My Youth In Thornley

A Memory of Thornley.

I was born at 128 Thornlaw, North Thornley. I am one of 8 children. My perants where Mr & Mrs Coles, Mary Ellen & Eric. My brother's names, Eric, Charles, Lawrance and Joseph. Sisters are Margaret, Mary, Pauline and Sheila. My mam worked in the W.M.Club waiting on. My dad worked for Eden Buses. I went to St Godrics R.C school the teacher was called Mr Smith & the Priest was Father McNeil and I went to the R.C Church which was just outside my front door. I remember playing games i.e knocky nine doors, mables in the backyard and getting two used cans, putting string though them and walking on them like stilts. My two older sisters looked after us young ones. When our parents were at work, my two older sisters got the coal from the back and put it in a old slvercross pram to take it up the path to the coal bunker. We had a number of pets, my bother had pigeons, also a dog and a hen called Susie which I remember a lot. She walked my dad down to the gate every morning when his shift started and when it was time for dad to come home, Susie would walk to the gate knowing dad's shift was over. Susie is never out of my mind, she was part of our family. We had a reck behind our garden which I never was away from. I used to get up in the morning with no clothes on and run to the swings. I also remember Mr Harry Blackbird, a close member of the family. He always stayed with us in the reck and pushed us so high it was fun - a gentleman I will never forget. We also went for adventures to the deans, with our jam sarnies if my mam had some, or butter and bread. We went to prefabs and got our sweets off the penny tray - flying saucers,flapjacks - if we had enough money left over we got a jubliee if it was a hot day.

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