CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

I was born and bred in Wingate 1953, I was born in a flat in North Road East just down from the Co-op. My dad worked underground in various collieries throughout his working life from the age of 14 until he reluctantly retired at the age of 65. We moved into our first council house when I was 4 years of age in 1957, no. 7 Williamson Square, way back then the houses had no bathrooms and the loos were outside, but it was heaven to my parents. I can remember clawing my way in the dark to the gloomy loo, so scary in the dark when you're only 4. I can remember just about everything from being aged 4, and have watched with interest the regrowth of the village,"out with the old and in with the new". Lots of the old building have long gone...along with the residents, there are so many strangers in the village now, I'm not sure if all of the changes have made the village better or worse! But it's where my roots used to be for all of my growing up years. I remember using a shovel to sit on and slide down the pit heaps in the snow. Making dolly wash balls out of the coal slag when the pits were on strike. New Year's Eve was always a memorable event, the pit buzzers used to ring in the new year, everyone were all in the same boat way back then ....nobody used to bother locking their doors as nobody had anything worth stealing. but as I recall people were happier then, the kids played hop scotch and allies, skips, block and follow the arrow. We never thought about beating up anyone, we had little money but still knew how to enjoy ourselves. I had a great childhood, pictures fade but our memories last forever.