Station House

A Memory of Boldon Colliery.

My dad was the Station Master at Boldon Colliery Station from 1952-1959. We lived in that huge house on the station that rattled with every steam train that went through. My brother and I played on the cars and engines that were in the railway sidings. There were a number of kids living in the Railway Cottages and we all went to school in the village. Tommy Robson had a paper shop then and came every morning to pick up the papers in his van and saved us kids from that long walk to school - he jammed all of us in on top of the bundles of papers, some of us sitting on the end with our feet sticking out - that wouldn't be allowed these days. Our playground was the railway sidings, the burn down below, and the pit heap.

I can still see my mam peddlng her old sit up and beg bike with the dog running behind her as she cycled to pick up the groceries - none of us had the luxury of cars then. It was a hard life for our parents, and a tough time for my dad - these were the days of the Teddy Boys, and they were constantly vandalising the station. I have happy memories of my years living there, although they were a long time ago and I am now many miles away - I now reside in Canada and often browse for pictures of my past homes.
Valerie McGowan (nee White)

---

---