Woodlands Terrace [Now Durham Road Leadgate]

A Memory of Leadgate.

I was born at Richard Murray Hospital at Shotley Bridge, County Durham on 09/07/1942. My parents Winnie and Jack Kershaw, my mam's maiden name was Burnhope and my dad's family were the Kershaws, lemonade manufacturers of Askew Road, Gateshead, as far as I can recall the Burnhopes had Leadgate addresses. My first memories were of my home at Woodlands Terrace in Leadgate in a beautiful terraced house high above the Durham road. From the front bedroom window the view was of open fields that stretched for miles, looking towards Crookhall and beyond. The fields were I think owned by Willie Sheilds, and in the winter months snow blasted across those fields, burying the Durham road. My mam and dad were insurance agents, and my first school was Leadgate infants then later the juniors. My cousins were Caswells, their father being Billy Caswell, a butcher whose shop was in Watling Street in Leadgate. Auntie Mary his wife was a Heslop sister of my dad. My other cousins were two girls, Margaret and Caroline Burnhope whose parents were Connie and Charlie, Charlie being the brother of my mam. My dad was born in Plantation Street, Leadgate and my mam was born in the Felling area. Mam and Dad were good tennis players and every Saturday in summer they could be seen at Leadgate recreational tennis court. My dad took me to watch football at Leadgate recreational ground when the tennis season was over eg. at the back end of the year. I loved my village and its population and the twang, in the winter of 1950 I was asked [told] that I had to move to a place I never knew existed, away from my beloved birthplace and peoples, because of my dad's new job. I have never recovered from the move and am still proud to be associated with County Durham. Looking at the area now on my google maps, good God almighty, what's happened and where is the Leadgate I once knew? Progress?. Who ever reads my story - thanks.
Ian Kershaw.

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