Maw Petries Ice Cream Shop

A Memory of Langley Park.

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 the girls. I would love to put some names up but it might not be welcomed by some of the guys. There was a Monday night dance on at the Kings picture house for teenages from about 1956 to 1958, gangs from Witton, Esh Winning, Sacriston, and Kimblesworth, and most of all from our school, Langley Secondary Modern, Mr Millar was head teacher, Miss Sedgewick, Mr Brearly, Mr Martin, Miss Maggs, and Mr Forster made up the other teachers. I suppose I'm struggling for answers to my silly memories, cos this lot will,l ike me, be three score years and ten now.