The Street Where L Was Born

A Memory of Allendale Town.

l was born in the flat above the chemist shop in 1947. Arthur Walker was the pharmacist.  We moved over the road to Cross Keys House in 1950 and lived there till 1965. The street was my playground, with best friend Marion Warwick and Nigel Hutchinson, the Philipson brothers from next door to Charlton's shop ,and all my cousins, Nixons. The cattle wagon bringing the beasts to the butcher shop for Fred was an exciting viewing, swinging on the railings.
Across the road, the magic of the toys in Charlton's shop, the smell of the paraffin stove, and the Rozalex barrier cream that Vester rubbed on her hands.
l lost a shilling in the snow outside the chemist shop one Friday night, and shovelled like mad, to no avail. No cinema that night!
l worked as a waitress in the Heatherlea from 1962. Loved all the visitors coming up on the bus from Shields. Perhaps they remember Mary with the big beehive hair.
l also helped at Lawrence Dodd's dairy delivering the milk in his old dormobile. l was about 10 years old then and saved my half crowns for a perm at Mary Lees. What a mess! l looked like a hedgehog!! Good job it grew out quick!
l remember on New Year's Eve the excitement of waiting for the tar barrels to light up the street and trying to see from my bedroom window as they turned at The Chapel opposite. (I wasn't allowed to see it properly till l was 8.)
The Sunday School across the road. (I still love to sing!)
The poor cobbler down from Charlton's whom we used to tease mercilessly until a big hobnailed boot would come flying out the door and we would run away screaming! The shop had a fire and was a clothes shop after that. Willy Dixons. You could get stuff on tick. l plagued the life out of my mam till l got the pink net petticoat that hung on the outside door. (must have gone nicely with my hedgehog perm!) These are only a few of my memories from one street in Allendale. Could write a book with the rest!