas Street. We used to take Nana's dog Nell, for walks up the Lonon, a public path... Read more
Going For A Walk
There was my mam Norma Keller, my dad John William Keller, sister Mandy Jane Keller, other sister Tracy Joanne Keller and of course myself, Claire Margaret Keller. We lived a small 2 bed terrace house in Eldon Lane. it was like any other morning, except my mam had gone into hospital, I can't recall why but I missed her. Dad was looking after us for a few days. Dad said we were going for a little walk that day, we were excited, we put on our wellies and coats, hats and gloves and away we went. We came to a field. Dad said "See that white house?". "Yeh" we replied. "H'way then"... and away we went. We walked through cow fields, horse fields,mud, the whole lot. It seemed like a lifetime to get there but we did. I looked down at the village, it was beautiful, so peaceful, only the sound of the birds singing and our laughter broke the silence. After a while we made our descent down the... Read more
The Rink
Surely someone remembers Spennymoor Rink in the 1950s or am I the only one left? That last dance! 'Cherry Blossom Pink' etc played by that superb trumpet, the Teddy Boys. The fights, they were not so great! What about the pub next door. Was it the railway or something? Three Newcastle Brown Ales and a rum and pep then off to the dance. The late one... 12 Midnight till 4 am was it, the late buses or if you missed them that long walk to whereever. It seems like yesterday, a hundred years ago.
John Tully
Spennymoor Rink.
Dancing the night away at the rink, from 10pm until 2am on Friday nights, was the highlight of my teenage years. My boyfriend played in saxophone and clarinet in the resident band. Had some great times, felt so grown up staying out so late. George Pennington was my boyfriend's name. I have lived in Australia for the past 41 years but have never forgotten my nights at the rink. I lived in Leeholm but travelled to the rink every week. I would give anything to have just one more night dancing at the rink. Saw Johhny Dankworth and Emile Ford at the rink.
