Witton Gilbert memories
Here are memories of Witton Gilbert and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Witton Gilbert or a Witton Gilbert photo.
The Bathing Hole
The stream in front of the war memorial ran down to the Browney river a few hundred yards below the Dean, where half of the Witton school kids learned to swim in deep pools created by dams made by Harry Bell and Davy Reynolds, they were much older than me and both very good swimmers and catapault makers. A lot of local familys picnicked at the bathing holes or the green bridge. Mr John Holmes, farmer, owned the land along the river and never stopped us from crossing his fields or playing in the river. The vicarage above the camel's hump had a fairly good orchard which we often raided in the autumn nights. The school orchard which was behind the labour hall only had pear trees in it and they were so small and hard, not worth raiding. I've just remembered this while writing, there was always great lumps of black tar floating down the river while we were swimming, how the water rats survived I'll never know, but... Read more
Barney King
I worked at Langley pit and coming home one morning from work on my motor bike, a 350 AJS, I hit the milk cart, Barney was dragging Toby across the road in front of Nuttalls shop having come from hillside, no one hurt, head ight broken, happy days.
WITTON GILBERT, THE WAR MEMORIAL
I remember this photo well as I was born and brought up in Witton Gilbert. I was born in 1949 in Cheviot House at the bottom of Greens Opening, a very short walk from the Dene. I went to the "Tin School" which was the Infants school and now forms part of the by-pass which desecrated the village. I was told there had been a murder in the house in the dene which is why it was left to go derelict. "Barneys Field" was named after my grandfather Barney King - a farmer in the village who, in the 1950's could be seen daily delivering milk to the folk of the village with his trusty retired pit pony named Toby. We kids played regularly in the dene and swam in the Browney and scrumped many an apple from the vicars orchard.
Not A Very Nice Story
My great-great-grandfather, John Mingins, was a tailor living in Witton Gilbert with his family. Unfortunately, in December 1853 an Irish navvy, Michael O'Brien, picked a fight with John outside the butcher's shop and consequently John was injured and died one week later. Michael O'Brien was found guilty of manslaughter at Durham Assizes and I assume he served the appropriate sentence. I live in East Anglia but intend to make a pilgrimage to Witton and would love to see some early photos of it.
Witton Gilbert, The War Memorial From The Woods c1955
The War Memorial stood at the bottom of what was called the "Camels Hump" in "The Dean" - a wild adventure playground for all us kids. The Hump was used for sledging down in winter and rolling down in summer. At the top of the picture behind the trees was the vicarage paddock, this was where as members of the 1st Witton Gilbert Cub and Scout group we us to play football/cricket/make fires etc.
At the bottom of the picture the "brook" - a stream running down through the village from "Barneys' Field" went underground in a culvert to emerge at the start of the Dean (I believe there was the remains of an old house? here).
The Blacksmith's Shop
The blacksmith's shop was at Jack Geddes' farm opposite the Quakers' burial ground. I used to go in and watch sometimes when my brother and I were bringing milk from Cockburns farm further along on the other side of the road. I lived in Park View till 1948. I remember Geddes had a great big Irish wolfhound called Ruff, he used to sleep under the table that the milk churns stood on waiting for collection. My visits there may have influenced me because later in life I became a blacksmith and I have a website. Just type in Dave Leckenby and see some of my work. I went to the tin school down the meadows then the school opposite North Terrace where Pussy Raine was head master. The White Tun pub stands in a hollow that used to fill up with water every time there was heavy rain, from the stream that ran down from Barnies farm, about 2 feet deep and it would flood over the road to the... Read more
Police Constable Curran
My great great grandfather Joseph Curran was a police officer and it appears as though he was the local police officer for Witton Gilbert. He certainly lived in Witton Gilbert in the 1881 and 1891 census but I have an article from the Police Chronicle July 1894 where PC Curran moved from Witton Gilber to Bearpark and was presented a watch and chain by the residents of Witton Gilbert, this was done at a public meeting in July 1894 - the meeting was presided on by Rev A Watts and the presentation was done by Mr T R Holmes (Witton Hall) - The meeting was held in the 'National School'. It would appear that Joseph was also treasurer of the Dean Burn Cottages Reading Room
(I would love to hear from anyone who could give me any further information about Joseph Curran - paul@biz.uk.com)
Birth of Sidney Hardy November 5th 1920
My Father in Law Sidney Hardy was born at 213 Front Street, Witton Gilbert, his mother was Lily Hardy, there is no father listed on birth Certificate. Does anyone know if any oictures exist of Front Street at that time.
The Odfellows Arms in Front Street
I have just discovered from resaerching the census results that my Great Grandparents ran the Odfellows Arms in Witton Gilbert round about the turn of the last century. His name was John McCormick and he was also a coal miner or coal hewer, running the pub in his own time. He and his wife had 5 daughters named Mary, Ellen, Alice, Rose and Ena. Alice was my grandmother. I would love to know if there is still an inn there in Front Street and if anyone has any memories of it!
Alice Potter
Memories of County Durham
War Memorial
My family originates from Witton Gilbert and Langley Park. we left Witton about 1935 to live in Surrey. Langley Park war memorial has the name of my uncle John Robert Swinbank who died on the Somme in the first world war and my cousin William Heppell who was lost on H.M.S Barham in the second world war.
The Swinbank family lived at Hill Top, Esh. My maternal grandparents were Elizabeth and Thomas Greenwell of 12{?} Park View. , Witton Gilbert.
I have many happy memories of holidays spent visiting the l family.arge Swinbank
Visiting Langley Park
Every summer I would go to stay with my mother's friend Clementine Burrell. Clemmie and her husband owned a small shop. I think it was on Front Street but not sure. I would be allowed to weigh the sugar and put it into blue bags. My grandparents were George and Elizabeth Johnson. They owned a newsagents shop which I think was on Quebec Street. My grandfather was a member of the Lanchester Rural Council for 26 years.
Good Old Boys
I see when I read other peoples memories they often mention friends' names, so to try to provoke some response to my memories, Malcolm Riley, Paddy to most of his friends, and Peter Bunn, and the times we had together are imprinted in my mind, they enhanced my life.
Ma Petrie's Ice Cream Shop.
When I left school in 1956 all of the people of my sort of age congregated in Ma Petrie's ice cream shop. It was great, there was a juke box, with Jerry Lee Lewis, Pat Boone ,Elvis, Fats Domino, Lonnie Donnigan, Nancy Whisky.. I could name all the people that were in there at that time but they may not want me to do that. I can honestly say that all the lads were real uns, and all the girls were beautiful. Where are you all now? I hope you are all well, and some of you read this. There was a street of wooden houses straight opposite Petrie's shop and Paddy and me and a few others (I dare not name them yet, but would love to) had a great fight one night, just like the ones the cowboys have on the TV , where no one gets hurt and everyone enjoyed it. There are half a dozen of the lads who must remember this, and perhaps some of... Read more
As I Look at These Pictures
i was born in ushaw moor, at 5 maple park,,i am the third of six children,,i remember walking around with my family,as my mums family lives in new brancepeth we used to walk up to see gran and grandma gibson,we used to go plodging in the beck on the way back from chappel(once loosing my socks)when i look at the picture of the crossroads i take myself back to being a child and going to my gran and grandad jolly they lived on oakridge road oposite the garages and the swings,since i dont have contact with the jollys (since we moved to nottinghamshire when i was five )i dont really know them,i do remember that you had to go out of the back door then over the pavement then into the back garden via a gate,my dad used to keep rabits,he didnt do much in the way of gardening but some one allways wanted a rabbit for the pot,,and would swap vegetables,,you did what you could for a growing family,,and... Read more
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