The 1980s

A Memory of Peterlee.

I originally lived in Blackhills Terrace, Horden and went to Blackhills Road Junior School and like my brothers and sister went on to Dene House Comprehensive. As a kid I did not really venture a lot into Peterlee, probably if I was lucky to see the jazz bands at the carnival. Then after starting at the Comp in 1982 we moved to Southway into a 3 storey house which was great. When it snowed (and in those days it DID snow) we would all go out the back and have a snowball fight, and we all seemed to get on well with the neighbours' kids and on one occasion even the parents joined in. All around that estate there were 3 storey houses down Avon Road, Thames Road, and Helford Road, to name a few. And flats were everywhere also and funny 'T' shaped houses called canterlevers. I had really good times there and really enjoyed the atmosphere, the games of football on the field, riding my bike up and down the street. We had a garage under our house as did some of the neighbours and my dad and oldest brother spent a lot of time tinkering with cars. For some reasons I cannot explain we did not take any photos of that area during the 1980s and I would love to see some again but they are really hard to find. As the 1980s wore on my mother became ill so we had to move on to Sunny Blunts where again I had a fantastic childhood, moving on into adulthood and going to college for 3 years, these were to be the best three years of my life and I never regretted it for a moment. After getting older and wiser I visited a holiday camp in Skegness in 1989 where I met my future wife who was to have such a massive influence on me. I decided to make the big step and move out of Peterlee and move to Mansfield near Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire. I have only regretted moving twice, 2001 when my dad died and 2007 when my mum died. With them both gone the memories that I have are priceless but I would give up everything if I could go back and re-live those days again. I really miss the area now more than I have ever and I vowed to myself that I would never move back as I have my own family now down here. The area has changed so much and al ot of the 'landmarks' have gone, such as that concrete car park that used be across the road from the then Norseman Hotel. The old fire station with its tower, parts of Dene House Comp which has been pulled down which used to be the geography classrooms and commerce classrooms which I had the fortune of spending 3 years as my registration class. New buildings popping up around the old Howletch site and so on. Memories are the only free thing we have to remind us of our past yet we forget so so much without really knowing it until it's too late.

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