Happy Times

A Memory of Burnhope.

I was born on August 2 in 1949 at Croxdale Hall Durham. It was seconded after the war from the Salvin family presumably because of shortages of materity hospitals. My mother was Elda Stonebank, one of 13 family and well known in the village. We played down the sawmills, got penny treats at Ada Rainbows and built camps and birdnesting, the things you did in that era. Started Junior school and remember Billy Gibson crying for weeks as he did not like school. Highlight of the year was the trip to South Shields. 50+ buses left the Ivy WMC and if you sat on the childrens bus without your parents you got 2 shilling. My first glimpse of the sea and fell in love with it. I have lived in Thailand for 10 years now, beside the sea. We moved to Lanchester when I was 8 as did many Burnhopers for more modern housing. I lived on a small Island called Koh Jum with my friend from Lanchester, Raymond Iverson, whose father built houses in Lanchester. After taking early retirement I moved to Rays resort and three weeks later we are running for our lives in the 2004 Tsunami. I now live on the mainland in Ao Nang as my Thai partner of 10 years was affected by the Tsunami. I still have the school picture from Burnhope and its suprising how many people are missing. Kind regards to all in Burnhope.