Spencers

A Memory of Newburn.

ONE OF MY FIRST MEMORIES OF OLD MILFIELD WAS MY MAM(ALWAYS CALLED HER MA)GETTING ME READY ON A COLD DARK MORNING TO GO DOWN TO MY NANAS(MEGY BELL)WHO LOOKED AFTER ME SO MY MAM COULD START WORK AT 7-30 AT SPENCERS,WE ALWAYS CALLED IT SPENCERS DONT KNOW WHEN IT CHANGED TO WOODHEADS, SHE WORKED THERE WITH A LOAD OF OTHER WOMEN AND THERE ALL SEAMED TO LOVE THE JOB.MY MAM USED TO MAKE ALL SORTS OF SPRINGS IN HER SHOP. THIS WAS A LARGE FACTORY WITH A BIG WORK FORCE. MY AUNTY VIOLET WORKED THERE AS WELL IN FACT HALF OF MILLFIELD MUST OF WORKED THERE SO EVERYBODY MUST HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER. MY DAD (JOHN ORMSTON ALWAYS CALLED HIM DA ASWELL) WORKED THERE I THINK BACK TO THE TIMES WHEN I WOULD TAKE HIS BAIT DOWN INTO THE SHOP WHERE HE WORKED. ALL HIS MATES WOULD CARRY ON WITH ME. THIS PLACE HAD A GREAT SMELL I SOME TIMES IN SCRAP YARDS GET A WIFF OF IT AND IT TAKES ME STRAIGHT BACK. HE WOULD PUT A ROW OF SPRINGS BETWEEN TWO GRINDERS TO TAKE THEM DOWN TO SIZE, MY DAD LOVED THIS JOB ASWELL.I REMEMBER MY MATE TERRY JOHNSONS MAM AND DAD BOTH WORKED THERE(RONNIE AND BRIDIE). THESE LIVED NEXT TO MY NANA AT THE BOTTOM OF FRANCIS TERRACE, JUST OUTSIDE TERRYS HOUSE WAS A GAP IN THE FENCE WITH A STEEP HILL GOING STRAIGHT DOWN INTO SPENCERS, FURTHER UP WAS A GATE LEADING TO SOME DESERTED GARDENS WHERE I USE TO PLAY WITH TWO OF THE TAISEYS THEY LIVED ON MILLFIELD CRESENT AND EDDIE BINGHAM WHO LIVED FURTHER UP, EDDIE HAD LOADS OF BROTHERS BUT ONLY ONE SISTER AS I RECALL, I REMEMBER HIS DAD DROVE A WAGON FOR SMILES FOR MILES, TWO DOORS DOWN ANOTHER SMILES DRIVER OLD TROTTER AND MY MATE ROY JEFFRIES DAD ALSO WORKED THERE.SPENCERS HAD LOADS OF SHOPS MAKING DIFFERENT SIZE SPRINGS AND WHEN I GOT OLDER IT WAS LIKE A GREAT MAZE FOR MY FRIENDS AND ME AND GETTING CHASED OUT WAS HALF THE FUN. MY MAM GOT A JOB IN THE CANTEEN LATER ON AND ANOTHER ONE OF MY MATES BILLY MILLIN USED TO SAY LETS GO DOWN AND CADGE SOME BAIT OFF YOUR MAM AND HE ALWAYS GOT SOMETHING. BILLY LIVED ON THE OTHER CRESENT IN THE MIDDLE I LIVED FURTHER UP AT NUMBER 66. ONE DAY I CALLED AT BILLYS HE SHOUTED ME UP AS HE WAS HAVIN SOME DINNER. I WAS AMAZED TO WATCH BILLY WITH A PLATE FULL OF BEANS AND GO THROUGH NEARLY A FULL LOAF MAKING SANDWICHES ABOUT FIVE TO THE SLICE. WHEN I LEFT SCHOOL MY FIRST JOB WAS FOR SMITHS DAIRY AT THE BOTTOM OF MILLFIELD BANK A GOOD JOB BUT WASENT VERY GOOD AT GETTING UP EARLY SO A FEW MONTHS LATER STARTED FOR JONAS WOODHEADS(SPENCERS) LOVED THIS JOB USED TO WORK ON THE FURNACES WITH THREE SPRING FITTERS (ALEX SIMS GORDIE IONS AND OLD ARTHER) HARD WORK BUT IT WAS GREAT. MY JOB AT BAIT TIMES WAS TO MAKE THE TEA IN THEM WHITE CANS WITH THE LIDS ON AND GO TO THE CANTEEN. EGG SANDWICHES ONE DAY BACON THE NEXT. MY PERK WAS ME MAM STILL WORKED IN THE CANTEEN SO I DID ALRIGHT. I USED TO START AT 7-30 BUT STILL WASENT GOOD AT GETTING UP SO ME MATE WOULD CLOCK IS IN AND THE FOREMAN MR. BOWIE WOULD LEAVE AFTER 8 OCLOCK TO PICK HIS WIFE UP WHO WORKED IN THE OFFICE SO I WOULD SLIP IN ABOUT 8-20 TO SHOUTS OFF ME MATES ABOUT SLEEPING ON SHIRT TAILS AND ALL THAT. JOHN ORMSTON