Swimming In The River Derwent Shotley Bridge

A Memory of Shotley Bridge.

Those were the days - loads of fun swimming in the so called "divvy" (river) at Shotley Bridge in the early fifties - different parts of the river namely; Leveys, Puddlers, chat ties, the dry rocks etc. Only the lads swam at chat ties, girls were not allowed. We all took turns looking for firewood to keep warm after a swim. Can anyone remember the horse that was fatally injured - the horse bolted and ran into the bridge at Shotley. The vet came and put the horse to sleep. The horse belonged to my father, Bobby Sedgwick. The playground was also the main attraction those days, plus the fountain in the village centre. My childhood memories of Shotley Bridge were some of the best years of my life.

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