Wallsend Memories

A Memory of Wallsend.

I was born in Preston Hospital in January 1955. I lived in Charlotte Street and went to St columbas School. I remember being sent to get me mams shopping at the Co op in coach road.I still remember her co op cheque number 4575 this was used to get the Divvi.
When I was young I played out in the cobbled back lane and my friend made a clubhouse in her coal house. We used to have concert parties in the back lane and charge kids a penny to get in. The mams used to have washing lines strung across the back lane. When the coal cart came up all of the women had to run out and get their washing in so that it would not get dirty.The rag man used to trot along the lanes in his horse and cart and if you gave him old clothes he would give you a balloon or a penny.
I used to spend my pocket money at Mills on the corner of High St next to the town hall. I liked to buy Sraps which I kept in an old book we used to swap them with my mates.
One day they tarmacked over the cobbles in Charlotte St and made it a Play Street Then we could chalk out a bay on the tarmac and use an old emty shoe polish tin to play bays. If we could get a bit of washing line we would have a game of skipping and the mams would turn the rope while we all skipped and sang. In the summer evenings neighbours would often come and sit on their door steps and chat to each other.
When a neighbous daughter was getting married we would all wait by the front door to see the bride leaving. As she left with her dad in the car they would have a hoy oot. They threw coppers out of the car window and all of the kids would dive to catch them.

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