Almost A Half Century In Old Ponteland
A Memory of Ponteland.
We moved to Ponteland in 1940 from North Shields in a bid to 'escape' the ever increasing air raids on Tyneside. We first lived on the North Road and I attended Coates Endowed School (headmaster, Mr Parker) and later the 'top' school (headmaster, Mr Stokoe), as it was known then before moving on to College. I used to help out at the local Post Office at the weekends assisting the postmaster, Joe McDonald. Ponteland in those days was a lovely old fashioned little village but, like most places now, has become much larger and for me, too modern. I was in the choir at St Mary's Church for a number of years and was married there in 1958; the vicar at the time was the Rev Cheshire and he had a thing about confetti - if you used it you were expected to sweep it up afterwards! Apart from my time in the RAF, I lived in Ponteland for over 48 years in all, and worked for the Local Authority. Although we left there in 1988 I still look upon the place as my 'home' and have nothing but happy memories of my childhood days, growing up, and then bringing up our own family there.
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Comments & Feedback
I went there in 1955 when I was 4 1/2 . Mams used to watch from the churchyard wall to check on their kids in their first few days at school. I lived in Darras Hall estate at the old station there. I used to get the no.5 bus to school , lunchtime but in the summer would walk home the couple of miles. Also so I could save the bus money to spend at Mrs Arrowsmith's sweet shop opposite the CoOp.
Another teacher I remember with more pleasure was Mrs Johnson (first class) who taught us how to use those wood edged individual blackboards and sand tray (using your finger) to write.
Mr Wilson used to drive a diminuitive(now) Austin A40 - he was the last teacher at the school for me before I went to th "Little School" up North Road.
Lots of kids used to go down over the churchyard wall - some smoking much aged much less than 10 - those Senior Service fags you could buy in 5's. Older kids then flogged them to the young ones 1 at a time - at a profit.
I went to the Little school next where Mr Hedley was the Headmaster - he retired while I was there. He had a sort of Mohican haircut.
I remember Cheshire but then Revd Porteous came and he was much more approachable. The sexton was a much feared person and would chase kids out of the churchyard with his stick.
I loved the Little School - Mrs Wingate (who lived on Lindisfarne) and made us sing lots of Nothumbrian songs ( John Peel, The Keel Row etc) ; Mrs Charlton who organised the school play - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ; Mr Ridley who was our last teacher ( he later became head master of the Secondary school I think). He used to cycle from/to home each day from Cheviot View.
I have lots of fond memories of growing up in Darras Hall and Ponteland and the pleasure of wandering safely all over the nearby countryside on my own and with friends.
I left to go to Edinburgh in 1969 and never really went back for long. I have been in Australia since 1974.
Ponteland HAS changed some much - but it was great growing up there in a real village where you knew lots of people.
My father was in the bank and we moved from ponteland in 1961. I still have family in the area.
We went to school together . I lived at the old station in Darras Hall. I remember coming to your house. My sister still lives in Pont - in Cheviot View. Will probably be going back in July for a visit.
Granville
ps The person walking across North Road in photo ref: P264012 is me (early 50s)
Thanks, James