Greenhow Terrace

A Memory of Benwell.

I married Helen in 1967 and the only property available to rent was in Benwell. As we were both far too young to know better we took a bottom flat in Greenhow Terrace. That's where it all went wrong, Benwell was being demolished and couples were being relocated at Newbiggin Hall Estate, a new estate on the outskirts of Newcastle....Eagerly we accepted the keys to number 48 only to find it had no electricity or hot water. We thought it won't be long till were rehoused, we can manage... After turning down a flat offered to us I can only assume we went down to the bottom of the waiting list...and waiting is what we did, three ghastly years of it. During those years we were burgled five times and no one would insure us. There is not much to do without electricity so we got on each other's nerves to the point of nearly killing each other. Poor Helen was on her own all day whilst I worked so she visited friends and relations for company and a bath. We were the last people to be rehoused and were given a flat in Westerhope overlooking St Mark's church. Sadly it was all too late, too many hurtful things had been said and we hated each other so much we didn't even try to patch things up and were divorced soon after. The only fond memory was seeing Michael Caine making the film 'Get Carter' a couple of streets away. Thankfully I live in happier times now...
Kev.