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Willington Quay
Willington Quay maps
Historic maps of Willington Quay and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Willington Quay maps
Willington Quay photos
We have no photos of Willington Quay, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Wallsend| Jarrow| Monkton Village| South Shields| Tynemouth| West Boldon| Cullercoats| Whitley Bay| East Boldon| Cleadon| Gateshead| Gosforth| Newcastle Upon Tyne| Seaton Delaval| Whitburn| Seaburn| Washington| Dunston| Sunderland
Willington Quay area books
Displaying 1 of 1 books about Willington Quay and the local area. View all books for this area
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Memories of Willington Quay
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Willington Quay
All my father's family (Talbots) lived on Armstrong Street. My dad and his brothers worked at the shipyards and later my dad worked at a small bakery in Willington Quay. I loved to visit him there and was spoiled having loads of wonderful cream cakes to eat, they were the best ever. I used to go with my dad on his deliveries and always ended up with a pocket full of money and a bag full of delicious goodies. The best time of all though was getting home, putting the kettle on and cuddling up to my dad with a nice cuppa. My Uncle John had an allotment and it was right in the middle of the houses behind Bewick Road, he grew the most wonderful vegetables. I loved to help him, I would sit for hours watching him pottering around. My brother and sister Norma and William used to go to dance school on Bewick Road, they won loads of cups and medals, unfortunately I have 2 left feet. I have... Read more
Good Times in Willington Quay
I lived at 19 Church St, Willington Quay, just beside the ballast hills. My dad George worked at Cooksons, so we lived in company house - very big and quite grand. We had no electricity in those days but it never bothered us. We had a wireless, windy-up gramaphone, and the ability to amuse ourselves. It was a very friendly place to live - no one locked doors and I often used to visit the lucky people in the street opposite who did have electricity and had TVs when they came out. I would plonk myself down to watch for an hour or two. Then on Saturday we would go to the Pearl pictures. My brother Alan,sister Gillian and friends - clutching sixpence - threepence to get in and threepence to spend. We all attended Addison Potter school which was not far from our house. The teachers used to teach all our family. There were our older brother and sister, Billy and May. We used to go to Jarrow a lot... Read more
The Ambulance
Hello, my name is Colin Cochrane and I used to live at 103 Bewicke Rd with my parents Alec and Anne, and my brother and sister John and Andrea. Like most kids in this area I suffered from asthma and one night I had a bad attack and an ambulance was called. I was put in the back gasping for air and as it drove off a door fell off and I burst out laughing, clearing my airways so didn't have to go to hospital. I now live in Germany with my wife and 2 grown up children.
Tyne and Wear memories
Percy Main Village.
I was born in 1947, and lived at number 14, Blyth Street, Percy Main village, my maiden name was Bell. My mam was called Ethel, dad was Bob, and my sister was Iris. When I was a child my granda Joe Bell, his daughter Phemie and her husband Charles and their son Brian Poulter lived in Backworth Street. My aunt Beth, her husband Bob and son Foster Bell lived in St Johns Street. I miss the village greatly, but sadly do not have any photos and have not been able to trace any, not even in North Shields library. There have not been any books produced either, so I cannot wallow in its nostalgia.
Early Years at Percy Main
My teen years were spent in Mindrum Terr (the buildings). I started work with Percy Couchman the local builder but left to earn more money at the Loco Sheds as a cleaner fireman.
Cinemas
I was born in 1951, so belong to the generation of Saturday morning cinema goers in Wallsend who just couldn't wait for Saturdays. The choice was big in the late 1950's.
The Gaumont (corner of Park Road and High Street East).
The Royal (High Street East) and now the Lloyds TSB bank.
The Tyne (Station Road) pulled down to make way for The Forum.
The Queens (Station Road) behind Woolworth and opposite the Memorial Hall.
The Ritz (High Street West)
The favourite was The Ritz, an art deco cinema palace. I was an ABC Minor - the junior cinema goers club and still have the badge to prove it. Sixpence got you into the stalls and a shillng got you into the circel. With only a shilling pocket money a week at the time (£0.05) it was the stalls, threepence for an ice lolly and threepence left for the rest of the week.
Happy memories.
As 'going to the pictures' was replaced... Read more
Gainers Terrace
I was born at number 13 on 4/9/1950 and was happy there until my mam died, then me dad and I moved in with Sylvia and Fred in Woodbine Ave. I went back up home in 2006 and it had all gone, streets in my memory alone. I used to watch the ships being built from the bedroom window in number 13 and my dad Harry was a stager at Swan Hunters, then at Clelands in Willington Quay. He used to drink in the Ship Inn and I remember ginger beer in the snug. My brother Brian left on his fateful last journey on the eve of his 21st birthday two years before my mam took her own life in 1960, an event which radically affected not just my life but the whole family. I remember sitting on our doorstep waiting for my dad to come home from the shipyard. Ummm happy days!!!
