The Promenade c1960, Newbiggin-By-The-Sea
The Promenade c1960, Newbiggin-By-The-Sea Ref: N76062
Memories of The Promenade c1960, Newbiggin-By-The-Sea
Remembrance of Things Past
This picture was taken a little after I left the town for further down the coast. I believe that the large building was called the Marine Cafe. A real and rare treat was to go and have a Knickerbocker Glory in a tall glass seated on tall stools at tall tables! To the right, on the beach at the base of the wall, was an outlet for a large constantly running drain, mostly street runoff I think. My sister and I spent many happy hours playing there, making dams and pools, building rickety bridges and so on. Today's Health and Safety would have had a dozen fits but we survived. Meanwhile the whole beach waited just behind us and eventually we would go and dig sea coal, skip on the rocks at low tide, squeeze through the Needle's Eye. A splendid childhood in a lovely place.
There were several shops around the Square (Marine Parade?) and as they sold a lot of bright souvenirs and toys to day visitors... Read more
Recent Visit 2007
I visited Newbiggin for the first time in January of this year, in search of my ancestors, who I hoped to find in St. Bartholomew's church. It was a bright but extremely windy day when we arrived, but I was delighted to discover the gravestone of my Gt.Gt. grandfather and many of his family. The stone was propped up against the church and we could have missed it. My visit from Australia was greatly enhanced by the discovery of the Harbottle family headstone.
Recent First Visit
Newbiggin-by-the-Sea is of great interest for me, as many of my ancestors lived there. I was able to visit St. Bartholomew's Church and discover the gravestone of the Harbottle family, one of whom was my great great grandfather. It made rather sad reading as many died so very young.
My Grandparents Home
My grandparents Isabella and Jack Lymer and my Uncle Victor Lymer lived above the cafe until my nan's death in 1968. When I was young it was the flat to the left as you look at the picture. It is now the hairdressers. My mum tells me that when she married my dad (1943) they lived in the flat to the right of the picture over looking the bay. I have many happy memories of holidays visiting them and playing on the sands. It was the best ice cream ever! And the sun always seemed to be shining. It used to take one and half days to travel from Sussex to Newbiggin when I was a child but my brother, sister and I never minded the journey because we so looked forward to seeing nanny, granddad and uncle Victor and maybe the ice cream featured in there somewhere along with the wonderful fish and chips or scramptions you could buy from any one of the 3 fish and chip shops... Read more
Newbiggin-By-The-Sea & local memories
Read and share memories of Newbiggin-By-The-Sea and Northumberland inspired by Frith photos.
The Wallaw Cinema
We didn't go to the cinema all that often and when we did it was a real treat. Fish and chip supper in the cafe upstairs, then into the cinema with its newsreels, local advertisements on slides, supporting 'B' film, forthcoming attractions and finally - The Big Film. And then out again, usually late at night (for us children) and the walk back up Front Street to where we lived close to the station. We only once went to the Saturday morning show for kids and was rather shocked at the unruly behaviour of most of the audience. I recall that at one time Wilfred Pickles brought 'Have a Go' to Newbiggin and it was held at the cinema. We came to Newbiggin in 1947 and left in 1955. I can't remember if the cinema was closed by then but it looks like it on the photos.
Norman
any one out there from the sixtys who used to to all meet up at the site on a friday night looking forward to a long weekend, ronnie semone stew dek davy jim linda kipper george norman brenda jeff trevor brian gillian jim sally blue john just to name a few,
Pilgrims
I can remember this very, very well indeed, also the pilgrims, they used to come down to the bandstand and have a great day out with all the Sunday School etc etc,t he green tents and deck chairs lol, oh my, this brings back good memories.
Woodhorne Colliery School
Some of my time at this Junior school stays in my memory. I recall the Headmaster, Mr Chater and Miss Hall who ran the class I started in. Having come from a tiny three teacher school in Nunthorpe the size and bustle of Miss Hall's with a spirited rendering of the Creed which I'd never heard of and was expected to join led to copious tears. I had to leave after a few months as my mother was seriously ill and we went to Whitehaven. Later I came back to Year Two (?) I don't remember the teacher's name: she was a tall woman with specs and a bustling, no-nonsense manner and I recall having a good year under her tuition. Then we moved up to Miss Sanderson's class. Might have gone to Mr Heaton's ('Heatspots') but was fortunate to go to Miss S. What a lovely person she was and how caring. I have the year photo still although I cannot recall any names expect, perhaps, Andrew R....son, a... Read more
Newbiggin by The Sea
I was born and brought up in Newbiggin by the Sea, till I left for Scotland in 1998. All my family is buried in St Bartholomews', Taylors, Clark, Arkle, Dunn, Peel, Maughan, just to mention a few. My granda was called Jimmy Taylor(nicknamed Keywall Jimmy), him and his brother in law (Sammy Clark) was never seperated, they used to go everywhere together including the Central Club, hehe. My uncle worked at Wallaw cinema, Jim Taylor. I can remember when I was 4 yrs old in 1960 and my brother Stephen (then 6 years old) was put on a double decker bus to head to the Saturday matinee, where my uncle was supposed to meet us off the bus, but my brother decided to get off one stop early and go to see our nana at North Shields. Oh yes we got on another bus and we did get there only to get a good hot backside when we arrived as no one knew where we had gone. I can laugh... Read more
